CONSTRUCTION OF TRIANGLES 9

9.0 Introduction
You will learn how to construct triangles in this chapter. You do not need all the six elements i.e. the
three angles and three sides of a triangle to construct a triangle. A triangle can be drawn if you
know the elements that are required for two triangles to be congurent. Thus, a triangle can be
drawn in any of the situations given below i.e., if we know the-
(i) Three sides of the triangle.
(ii) Two sides and the angle included between them.
(iii) Two angles and the side included between them
(iv) Hypotenuse and one adjacent side of a right-angled triangle.
A triangle can also be drawn if two of its sides and a non-included angle are given. However, it is
important to remember that this condition is not suffiecient to make two triangles, congruent.
Let us learn to construct triangles in each of the above cases.

9.1 Construction of a triangle when measurements of the three sides are given
In the construction of any geometrical figure, drawing a rough sketch first, helps in indentifying the
sides. So we should first draw a rough sketch of the triangle we want to construct and label it with
the given measurements.

Example 1: Construct a PQR with sides PQ = 4 cm, QR = 5 cm and RP = 7 cm.

STEP 1 : Draw a rough sketch of the triangle and
label it with the given measureents.

STEP 2 : Draw a line segment QR of length 5 cm.

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 STEP 3 : With centre Q, draw an arc of
radius 4 cm.

STEP 4 : Since P is at a distance of 7 cm from

R, draw another arc from R with
radius 7 cm such that it intersects first
arc at P.

STEP 5 : Join Q,P and P,R. The required PQR

is constructed.

Try This
1. Construct a triangle with the same measurements given in above example, taking
PQ as base. Are the triangles congurent?

2. Construct a PET, PE = 4.5 cm, ET = 5.4 cm and TP = 6.5 cm in your

notebook. Now construct ABC, AB = 5.4 cm, BC = 4.5 cm and CA = 6.5 cm
on a piece of paper. Cut it out and place it on the figure you have constructed
in your note book. Are the triangles congruent? Write your answer using
mathematical notation.

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 Exercise - 1

1. Construct ABC in which AB = 5.5 cm, BC = 6.5 cm and CA = 7.5 cm.

2. Construct NIB in which NI = 5.6 cm, IB = 6 cm and BN = 6 cm. What type of triangle
is this?

3. Construct an equilateral APE with side 6.5 cm.

4. Construct a XYZ in which XY = 6 cm, YZ = 8 cm and ZX = 10 cm. Using protractor

find the angle at X. What type of triangle is this?

5. Construct ABC in which AB = 4 cm, BC = 7 cm and CA= 3 cm. Which type of

triangle is this?

6. Construct PEN with PE = 4 cm, EN = 5 cm and NP = 3 cm. If you draw circles instead
of arcs how many points of intersection do you get? How many triangles with given
measurements are possible? Is this true in case of every triangle?

Try This

Sushanth prepared a problem: Construct XYZ in which XY = 2 cm, YZ = 8 cm

and XZ = 4 cm.
He also drew the rough sketch as shown in
Figure 1.

Reading the problem, Srija told Sushanth that it would not be possible to draw a
triangle with the given measurements.
However, Sushanth started to draw the diagram as shown in Figure 2.

Check whether Sushanth can draw the triangle. If not why? Discuss with your friends.
What property of triangles supports Srija’s idea?

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 9.2 Construction of a triangle with two given sides and the included angle

Example 2 : Construct ABC in which AB = 4 cm, BC = 5cm and ! B = 50°.

STEP 1 : Draw a rough sketch of a triangle and label it with
the given measurements.

STEP 2 : Draw a line segment AB of length 4 cm.

!
STEP 3 : Draw a ray BX making an angle 50° with AB.

!
STEP 4 : Draw an arc of radius 5 cm from B, which cuts BX at C.

STEP 5 : Join C, A to get the required ABC.

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 Exercise - 2

1. Draw CAR in which CA = 8 cm, ! A = 60° and AR = 8 cm. Measure CR, ! R and
! C. What kind of triangle is this?

2. Construct ABC in which AB = 5 cm, ! B = 45° and BC = 6 cm.

3. Construct PQR such that ! R=100°, QR = RP = 5.4 cm.

4. Construct TEN such that TE = 3 cm, ! E = 90° and NE = 4 cm.

9.3 Construction of a triangle when two angles and the side between the angles is given

Example 3 : Construct MAN with MA = 4 cm, ! M = 45° and ! A = 100°.

STEP 1 : Draw rough sketch of a triangle and label it with

the given measurements.

STEP 2 : Draw line segment MA of length 4 cm.

4 cm.

X
!
STEP 3 : Draw a ray MX , making an angle 45° at M.

45o
M A
4 cm.

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 !
STEP 4 : Draw a ray AY , making an angle 100°
at A.
!
Extend the ray MX if necessary to
intersect ray AY .
!

4 cm

STEP 5 : Mark the intersecting point of the two rays

as N. You have the required MAN

4 cm

Try This
Construct a triangle with angles 105° and 95° and a side of length of your choice.
Could you construct the triangle? Discuss and justify.

Exercise - 3

1. Construct NET with measurement NE = 6.4 cm, ! N = 50° and ! E = 100°.

2. Construct PQR such that QR = 6 cm, ! Q = ! R = 60°. Measure the other two sides
of the triangle and name the triangle.

3. Construct RUN in which RN = 5cm, ! R = ! N = 45°. Measure the other angle and
other sides. Name the triangle.
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 9.4 Construction of right-angled triangle when the hypotenuse and a side are given.

Example 4 : Construct ABC, right-angled at A, and BC = 6 cm; AB = 5 cm.

STEP 1 : Draw a rough sketch of right-angled triangle and
label it with given information.
Note: side opposite to the right angle is called
hypotenuse.

5cm

STEP 2 : Draw a line segment AB of length 5 cm.

!
STEP 3 : Construct a ray AX perpendicular to AB at A.

STEP 4 : Draw an arc from B with radius 6cm to intersect

!
AX at ‘C’.

STEP 5 : Join B,C to get the required ABC.

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 Exercise - 4

1. Construct a right-angled ABC such that ! B = 90°, AB = 8 cm and AC = 10 cm.

2. Construct a PQR, right-angled at R, hypotenuse is 5 cm and one of its adjacent sides is

4 cm.

3. Construct an isosceles right-angled XYZ in which ! Y = 90° and the two sides are
5 cm each.

9.5 Construction of triangle when two sides and the non-included angle are given

Example 5 : Construct ABC such that AB = 5 cm, AC = 4 cm, ! B = 40°.

STEP 1 : Draw rough sketch of ABC and label it with

the given measurements.

STEP 2 : Draw a line segment AB of length 5 cm. 5 cm B

A

!
STEP 3 : Draw a ray BX making an angle 40° at B.

400
5 cm B
A

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 X

STEP 4 : With A as centre and radius 4 cm, draw an arc to

!
cut ray BX .

400
5 cm B
A

STEP 5 : Mark the intersecting point as C and join

C, A to get the required ABC.

400
5 cm B
A

!
Can you cut the ray BX at any other point? X
C’
You will see that as ! B is acute, the arc from
!
A of radius 4 cm cuts the ray BX twice.

400
5 cm B
A

So we may have two triangles as given below:

X X
C’ C’
4 cm

C C
4 cm
400 400
5 cm B 5 cm B
A A

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 Try This
Construct a triangle with two sides of length of your choice and the non-included
angle as an obtuse angle. Can you draw two triangles in this solution?

Exercise - 5

1. Construct ABC in which AB = 4.5 cm, AC = 4.5 cm and ! B = 50°. Check whether
you get two triangles.

2. Construct XYZ such that XY = 4.5 cm, XZ = 3.5 cm and ! Y = 70°. Check whether
you get two triangles.

3. Construct ANR with the sides AN and AR of lengths 5 cm and 6 cm respectively and
! N is 100°. Check whether you get two triangles.

4. Construct PQR in which QR = 5.5 cm, QP = 5.5 cm and ! Q = 60°. Measure RP.
What kind of triangle is this?
5. Construct the triangles with the measurement given in the following table.
Triangle Measurements

ABC BC = 6.5 cm, CA = 6.3 cm, AB = 4.8 cm.

PQR PQ = 8 cm, QR = 7.5 cm, ! PQR = 85°
XYZ XY = 6.2 cm, ! Y = 130°, ! Z = 70°
ABC AB = 4.8 cm, AC = 4.8 cm, ! B = 35°
MNP ! N = 90°, MP = 11.4 cm., MN = 7.3 cm.
RKS RK = KS = SR = 6.6 cm.
PTR ! P = 65°, PT = PR = 5.7 cm.

Looking Back
• A triangle can be constructed when.
(i) The three sides of the triangle are given.
(ii) Two sides and the angle included between them is given.
(iii) Two angles and their included side is given.
(iv) The hypotenuse and one adjacent side of a right angle triangle are given.
(v) Two sides and the not included angle are given.

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