Triangles are flat figures with three sides and angles that add up to 180 degrees. They can be classified by side length or angle measurement. Equilateral triangles have equal sides and angles, isosceles triangles have two equal sides and angles, and scalene triangles have unequal sides and angles. Acute triangles have all acute angles, right triangles have one right angle, and obtuse triangles have one obtuse angle. The word “triangle” is also used to describe other things with three sides or points, such as musical instruments or romantic situations.
Triangles are one of the fundamental figures used in Euclidean geometry. It takes three items to make one. It’s a
We come from
flat or two-dimensional figure, in which
the sum of the interior angles is exactly 180 degrees.
There are two common systems of classifying triangles. One focuses on the sides and designates three types.
Equilateral triangle. Equilateral means “equal sides” and in an equilateral triangle, all three sides have the same length. This means that the angles will also be equal – all 60° – making it equiangular as well.
Isosceles triangle. Isosceles means “equal legs” and this type has two sides of the same length. This also means that the two angles formed where the equal sides meet the third side are equal.
Scalene triangle. Scalene comes from a word meaning “irregular” and this type has three unequal sides. As you might suspect, then, the three angles are also unequal.
The other classification scheme of triangles approaches the shapes from the point of view of the measures of the internal angles. It too designates three types.
Acute triangle. In an acute triangle, the largest internal angle is acute, less than 90°. This means that all angles are acute.
Right triangle. In this type, there is a right angle, an angle of exactly 90°. This means that the other two angles will be acute.
Obtuse triangle. This shape has an internal angle which is obtuse. This means, again, that the other two angles will be acute.
More Triangles. The word triangle is also used of things that bear some resemblance to this shape, either to have the approximate shape or to have three points that are connected in some way. The musical instrument called a triangle is a metal rod with three sides, except one corner is open. It is hung on a thin wire so it can vibrate when struck by a beater. It is used in both orchestral and band music. A so-called love triangle is a romantic situation involving three people and generally implies that each would prefer a couple.
Triangle is also used to refer to places that are more or less triangular in shape. The Bermuda Triangle, the area roughly bounded by Bermuda, Fort Lauderdale, and Puerto Rico, is a well-known part of the planet because it has a reputation for unexplained disappearances. There are a number of golden triangles, including the area of Southeast Asia known for its opium production, however, a golden triangle is also an isosceles triangle constructed such that the ratio of the hypotenuse and the base equals the so-called golden ratio, so we’re back to where the math started.
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