Showing posts with label definition alternate interior angles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label definition alternate interior angles. Show all posts

Friday, October 5, 2012

Geometry: Alternate interior angles

Definition: Alternate interior angles
Consider a pair of parallel lines is intercepted by a transversal. At each of the intersection points of the lines with the transversal, 4 angles are formed, making a total of 8 angles for the two lines. Each of these angles have a name or significance. Let us try to understand the following example of alternate interior angles.


The above figure shows two black lines intercepted by the red transversal. In the interior of the lines, four angles are formed namely, <5 a="a" also="also" alternate="alternate" and="and" angles.="angles." angles="angles" are="are" called="called" congruent.="congruent." green="green" if="if" interior="interior" is="is" of="of" other="other" p="p" pair="pair" similarly="similarly" the="the" these="these">
Theorem related to alternate interior angles:
When a pair of parallel lines is intercepted by a transversal, each pair of alternate interior angles thus formed are congruent. Therefore in the above figure, angle <5 and="and" angle="angle" congruent="congruent" is="is" p="p" to="to">
Examples of alternate interior angles:
The following pictures show examples of alternate interior angles:
Example 1:




In the above figure, the angles 76 and b are alternate interior angles. Therefore we can say that measure of angle b is 76. Similarly measure of angle a would be 104 since these two are also alternate interior angles and we know that alternate interior angles are congruent.

If one pair of alternate interior angles is acute, then the other pair of alternate interior angles has to be obtuse.  (Note an acute angle is an angle whose measure is less than 90 degrees and an obtuse angle is an angle whose measure is more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees)
Example 2:


In the above figure, the parallel lines are intercepted by a horizontal transversal. So here the purple dots are a pair of obtuse alternate interior angles and the pink dots are a pair of acute alternate interior angles. As we already know both the purple angles have to be congruent to each other and similarly both the pink angles also have to be congruent to each other.