PROPERTIES OF TRIANGLES

SYNOPSIS
a b c
1. Sine Rule: In ∆ABC, = = = 2R Where R is the circum-radius.
sin A sin B sin C

⇒ a = 2R sin A, b = 2R sin B, c = 2R sin C

a : b : c = sin A : sin B : sin C.

2. Cosine Rule: In ∆ABC,

a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A

b2 = c2 + a2 – 2ac cos B

c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C

Or

b 2 + c2 − a 2 c2 + a 2 − b2
cos A = ; cos B = ;
2bc 2ca

a 2 + b 2 − c2
cos C = ⇒ cos A : cos B : cos C.
2ab

= a(b2 + c2 – a2) : b(c2 + a2 – b2) : c(a2 + b2 – c2)

3. Projection Rule: In ∆ABC

a = b cos C + c cos B

b = c cos A + a cos C

c = a Cos B + bcos A

4. Mollwiede’s Rule: In ∆ABC

A−B
sin
a−b 2 ’
=
c C
cos
2
 A−B
cos
a+b 2
=
c C
sin
2

Similarly the other two can be written by symmetry.

5. Tangent rule (or) Napier’s analogy: In ∆ABC

A−B a−b C
tan = cot ;
2 a+b 2

B−C b−c A
tan = cot ;
2 b+c 2

C−A c−a B
tan = cot
2 c+a 2

6. Half angle formulae:

A (s − b)(s − c) it should be whole root

B (s − c)(s − a) it should be whole root

C (s − a)(s − b) it should be whole root

A s(s − a )
ii. cos =
2 bc

B s(s − b)
cos = ;
2 ac

C s(s − c)
cos =
2 ab

iii. tan
A
=
(s − b )(s − c ) = (s − b)(s − c) ;
2 s(s − a ) ∆

tan
B
=
(s − a )(s − c ) = (s − a )(s − c) ;
2 s(s − b ) ∆
 tan
C
=
(s − a )(s − b ) = (s − a )(s − b )
2 s(s − c ) ∆

A s(s − a ) s(s − a )
iv. cot = = ;
2 (s − b )(s − c ) ∆

B s(s − b ) s(s − b )
cot = = ;
2 (s − c )(s − a ) ∆

C s(s − c ) s(s − c )
cot = =
2 (s − a )(s − b ) ∆

b 2 + c2 − a 2
7. cot A = ;
4∆

c2 + a 2 − b2
cot B = ;
4∆

a 2 + b 2 − c2
cot C = .
4∆

8.

i) cot A, cot B, cot C are in A.P. ⇔ a2, b2, c2 are in A.P.

ii) cot A/2, cot B/2, cot C/2 are in A.P. ⇔ a, b, c are in A.P.

iii) cot A/2 : cot B/2 : cot C/2 = s – a; s – b : s – c

iv) if cot A/2 : cot B/2 : cot C/2 = x : y : z ; then a : b : c = y + z : z + x : x + y

v) If a : b : c = x : y : z then cot A/2 : cot A/B : cot C/2 = y + z – x : z + x – y : x + y – z.

9. If a + b = nb then tan 
A C (n − 1)
 tan   =
2 2 (n + 1)

10. Area of ∆ABC is given by

1 1 1
i. ∆= ab sin C = bc sin A = ca sin B
2 2 2

ii. ∆ = s(s − a )(s − b )(s − c ) .

iv. ∆ =2R2 sin A sin B sin C

v. ∆ = rs

vi. ∆ = r r1 r2 r3

a b
11. i) + = 1 ⇔ ∠C = 60o.
b+c c+a

b c
+ = 1 ⇔ ∠A = 60o
c+a a +b

c a
+ = 1 ⇔ ∠B = 60o.
a+b b+c

1 1 3
ii) + = ⇔ ∠B = 60o.
a+b b+c a+b+c

1 1 3
+ = ⇔ ∠C = 60o
b+c c+a a+b+c

1 1 3
+ = ⇔ ∠A = 60o
c+a a +b a+b+c

12. If ‘r’ is radius of in circle and r1, r2, r3 are the radii of ex-circles opposite to the vertices A, B, C
of ∆ABC respectively then

∆ ∆ ∆
i. r = , r1 = , r2 =
s s−a s−b

A B C
ii. r = 4R sin sin sin
2 2 2

A C
r1 = 4R sin cos cos
2 2

A B C
r2 = 4R cos sin cos
2 2 2

A B C
r3 = 4R cos cos sin
2 2 2
 iii. r = (s − a ) tan = (s − b ) tan = tan (s − c)
A B C
2 2 2

= (s − b ) cot = (s − c) cot
A C B
r1 = s tan
2 2 2

= (s − c) cot = (s − a ) cot
B A C
r2 =s tan
2 2 2

= (s − a ) cot = (s − b ) cot
C B A
r3 = s tan
2 2 2

1 1 1 1
13. i) = + +
r r1 r2 r3

ii) rr1r2r3 = ∆2

14. i) r1r2 + r2r3 +r3r1 = s2

ii) r(r1 + r2 + r3) = ab + bc + ca – s2.

15. i) (r1 – r)(r2 + r3) = a2

(r2 – r)(r3 + r1) = b2

(r3 – r)(r1 + r2) = c2

rr1
ii) a = (r2 + r3)
r2 r3

rr2
b = (r3 + r1)
r3r1

rr3
c = )r1 + r2)
r1r2

A
16. i) r1 – r = 4R sin2
2

B
r2 – r = 4R sin2
2
 C
r3 – r = 4R sin2
2

C
ii) r1 + r2 = 4R cos2
2

A
r2 + r3 = 4R cos2
2

B
r3 + r1 = 4R cos2
2

17. r1 + r2 + r3 = 4R

r + r2 + r3 – r1 = 4R cosA

r + r3 + r2 – r2 = 4R cosB

r + r1 + r2 – r3 = 4R cosC

18. If xr1 = yr2 = zr3 then a : b : c = y + z : z + x : x + y

19. In an equilateral triangle of side ‘a’

3a 2
i) Area = ii) R = a / 3
4

iii) r = R / 2 iv) r1 = r2 + r3 = 3R / 2

v) r : R : r1 = 1 : 2 : 3

20. If I is in centre, I1, I2, I3 are the ex-centres of ∆ABC then

A B C
i) AI = r cosec , BI = r cosec , CI = r cosec
2 2 2

A B C
ii) AI1 = r1 cosec , BI2 = r2 cosec , CI3 = r3 cosec
2 2 2

A B C
iii) II1 = a sec , II2 = b sec . II3 = c sec
2 2 2
21. Ex-Central Triangle: The triangle formed by joining the ex-centres I1, I2, I3 of ∆ABC is called
Ex-Central Triangle.

For the ex-central triangle I1I2I3

π A π B
i) Angles are ∠I1 = − , ∠I2 = − ,
2 2 2 2

π C
∠I3 = − .
2 2

A A
ii) Sides are I2I3 = 4R cos , = a cosec
2 2

B B
I3I1 = 4R cos = b cosec
2 2

C C
I1I2 = 3R cos = c cosec
2 2

iii) Circum radius = 2R

A B C
iv) Area = 8R2cos cos cos = 2RS.
2 2 2

22. Pedal Triangle: If the altitude drawn from A, B, C of a triangle ABC meets the opposite sides
at D, E, F then the triangle DEF is the Pedal triangle of the triangle ABC.

For the pedal triangle of ∆ABC

i) Angles are π – 2A, π – 2B, π – 2C.

ii) Sides are a cos A, b cos B, c cos C

(Or) R sin 2A, R sin 2B, R sin 2C.

R
iii) Circum radius = .
2

iv) In radius = 2R cosA cosB cosC

v) Area = 2∆cosAcosBcosC.
23. i) ∆ABC is the Pedal triangle to its ex-central ∆I1I2I3.

ii) Ortho centre of a triangle is the in centre of its pedal triangle.

iii) In centre of a triangle is the ortho centre of its ex-central triangle.

24. i) Distance between circum centre S and orthocenter O is

OS = R 1− 8 cos A cos B cos C .

ii) Distance between circum centre and in centre

A B C
IS = R 1− 8 sin cos cos = R 2 − 2rR
2 2 2

iii) Distance between circum centre and ex-centres

A B C
I1S = R 1− 8sin cos cos = R 2 + 2r1R
2 2 2

I2 S = R 2 + 2r2 R ; I3S = R 2 + 2r3R

2∆ 2∆ 2∆
25. p1 = ; p2 = ; p3 = ; p1, p2, p3 are lengths of altitudes of triangle drawn from vertices
a b c
A, B, C.

26. i) If AD is the angular bisector of ∠A in ∆ABC then

BD: DC = AB : AC.

ii) Length of the internal angular bisector of ∠A is

2bc A
cos
b+c 2

Length of the internal angular bisector of ∠B is

2ac B
cos
c+a 2

Length of the internal angular bisector of ∠C is

27. i) If AD is the median of ∆ABC then AB2 + AC2 = 2(AD2 + DC2)

ii) Length of the median

1
Through A = 2b 2 + 2c 2 − a 2
2

1 2
= b + c 2 + 2bc cosA
2

Length of the median

1
Through B = 2c 2 + 2a 2 − b 2
2

1 2 2
= b + c + 2ca cosB
2

1
Length of the median through C = 2a 2 + 2b 2 − c 2
2

1 2
= a + b 2 + 2ab cosC
2

28. i) Distances of the orthocenter ‘O’ from the vertices A, B, C are given by AO = 2R cos A

BO = 2R cos B

CO = 2R cos C

ii) Distance of the orthocenter ‘O’ form

1. The side BC is 2R cos B cos C

2. The side CA is 2R cos C cos A

3. The side AB is 2R cos A cos B.

29. In ∆ABC

r
i) cos A + cos B + cos C = 1 + .
R
 s
ii) sin A + sin B + sin C =
R

2∆
iii) sin 2A + sin 2B + sin 2C =
R2

30. In ∆ABC, D is any point on BC such that BD: DC = m : n and ∠BAD = α; ∠CAD = β;
∠ADC = θ then

(m + n)cotθ = n cot B – m cot C

(m + n)cot θ – m cot α – n cotβ

31. The sum of all the interior angles of a polygon of ‘a’ sides is (2n – 4) right angles.

32. Let R and r be the radii of the circumscribed and inscribed circles of a regular polygon of ‘n’
sides and a be the length of the side. Then

a π
i) R = cosce ;
2 n

a π
ii) r = cot
2 n

iii) Area of the regular polygon

2π π
nR2 sin   = nr2 tan  
1
=
2  n  n

π
na cot   .
1 2
=
4 n

33. If the sides of triangle are in A.P. and its greatest angle exceeds the least by α’ then the sides are
1 − cos α
in the ratio 1 – x : 1 : 1 + x where x = .
7 − cos α
 JEE Mains 2019 Chapter wise Question Bank

Properties of Triangle – Questions

Q5

Q1

10 April Evening

10 Jan Evening

Q2

11 Jan Morning

Q3

Q5

11 Jan Evening

Q4

8 April Evening
Q3

11 Jan Evening

Q4