Why are equilateral triangles equiangular?

2 Answers
Nov 24, 2015

Equal sides implies equal angles

Explanation:

Take an example ...

A 30-60-90 triangle will have its smallest side opposite the 30^o. The largest side will be opposite the 90^o. Finally, the side opposite the 60^o will fall somewhere in between.

As another example, the sides opposite the base angles of an isosceles triangle have sides that are equal because the base angles are equal .

Finally, if all the sides of the triangle are equal, then the angles opposite those sides must also be equal. This is a equilateral or equiangular triangle!

Nov 24, 2015

We can prove this using the law of cosines with the SSS case.

a = b = c

So...

c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2abcos/_C

becomes

a^2 = a^2 + a^2 - 2a*a*cos/_A

-a^2 = -2a^2cos/_A

1 = 2cos/_A

1/2 = cos/_A

color(blue)(/_A = 60^@)

Notice how on every triangle you draw, a side is opposite to an angle. That means only one side corresponds to one particular angle.

Since only one side c corresponds to only one /_C, and since sides a = b = c, we have /_A = /_B = /_C.