What Does Congruent Mean In Math

Equal should be used to relate the lengths or measurements of two sides angles or parts of shapes.

What does congruent mean in math.

Congruent refers to two things being the same exact shape and measure. Illustrated definition of congruent. Two triangles are congruent for example if their sides are of the same length and their internal angles are of the same measure. Why such a funny word that basically means equal.

Very loosely you can think of it as meaning equal but it has a very precise meaning that you should understand completely especially for complex shapes such as polygons. By staff writer last updated mar 25 2020 4 41 05 am et. For example if two angles are congruent the degrees of each angle are identical. The following is a list of mathematical symbols used in all branches of mathematics to express a formula or to represent a constant.

Definition and meaning of the math word congruent. In this example the shapes are congruent. Congruent sides or segments have the exact same length. More formally two sets of points are called congruent if and only if one can be transformed into the other by an isometry i e a combination of rigid motions namely a translation a rotation and a reflection.

A mathematical concept is independent of the symbol chosen to represent it. If we call our squares square a and square b we can write that they are congruent using the congruency symbol which is an equal sign. It does not mean that they are equal exactly. In math we have a special symbol to show congruency.

Maybe because they are only equal when placed on top of each other. In geometry two figures or objects are congruent if they have the same shape and size or if one has the same shape and size as the mirror image of the other. Congruent angles have the exact same measure for any set of congruent geometric figures corresponding sides angles faces etc. Congruent means that objects have the same shape.

Congruent segments sides and angles are often marked. Anyway it comes from latin congruere to agree so the shapes agree. The same shape and size but we are allowed to flip slide or turn. Relating to geometric figures that have the same size and shape.

People often confuse this word with equal but there is a small difference in the way that these two words should be used. What does congruent mean in math. For many of the symbols below the symbol is usually synonymous with its corresponding concept but in some situations a different convention may be used.