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Look for congruent triangles on the diagram.
See solution.
We asked to show that the segments which connect the midpoint of a side of a rectangle with the opposite vertices are congruent. Let's focus on the triangles, which are formed in part because of the segments in question, shaded in the diagram.
| Congruence | Justification |
|---|---|
| BC≅DC | Given |
| ∠ B≅∠ D | The angles of a rectangle are right angles, and all right angles are congruent. |
| AB≅ED | A rectangle is a parallelogram, and opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent (Theorem 6.3). |
We can see that the two sides and the included angle of triangle △ ABC are congruent to the two sides and the included angle of triangle △ EDC. Given those relationships, according to the Side-Angle-Side (SAS) Congruence Postulate, these two triangles are congruent. △ ABC≅△ EDC Segments AC and EC are corresponding sides of these congruent triangles, so they are congruent. AC≅EC We can summarize the process above in a flow proof.
2 &Given:&& ABDEis a rectangle & && BC≅DC &Prove:&& AC≅EC Proof: