CHAPTER 1 KEY POINTS

Prime marks Use a prime mark to distinguish images from pre-images.

Example: pre-image A and image A9

Notating translations

(x + a) moves a point a units in the positive x direction (right).

(x – a) moves a point a units in the negative x direction (left).
(y + a) moves a point a units in the positive y direction (up).
(y + a) moves a point a units in the negative y direction (down).

Translation rules for functions

Compared to the graph of y = f(x),

y = f(x) + C moves the graph C units up

y = f(x) – C moves the graph C units down
y = f(x + C) moves the graph C units left
y = f(x – C) moves the graph C units right

Performing a translation You can perform a translation arithmetically (by

adding/subtracting to the coordinate(s)), or by counting on the coordinate grid.

Reflection across the axis

When reflecting across the y-axis, the effect is that the y-coordinate(s) will be
the same as in the pre-image, but the x-coordinates have opposite signs.

When reflecting across the x-axis, the effect is that the x-coordinate(s) are the
same as in the pre-image, but the y-coordinates have opposite signs.

Reflection rules for functions

Compared to the graph of y = f(x),

y = −f(x) Reflects f(x) across x-axis

y = f(−x) Reflects f(x) across y-axis

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  1

 Performing a reflection To perform a reflection, move the coordinate(s)
perpendicularly across the line of reflection, and make sure the image and pre-
image are the same distance away from the line.

Rotation signs

Rotations are positive when measured in the counterclockwise direction.

Rotations are negative when measured in the clockwise direction.

Rotation rules for points If the center of rotation is the origin (0, 0), then:

R90° (x, y) = (–y, x)

R180° (x, y) = (–x, –y)
R270° (x, y) = (y, –x)
R360° (x, y) = (x, y)

Performing a rotation You can perform a rotation using the arithmetic rules
above, or using rectangles.

2  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 2 KEY POINTS
SSS (Side-Side-Side) Postulate If the three sides of one triangle are
congruent to the three sides of another triangle, then the triangles are
congruent.

ASA (Angle-Side-Angle) Postulate If two angles and the included side of

one triangle are congruent to the corresponding parts in another triangle, then
the triangles are congruent.

AAS (Angle-Angle-Side) Postulate If two angles and a non-included side of

one triangle—that is, a side not are congruent to the corresponding parts in
another triangle—then the triangles are congruent.

SAS (Side-Angle-Side) Postulate If two sides and the included angle of one
triangle are congruent to the corresponding parts of another triangle, then the
triangles are congruent.

AAA (Angle-Angle-Angle) Similarity Postulate If two triangles have all

three angle measures in common, then the two triangles are similar. However,
they are not necessarily congruent.

About SSA (Side-Side-Angle)….

There is no SSA postulate for triangle congruence!

Pythagorean Theorem In any right triangle with legs a and b and

hypotenuse c: a2 + b2 = c2

Third Side Rule / Triangle Inequality Rule In any triangle, the length of one
side must be greater than the difference and less than the sum of the other
two sides.

Common Compass-and-Straightedge Constructions

5 Perpendicular line segments

5 Perpendicular bisector of a line segment
5 Perpendicular line through a point
5 Angle bisector
5 Copy of an angle
5 Parallel line through a point
5 Equilateral triangles, squares, and other polygons

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  3

 CHAPTER 3 KEY POINTS
Dilations Each point in the dilated image is collinear with its corresponding
pre-image point and the center of dilation.

To perform a dilation, draw segments from the center of dilation to each

vertex, and measure the lengths. Use the scale factor to calculate the new
lengths for the dilated figure. Extend or shrink the segments according to
these new lengths.

Dilations in the coordinate plane

If the center of dilation is at the origin, simply multiply each coordinate by the
scale factor.

If the center of dilation is not at the origin, use the same steps described
above, using the coordinate pairs to calculate the segment lengths. You can
use counting or arithmetic methods, as described in Chapter 3.

Dilation of Lines A dilated version of a line will always be parallel to the

original line.

Exception: If the center of dilation is a point on the line, then the dilation will
leave the line unchanged.

SSS (Side-Side-Side) Similarity Postulate Two triangles are similar if all

three pairs of corresponding sides are proportional.

AAA (Angle-Angle-Angle) Similarity Postulate Two triangles are similar if

all three pairs of corresponding angles are congruent.

SAS (Side-Angle-Side) Similarity Postulate Two triangles are similar if two

pairs of corresponding sides are proportional and the included angles are
congruent.

4  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 4 KEY POINTS
SOHCAHTOA

Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse

Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent

Reciprocal Identities

Cosecant = Hypotenuse / Opposite = 1 / Sine

Secant = Hypotenuse / Adjacent = 1 / Cosine
Cotangent = Adjacent / Opposite = 1 / Tangent

30° 60° 45°

Sine 1 3 2
2 2 2
Cosine 3 1 2
2 2 2
Tangent 1 3 1
3

A note about trigonometric functions Each angle has given values for sine,
cosine, and tangent.

For all angles, the value of sin and cos is always between –1 and 1 (inclusive).
Tan does not have this limit.

Complementary angles

Complementary angles have a sum of 90°.

The sine of x° is equal to the cosine of 90 – x°.
The cosine of x° is equal to the sine of 90 – x°.
The tangent of x° is the reciprocal of the tangent of 90 – x°.

Other Important Identities

sin2(θ) + cos2(θ) = 1
sin(θ) / cos(θ) = tan(θ)

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  5

 The Law of Sines
sin( A) sin( B ) sin(C )
= =
a b c

in which side a is opposite angle A, side b is opposite angle B, and side c is

opposite angle C.

The Law of Cosines

c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab (cos(C))

in which side a is opposite angle A, side b is opposite angle B, and side c is

opposite angle C.

6  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 5 KEY POINTS
Circumference of a Circle

Where r is the radius, and d is the diameter of a circle:

C = 2πr or C = πd

Area of a Circle

Where r is the radius of a circle: A = πr2

CARD Circumference, Area, Radius, Diameter

Use as a reminder that if you have one of these values, you can find the other
three

Incircles and Circumcircles All triangles and regular polygons have an

incircle and a circumcircle.

Irregular polygons may not have an incircle or circumcircle that touches every
side/vertex.

Regular Polyhedra There are only five types of regular polyhedra:

5 T etrahedron—4 faces, which are equilateral triangles.

Three triangles meet at each vertex.
5 H
 exahedron (Cube)—6 faces, which are squares. Three
squares meet at each vertex.
5 O
 ctahedron—8 faces, which are equilateral triangles. Four
triangles meet at each vertex.
5 D
 odecahedron—12 faces, which are regular pentagons.
Three pentagons meet at each vertex.
5 Icosahedron—20 faces, which are equilateral triangles.
Five triangles meet at each vertex.

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  7

 Volume of a Prism

The volume of any prism is equal to the area of the base, multiplied by the
height of the prism.

Volume = B × h

Volume of a Rectangular Prism

Where l is the length, w is the width, and h is the height of the prism:

Volume = l × w × h

l
w

Volume of a Triangular Prism

Where b is the length of the triangular base, a is the altitude of the triangular
base, and h is the height of the prism:
1
Volume = ×a×b×h
2

h
b

8  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

Volume of a Cylinder

Where r is the radius of the circular base, and h is the height of the cylinder:

Volume = πr2 × h

Surface Area of a Prism The surface area (SA) of any prism is the sum of the
areas of all of its faces.

Surface Area of a Rectangular Prism

Where l is the length, w is the width, and h is the height of the prism:

Surface Area = 2(lw + lh + wh)

l
w

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  9

 Surface Area of a Prism with a Right Triangle Base

Where a and b are the legs of the triangle, c is the hypotenuse of the triangle,
and h is the height of the prism:

Surface Area = ab + ah + bh + ch

h
a

Surface Area of a Cylinder

Where r is the radius and h is the height of the cylinder:

Surface Area = 2π (r2 + rh)

10  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

Volume of a Pyramid

1
The volume of any pyramid is the area of the base, multiplied by the height
3
of the pyramid.
1
Volume = × B × h
3

Volume of a Rectangular Pyramid

Where l is the length, w is the width, and h is the height of the pyramid:
1
Volume = × l × w × h
3
Volume of a Cone

Where r is the radius of the circular base, and h is the height of the cone:
1
Volume = × πr2 × h
3
Surface Area of a Pyramid The surface area of any pyramid is the sum of the
areas of all of its faces.

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  11

 Surface Area of a Cone

Where r is the radius and s is the slant height of the cone:

SA = πr2 + πrs

Volume of a Polyhedron Volume for a polyhedron can be calculated by

breaking up the figure into pyramids, and calculating the volume of each
pyramid.

Volume of a Sphere

Where r is the radius:

4
V = πr3
3
Surface Area of a Sphere

Where r is the radius:

A = 4πr2

12  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 6 KEY POINTS
Equation of a Line y = mx + b

x and y are the coordinates (x, y) of a point on the line

m is the slope of the line
b is the y-intercept of the line

Slope Formula

To find the slope of a line containing the points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2):
y1 − y2
x 1 − x2

Slopes of Parallel Lines

If two lines are parallel, then they have the same slope, but different y
intercepts.

If two lines have the same slope, but different y intercepts, then they are
parallel.

Infinite Solutions If two lines have the same slope and the same y-intercept,
then the two lines overlap each other entirely. The two equations are said to
have an infinite number of solutions.

Distance Formula

To find the distance d between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2):

(x − x ) + (y − y )
2 2
d = 1 2 1 2

Midpoint Formula

To find the midpoint m between two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2):
 x1 + x 2 y 1 + y 2 
midpoint =
 2 , 2 

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  13

 Dilation of a Coordinate

Where (x1, y1) is the center of dilation, and s is the scale factor, the dilated
version of coordinate (x2, y2) is:

(x1 + s(x2 – x1), y1 + s(y2 – y1))

Equation of a Parabola: Standard Form

y = ax2 + bx + c (vertical parabola)

x = ay2 + by + c (horizontal parabola)

Equation of a Parabola: Vertex Form

For a parabola with vertex (h, k):

y = a(x – h)2 + k (vertical parabola)

x = a(y – k)2 + h (horizontal parabola)

Focus and Directrix from Vertex Form

For a parabola with vertex (h, k):

y = a(x – h)2 + k (vertical parabola)

x = a(y – k)2 + h (horizontal parabola)
1
The value is equal to the distance between the vertex and the focus. This is
4a
also equal to the distance between the vertex and the directrix.

Equation of a Parabola, with Focus and Directrix

Given focus (a, b) and directrix y = c:

y=
(x − a ) + b − c
2 2 2

2 (b − c)

14  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 7 KEY POINTS
If a radius is perpendicular to a chord, then it bisects the chord. The converse
is also true—if a radius bisects a chord, then it is perpendicular to the chord.

Inscribed Angles The measure of an inscribed angle is always ½ the measure

of the corresponding central angle.

Parts of a Circle

part central angle arc length sector area

= = =
whole 360° total circumference total area

Converting Radians and Degrees

radians degrees
=
π 180

Parts of a Circle

part central angle arc length sector area

= = =
whole 2π total circumference total area

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  15

 CHAPTER 8 KEY POINTS
Constructions (inscribed/circumscribed circles of triangles)

To find … Find the intersection of …

Circumcenter Perpendicular bisectors of the triangle’s sides
Incenter Angle bisectors of the triangle
Centroid The medians of the triangle
Orthocenter The altitudes of the triangle

*A
 ll triangles have these centers. Not all quadrilaterals or other polygons have
them.

Equation of a Circle—Standard Form

For a circle with center (h, k) and radius r:

(x – h)2 + (y – k)2 = r2

Equation of a Circle

For a circle with center at the origin, and radius r:

x2 + y2 = r2

16  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED

CHAPTER 9 KEY POINTS
Between vs. From

Between is exclusive (e.g., “integers between 1 and 10” {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9})

From is inclusive (e.g., “integers from 1 to 10” {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10})

Subset 

If A and B are sets:  

A is a subset of B if and only if every element of A is also in B.

Union of Sets 

The set of all distinct elements in a collection. Represented by the symbol .

A È B 

The set of elements that are in A or B. 

Intersection of Sets 

The elements that belong to all sets in a collection. Represented by the

symbol ∩. 

A ∩ B 

The set of elements that are in A and B.

Complement of a Set

The elements that do not belong to the set.

Complement of A
The set of elements that are not in A.

The Group Problem Formula

Total = (Group 1) + (Group 2) + (Neither) – (Both)

Probability

Probability = want/have

HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED  17

 Factorial

Where n is an integer, the product of all integers 1–n, inclusive.

n! = n × (n – 1) × (n – 2) × (n – 3) × … 1

Permutation

In a permutation, order matters! (Each unique arrangement is counted

separately.)

P = n! / (n – r)!
n r

Combination

In a combination, order matters! (Duplicate groups are not counted.)

P = n! / (r! (n – r)!)
n r

Probability of A and B 

Where  A and B are independent events: 

 P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B)

Where A and B are dependent events: 

P(A and B) = P(A) ✕ P(B | A) 

or 

P(A and B) = P(B) ✕ P(A | B) 

Probability of A or B 

Where and A and B are mutually exclusive events: 

To calculate the probability of either event, add the probabilities of each event

happening separately. 

P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)

Bayes’ Theorem 
( P ( A ) × P (B |A ))
P ( A |B ) =
P (B )

18  HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY UNLOCKED