Similarity in Right Triangles

Edited by: Mrs. Loreben R. Abaquita

LT: To find and use relationships of

similar right triangles.

What we do in life echoes in eternity.

Geometric Mean
Review: How do we find the arithmetic mean of 3 and 27?
a

Geometric Mean: The number x such that , where a, b, and x

x b
are positive numbers
The geometric mean, in mathematics, is a type of mean or average, which indicates the
central tendency or typical value of a set of numbers.

Find the geometric mean of 3

and 27.

Find the geometric mean of 4

and 18.

Note: x ab

Purpose of the Geometric Mean

1. The geometric mean can give a meaningful "average"
to compare two companies.
2. The use of a geometric mean "normalizes" the ranges
being averaged, so that no range dominates the
weighting.
3. The geometric mean applies only to positive
numbers.[2]

4. It is also often used for a set of numbers whose values

are meant to be multiplied together or are exponential
in nature, such as data on the growth of the human
population or interest rates of a financial investment.

Similarity in Right Triangles

Theorem 7-3: The altitude to the hypotenuse of a right triangle
divides the triangles into two triangles that are similar to the original
triangle and to each other.

Theorem
If an altitude is drawn to the hypotenuse of a
Right triangle, then it makes similar
triangles to the original Right triangle.
C

CBD ~ ABC
ACD ~ ABC

B
D

CBD ~ ACD
A

Similarity in Right Triangles

Find the values of x and y and z in the following right triangle.

5b

a
4
X

4 a++ b 5

Similarity in Right Triangles

Find the values of x and y in the following right triangle.

You Try One!!!

Find the values of x, y, and z in the following right triangle.

Find x and y
Set up the proportions

12

Kick it up a notch!
Find the value of x in the following right triangle.
2x - 1

(2x-1)2 = 1(1+x)
4x2-4x+1=1+x
4x2-5x = 0
x(4x-5)=0
X=0 reject
X=5/4

Real World Connection

As Marla arrives at the lake from the parking lot, she reads a sign
that says she is 320m from the dock. How far is Marla from the
information center?

You wasted $150,000 on an education you coulda

got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library.

Similarity in Right Triangles

m1 m4 m7
m2 m6 m8
m3 m5 m9