Similar Triangles

What do these pairs of

objects have in common?

SAME SHAPES BUT DIFFERENT SIZES

 Similar Triangles
What do these pairs of
objects have in common?

They are also called SIMILAR objects

 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

Two objects are called similar if they have
the same shape but possibly different
sizes.
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

You can think of similar objects as one
being a enlargement or reduction of the
other.
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

You can think of similar objects as one
being an enlargement or reduction of the
other (zoom in, zoom out).

The degree of enlargement or reduction is

called the SCALE FACTOR
 Similar Triangles

QUESTION!
If a polygon is enlarged or reduced,
which part changes and which part
remains the same?
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

Two polygons are SIMILAR if they F
have the same shape but not
necessarily of the same size.
Symbol used: ~ (is SIMILAR to)

In the figure, ABC is

similar to DEF. B
Thus ,we write
ABC ~ DEF
A C E D
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

Two polygons are SIMILAR if they have the same
shape but not necessarily of the same size.

If they are similar, then

1. The corresponding angles remain the same (or
are CONGRUENT)
2. The corresponding sides are related by the
same scale factor (or, are PROPORTIONAL)
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

These two are similar.
Corresponding
angles are
congruent
Q2 A  E
B  F
Q1 C  G
D  H

Corresponding sides are

proportional:
EH EF FG GH 1 Scale factor from
   
AD AD BC CD 2 Q1 to Q2 is ½
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

These two are similar.
Corresponding
angles are
congruent
T1
A  D
T2 B  E
C  F

Corresponding sides are proportional:

DE EF DF Scale factor from
  2
AB BC AC T1 to T2 is 2
 Similar Triangles

The Concept of Similarity

Which pairs are similar? If they are similar,
what is the scale factor?
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangles

http://wps.pearsoned.com.au/wps/media/objects/7029/7198491/opening/c10.gif
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangles
Two triangles are SIMILAR if all of
the following are satisfied:
1. The corresponding
angles are
CONGRUENT.
2. The corresponding
sides are
PROPORTIONAL.
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangles
 The two triangles shown
are similar because they
have the same three angle
measures.
 The order of the letters is
important: corresponding
letters should name
congruent angles.
 For the figure, we write

ΔABC∼ ΔDEF
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangles
ΔABC∼ ΔDEF
A B C D E F

Congruent Angles
A  D
B  E
C  F
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangles
 Let’s stress the order of
the letters again. When we
write ΔABC∼ ΔDEF note
that the first letters are A
and D, and A  D. The
second letters are B and E,
and B  E. The third
letters are C and F, and
C   F .
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangle Notation

 We can also write the
similarity statement as
ΔBAC∼ ΔEDF
ΔACB∼ ΔDFE
ΔCAB∼ ΔFDE

Why?
 Similar Triangles

Similar Triangle Notation

 We CANNOT write the
similarity statement
as
ΔBCA∼ ΔDFE
ΔBAC∼ ΔEFD

Why?
 Similar Triangles

In similar
triangles, the
correspondence
of the vertices
matters!!!
 Similar Triangles

Proportions from Similar Triangles

ΔABC∼ ΔDEF
A B C D E F

AB  DE
Corresponding
Sides BC  EF
AC  DF
 Similar Triangles

Proportions from Similar Triangles

ΔABC∼ ΔDEF
Corresponding Ratios of
Sides Corresponding
Sides
AB
AB  DE DE
BC
BC  EF
EF
AC
AC  DF
DF
 Similar Triangles

Proportions from Similar Triangles

 Suppose ΔABC∼ ΔDEF
Then the sides of the
triangles are proportional,
which means:
AB AC BC
 
DE DF EF
Notice that each ratio
consists of corresponding
segments.
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

Based on the definition of
similar triangles, we now
have the following
SIMILARITY STATEMENTS:
Congruent Proportional
Angles Sides

A  D. AB BC AC
 
B  E. DE EF DF
C  F .
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

1 P 40
I

110
Give the
congruence and 30
proportionality E K
statements and
the similarity 30

statement for the

two triangles
shown. O
110 40
N
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

Give the congruence and I
proportionality statements P 40
and the similarity statement 110
1 for the two triangles shown.
Congruent Angles 30
P  O
E
I  N K

K  E 30
Corresponding Sides
PI  ON
IK  NE 110 40
O N
PK  OE
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

Give the congruence and I
proportionality statements P 40
and the similarity statement 110
1 for the two triangles shown.
30
Congruent
Angles
P   I
I  N E K
K  E 30
Proportional PI IK PK
Sides  
ON NE OE
110 40
Similarity
Statement PIK ONE O N
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

Given the triangle similarity
LMN ~ FGH
2 determine if the given
statement is TRUE or FALSE.
LN MN
M  G true  false
FG GH
MN LN
FHG  NLM false  true
GH FH
GF HG
N  M false  true
ML NM
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

3
In the figure, SA ~ ON . S A
Enumerate all the
statements that will L
show that SAL ~ NOL.

Note: there is a COMMON

vertex L, so you CANNOT use O N
single letters for angles!
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

In the figure, SA ~ ON .
Enumerate all the statements
3 that will show that SAL ~ NOL.
Note: there is a COMMON vertex L, so you
CANNOT use single letters for angles!
S A

Congruent
Angles
SAL  LON
L
ASL  LNO
OLN  SLA
Proportional SA AL SL
Sides   O N
ON OL NL
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

4 K

In the figure, KO ~ AB.

Enumerate all the A
statements that will
show that
KOL ~ ABL.
Hint: SEPARATE the two right
O B L
triangles and determine the
corresponding vertices.
 Similar Triangles

The Similarity Statements

KOL  ABL
4
Congruent
Angles
LKO  LAB
K
K
KLO  ALB
Proportional KO KL OL
A
Sides  
AB AL BL

O
O B LL
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

The proportionality of the sides
of similar triangles can be used
to solve for missing sides of
either triangle. For the two
triangles shown, the statement
AB BC AC
 
DE EF DF
can be separated into the THREE
proportions
AB BC BC AC AB AC
  
DE EF EF DF DE DF
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

Note The ratios can also be
formed using any of the c
following: a

a b c d e f b
   
d e f a b c

a d b e a d f
 or  or  d
b e c f c f

e
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

5 F

8 6
Given that ABC ~ DEF ,
D 7 E
C

If the sides of the 12

triangles are as marked
in the figure, find the
A
missing sides. B
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

Set up the proportions F
of the corresponding
5 sides using the given
sides
8 6

D 7 E
DF FE
For CB:  C
AC CB
8 6 12 9

12 CB
8CB  72 A B

CB  9
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

Set up the proportions F
of the corresponding
5 sides using the given
sides
8 6

D 7 E
For AB:
C

DF DE 8 AB  84
 12 9
AC AB 21
8 7 AB  or 10.5
 2
12 AB A 10.5 B
 Similar Triangles

Solving for the Sides

In the figure shown,

6 solve for x and y.
S 16 A
Solution
y
y 8 8
For x: 16  8 For y:  L
x 10 15 10

8 x  160 10 y  120 10 15

x  20 y  12 O x N
Check your understanding

The triangles are similar. Solve for x and z.

3 4 5 4
 
x 12 z 12
x9 z  15
 Similar Triangles
Postulates on Similar
Triangles

Recall triangle
congruence
postulates/
theorems

Similar triangles can also be proven with

postulates
AA~
SSS~
SAS~