Similar and Congruent Triangles

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 Definition of Similar Triangles
• Two triangles are called
similar if they both have the
same three angle
measurements.
• The two triangles shown are
similar.
• Similar triangles have the
same shape but possibly
different sizes.
• You can think of similar
triangles as one triangle being
a magnification of the other.
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 Similar Triangle Notation
• The two triangles shown C
are similar because they 55
have the same three angle
measures.
• The symbol for similarity is . 45 80
Here we write: A B
ABC DEF
E D
• The order of the letters is 80 45
important: corresponding
letters should name 55
congruent angles. F
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• Let’s stress on the order of C
the letters again. When we 55
write ABC DEF note
that the first letters are A
45 80
and D, and A  D. The A B
second letters are B and E,
and B  E. The third E D
80 45
letters are C and F, and
55
C  F . We can also
write: but
 not
orACBCAB
BACBCA
DFE DFE
FDE
EDF F 4
 Proving Triangles Similar
• To prove that two triangles D
are similar you only have P 40
110
to show that two pairs of
angles have the same 30
measure.
• In the figure, ACB PTD. C T
• The reason for this is that
the unmarked angles are 30
forced to have the same
measure because the
three angles of any triangle
always add up to 110 40
180 A 5B
• When trying to show that two triangles are similar, there
are some standard ways of establishing that a pair of
angles (one from each triangle) have the same measure:
• They may be given to be congruent.
• They may be vertical angles.
• They may be the same angle (sometimes two triangles
share an angle).
• They may be a special pair of angles (like alternate
interior angles) related to parallel lines.
• They may be in the same triangle opposite congruent
sides.
• There are numerous other ways of establishing a
congruent pair of angles.
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 Example
• In the figure, AB  DE.
• Show that ABC EDC. A B
• First, note that ABC  EDC
because these are alternate
interior angles. C
• Also, BAC  DEC because
these are alternate interior angles
too.
• This is enough to show the D E
triangles are similar but notice the
remaining pair of angles are
vertical. 7
 Proportions from Similar Triangles
• Suppose ABC DEF . F
• Then the sides of the
triangles are proportional,
which means: D E
AB AC BC C
 
DE DF EF
• Notice that each ratio
consists of corresponding
segments. A B
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 Example
• Given that ABC DEF , if the sides F
of the triangles are as marked in the
figure, find the missing sides. 8 6
• First, we write:
AB AC BC
  D 7 E
DE DF EF C
• Then fill in the values:
AB 12 BC
  12 9
7 8 6
• Then:
12 21 A 10.5 B
AB  76   9  10.5
BC
8 2 9
 Example
D
• In the figure, DAC and EBC
are right angles, DA  12,
EB  9, andBC  6. FindAB. E
• First note that DAC EBC 12
since DAC  EBC and
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since the triangles share
angle C.
• Let x denote AB. Then: A x B 6 C
DA AC 12
12 x  6
So, x  6  or
6   8. So, x  2.
EB BC 99 6 10
 Example
• In the figure, AC  11, BD  12, and
DP  5. Find CP.
• There are a lot of triangles in the
figure. We should select two that A B
seem similar and whose sides
involve the segments in which we’re
interested: APC and BPD P
• Note that CAP  DBP since they
intercept the same arc CD .
C D
• Also,  APC   BPD because they
are vertical. So, APC BPD.
AC CP 11 CP 11 55 7
So,  or  . So, CP  5    4 . 11
BD DP 12 5 12 12 12
 Definition of Congruent Triangles
• Two triangles are congruent if one A
can be placed on top of the other
for a perfect match (they have the
same size and shape).
• In the figure, ABC is congruent to
DEF . In symbols: ABC  DEF . B C
D
• Just as with similar triangles, it is
important to get the letters in the
correct order. For example, since
A and D come first, we are saying
that when the triangles are made to E F
coincide, A and D will coincide. 12
 CPCTC
A
• Corresponding parts of congruent
triangles are congruent (CPCTC).
• What this means is that if
ABC  DEF then: B C
AB  DE A  D D

AC  DF B  E
BC  EF C  F
• Other corresponding “parts” (like E F

medians) are also congruent. 13

 Proving Triangles Congruent
• To prove that two triangles are congruent
it is only necessary to show that some
corresponding parts are congruent. B C
• For example, suppose that in ABC and
in DEF that
AB  DE
A
and AC  DF
and A  D E F
• Then intuition tells us that the remaining
sides must be congruent, and…
• The triangles themselves must be
D
congruent. 14
 SAS
• In two triangles, if one pair of sides are
congruent, another pair of sides are B C
congruent, and the pair of angles in
between the pairs of congruent sides are
congruent, then the triangles are
congruent. A
• For example, in the figure, if the
E F
corresponding parts are congruent as
marked, then
ABC  DEF
• We cite “Side-Angle-Side (SAS)” as the D
reason these triangles are congruent.
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 SSS A

• In two triangles, if all three pairs of

corresponding sides are congruent
then the triangles are congruent.
C
• For example, in the figure, if the B
corresponding sides are congruent as
marked, then D
ABC  DEF
• We cite “side-side-side (SSS)” as the
reason why these triangles are F
congruent. E
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 ASA
• In two triangles, if one pair of angles C
are congruent, another pair of angles
are congruent, and the pair of sides in
between the pairs of congruent angles
are congruent, then the triangles are
congruent. A B
• For example, in the figure, if the F
corresponding parts are congruent as
marked, then
ABC  DEF
• We cite “angle-side-angle (ASA)” as
D E
the reason the triangles are congruent.
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 AAS
C
• In two triangles, if one pair of angles are
congruent, another pair of angles are
congruent, and a pair of sides not
between the two angles are congruent,
then the triangles are congruent. B
A
• For example, in the figure, if the
corresponding parts are congruent as F
marked, then
ABC  DEF
• We cite “angle-angle-side (AAS)” as the
reason the triangles are congruent. D E
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 RHS A

• In two right triangles, if one pair of legs

are congruent and the hypotenuses are
congruent, then the triangles are
congruent.
C B
• For example, in the figure, if the
corresponding parts are congruent as D
marked, then

ABC  DEF
• We cite “hypotenuse-leg (HL)” as the
reason why these triangles are congruent. F E
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 Example
• ABC is isosceles with AB  AC.
• Prove that the angle bisector of A A
bisects BC.
• Draw the angle bisector and let D denote
the point where it intersects BC.
• We first show that ABD  ACD.
• We already have one pair of sides
congruent and one pair of angles B D C
congruent as marked in the figure.
• Note also that AD  AD (the two triangles
share this segment). So, the triangles are
congruent by SAS.
• So, BD  CD by CPCTC.
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 Example
• In the figure, a line segment is drawn from
the center of the circle to the midpoint of a
chord. Prove that this line segment is also
perpendicular to the chord. A
• First, draw PA and PB.
• Note that PA  PB because they are both
radii. M P
• Also, PM  PM (this side is shared by
both triangles).
• So, APM  BPM by SSS. B
• So, AMP  BMP by CPCTC.
• So, since these angles are supplementary
they have to each measure 90.
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 Example
• In the figure, AB CD and AD CB.
• Prove that AB  CD and AD  CB.
• Draw AC.
• Note that BAC  DCA because D C
these are alternate interior angles.
• Note that DAC  BCA because
these are alternate interior angles.
• Note that AC  AC.
A B
• So, ABC  CDA by ASA.
• So, AB  CD and AD  CB by
CPCTC.
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