Chapter 8 Similar Figures

What is a Proportion?

Solve each of the following proportions:

1. 2. 3. 4.

What are similar polygons?

Example 1: Is Trap. ABCD ~ Trap. HGFE, find x, y and z.

y
H G
7
D C
6 z
4 5

A 1 B
E x F

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Similarity Statements:
A valid similarity statement must match corresponding angles and sides!

Symbol for Similar: __________

How to use proportions to solve for missing measures – BE CONSISTENT!!

1. If the figures below are similar with a scale 2. If PQRS ~ WXYZ, find the value of x.
factor of 2:3, find the value of x.

3. If ΔAGM ~ ΔKXD, find the value of x. 4. ΔJKL ~ ΔNML

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5. ΔABC ~ ΔADE 6. ΔRST ~ ΔYSZ

7. 8.

9. 10. 11.

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12. 13.

Mixed Practice:

1. ̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅ . 𝑈𝑉
𝑈𝑌 is parallel to 𝑉𝑋 ̅̅̅̅ = 3, ̅̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅̅ = 16. What is the length of YX?
𝑈𝑊 = 18 and . 𝑋𝑊

2. Is PQ parallel to TR?

3. ∠1 ≅ ∠3, AB =6, BC= 9, EF = 8. What is x?

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4. ∠LKM = ∠MKN. What is the length of MN?

5. Find x. 6. Find x and y.

SOL Practice questions

1. Triangles ABC and EFG are similar with measurements in centimeters as shown. What is the perimeter of
triangle EFG?

F 21 cm
G 24 cm
H 36 cm
J 42 cm

2. If triangle XYZ is similar to triangle XLM, then —

F XM : XZ = XL : XY
G XM : XZ = XY : XL
H XL : LM = YZ : XZ
J XL : LY = XZ : MZ

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3. ΔXYZ is similar to ΔSTR. XY = 6 and ST =12. If the perimeter of ΔSTR is 38, then what is the perimeter of
ΔXYZ?

F 19 _
G 38
H 52
J 76

4. Given: <∠ AXY ∠ ABC

< AYX ACB

Which is a true proportion?

F H

G J

5. Given: R U

Which proportion is true?

F = H =

G = J =

6. Given: ∆LMQ ∆LNP. Therefore —

A =

B =

C =

D =
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7. Triangles ABC and DEF are similar and have measurements as shown.
What is the measure of ̅̅̅̅
𝑬𝑭?

F G H

8. Altitude CE is drawn from right angle C of triangle ABC forming right triangles ACE and CBE.

Which statement concerning the 3 triangles is true?

A None of the triangles are similar.

B Only triangles ACE and CBE are similar.

C Triangle ABC is similar to only triangle ACE.

D Triangle ABC is similar to both triangle ACE and triangle CBE.

9.

Which triangle is similar to ∆XYZ?

A. B.

C. D.

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 10. Line segments AC and BD intersect at E, as shown in the figure. AB || CD, DE = 10, BE = 15, and CE = 20.
What is the measure of AE ?
A 13
B 17
C 25
D 30 _

11 Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the sides of ∆ABC and ∆TRC?

F = =

G = =

H = =

J = =

12 A surveyor made this sketch from measurements he made along a river.

What is the distance across the river from point A to point T?

F 60 ft
G 69.3 ft
H 84.9 ft
J 120 ft

13. In the figure, AE = 8, CE = 12, and BE = 5. What value for the measure of DE would make ∆ABE similar to
∆CDE?

F 3.3
G 7.5 _
H 8
J 15

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14. Two vehicles, each moving from a point in a straight line away from each other at an angle, are 150
feet apart after 6 seconds. Both are moving at a constant rate, vehicle A at 50 feet per second and
vehicle B at 40 feet per second.

How far apart are they after 15 seconds?

F 150 ft
G 375 ft _
H 600 ft
J 750 ft
SION: 27 PAGE: 15 11/12/101 12:42 LOGIN

15. In order to determine the height of a tree, Marıa places a mirror flat on the ground 25 feet from the
base. After backing 3.25 feet, she can just see the top of the tree in the mirror.

Marıa knows that her eyes are exactly 5 feet above ground level and that the angle between her eyes,
the mirror, and the ground is the same as the angle between the tree top, the mirror, and the ground.
Which is closest to the height of the tree?
A 24 ft
B 28 ft 4 in.
C 38 ft 6 in. _
D 40 ft

16. A boy knows that his height is 6 feet. At the time of day when his shadow is 4 feet, a tree’s shadow is
24 feet. What is the height of the tree?

F 36 ft
G 24 ft
H 18 ft
J 12 ft

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17. Which proportion can be used to find the value of PR if ΔXMQ is similar to ΔPRS?

18. When standing upright, Gary knows his eyes are 6 feet above ground level. To determine the depth of a well,
he stands in the position shown.

Using the given measures, how deep is the well?

A 12 ft
B 14 ft
C 16 ft
D 18 ft

19. Two ships leaving the same marina at the same time are 3.2 miles apart after sailing 2.5 hours. If
they continue at the same rate and direction, how far apart will they be 2 hours later?

A 2.56 mi
B 3.52 mi
C 5.76 mi _
D 6.08 mi

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What happens to ratios of similar figures when working with lengths, areas and volumes?

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Solve the following problems:

1. Rectangle ABCD ~ Rectangle EFGH. The ratio of the perimeters of ABCD to EFGH is 2:3. If the
perimeter of ABCD is 21 cm., find the perimeter of EFGH.

2. ∆ABC ~ ∆DEF. The ratio of the side of ABC to DEF is 3:4. If the area of the ∆ABC = 18 cm2, find the
area of ∆DEF.

3. ABCD ~ EFGH. If the ratio of the area respectively is 25:64, what is the ratio of their sides?

4. Solid A ~ Solid B. If the ratio of the Volumes of A:B is 125:512, what is the ratio of their areas?

5. ∆ABC ~ ∆DEF. If the ratio of the areas respectively is 1:4 and AB = 2, EF =8, and AC = 3, find the
perimeters of each triangle.

6. 2 solid figures are similar. If the ratio of their volumes is 64:343 and one side length of the smaller
figure is 8 m, how long must the corresponding side in the larger figure be? What is the ratio of their
areas?

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7. The ratio between the volumes of two spheres is 27 to 8. What is the ratio between their respective
radii?

F 81:64
G 27:16
H 9:8
J 3:2

8. The ratio of the diameters of two similar cylinders is 3:5. If the surface area of the smaller cylinder is
378 square inches, find the surface area of the larger cylinder.

9. The ratio of the surface areas of two similar pyramids is 16:9. If the volume of the smaller pyramid is
297 cm3, find the volume of the larger pyramid.

10. Prism A is similar to Prism B. The ratio of the surface area of Prism A to Prism B is 81:4.
Find the volume ratio of Prism A to Prism B.

11. If the dimensions of a figure are doubled, how many times larger will the surface area be?

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12. The surface area of a figure is 62 cm2. If the dimensions are multiplied by 5, what will be the
surface area of the new figure?

13. If the dimensions of a figure are multiplied by 4, how many times larger will the volume be?

14. The volume of a figure is 110.5 ft3. If the dimensions are doubled, what will be the volume
of the new figure?

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