8 Similarity

Lesson
Conditions for Similar Triangles
Worksheet 8.2
Name: _________________________ Class: ___________ Solution
Objective: Recognize the three conditions for similar triangles and apply them to determine whether two given
triangles are similar.

Key Points
(i) AAA (ii) 3 sides prop. X
A
XY YZ ZX
 
AB BC CA B C Y Z

(iii) ratio of 2 sides, inc.  X

A
XY YZ
 and B = Y
AB BC B C Y Z

Example 1 (Level 1) (from Teaching Example 8.4) Let’s Try 1.1 (from Quick Practice 8.4)

Refer to the figure. Prove Refer to the figure.

that △ABC ~ △XZY. Prove that
△ABC ~ △QPR.

Solution Solution
In △ABC and △XZY, In △ABC and △QPR,
A  X given B  P given
C  Y given C  R given
∵ B  180  80  40  sum of △ ∵ A  180  110  25  sum of △
 60  45
Z  180  80  40  sum of △ Q  180  110  25  sum of △
 60  45
∴ B  Z ∴ A  Q
∴ △ABC ~ △XZY AAA ∴ △ABC ~ △QPR AAA

Let’s Try 1.2

In △ABC,
Refer to the figure. Solution
65  60  C  180  sum of △
Prove that △ABC ~ △EDF.
C  55
A
In △EDF,
D
65 D  65  55  180  sum of △
D  60
60 65 55 In △ABC and △EDF,
B C E F
A  E given
B  D
C  F
∴ △ABC ~ △EDF AAA
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 8 Similarity

Example 2 (Level 2) (from Teaching Example 8.5) Let’s Try 2.1 (from Quick Practice 8.5)

Refer to the figure. Prove Refer to the figure. Prove

that △ABD ~ △DCB. that △PQR ~ △PRS.

Solution Solution
In △PQR,
Divide the figure into △ABD and △DCB.
A PQR  64  56  180  sum of △
26
PQR  60
36
B D
118 In △PRS,
D 26
C
B
RPS  64  60  180  sum of △
In △ABD, RPS  56
ADB  26  118  180  sum of △ In △PQR and △PRS,
ADB  36 PQR  PRS
In △DCB, PRQ  PSR given
DCB  26  36  180  sum of △ QPR  RPS
DCB  118 ∴ △PQR ~ △PRS AAA
In △ABD and △DCB,
ADB  DBC
BAD  CDB given
ABD  DCB
∴ △ABD ~ △DCB AAA

Let’s Try 2.2

Refer to the figure. Prove that Solution
△WXY ~ △XZY. In △WXY,
Z XWY  24  126  180  sum of △
W XWY  30
24
Y In △XZY,
126 XYZ  24  30  180  sum of △
24 XYZ  126
30
In △WXY and △XZY,
XWY  ZXY
X
WXY  XZY given
WYX  XYZ
∴ △WXY ~ △XZY AAA

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 8 Similarity

Example 3 (Level 1) (from Teaching Example 8.6) Let’s Try 3.1 (from Quick Practice 8.6)

Which two of the following triangles must be Which two of the following triangles must be
similar? Give a proof to explain your answer. similar? Give a proof to explain your answer.

Solution
Solution
Consider the three triangles.
In △ABC and △QPR,
(i) AB, QR and YX are their shortest sides.
(ii) CA, PQ and ZY are their longest sides. QP 4.2 cm 7
∵  
AB 3 cm 5
In △ABC and △QRP, RQ 7 cm 7
 
QR 6 cm CA 5 cm 5
∵  2 PR 8.4 cm 7
AB 3 cm  
RP 8 cm BC 6 cm 5
 2 QP RQ PR
BC 4 cm ∴  
PQ 10 cm AB CA BC
 2
CA 5 cm ∴ △ABC ~ △QPR 3 sides prop.
QR RP PQ
∴  
AB BC CA
∴ △ABC ~ △QRP 3 sides prop.

Let’s Try 3.2

Which two of the following triangles Solution
must be similar? Give a proof to In △ABC and △XZY,
explain your answer.
ZY 4.5 cm 3
∵  
P 3 cm BC 6 cm 4
R XZ 5.25 cm 3
 
A 4 cm AB 7 cm 4
3.5 cm
X XY 6.15 cm 3
Q  
AC 8.2 cm 4
7 cm 8.2 cm
5.25 cm ZY XZ XY
6.15 cm
∴  
BC AB AC
Z
B C ∴ △ABC ~ △XZY 3 sides prop.
6 cm 4.5 cm
Y

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 8 Similarity

Example 4 (Level 2) (from Teaching Example 8.7) Let’s Try 4.1 (from Quick Practice 8.7)

Name a pair of similar triangles in the figure Name a pair of similar triangles in the figure
and give a proof to explain your answer. and give a proof to explain your answer.

Solution
Solution In △PSR and △PRQ,
PR 10 cm
Divide the figure into △ABC and △BDE. ∵  2
A
9 cm
PS 5 cm
3 cm D
RQ 16 cm
15 cm C
12 cm
C 20 cm  2
12 cm SR 8 cm
B E PQ 20 cm
B 25 cm
 2
PR 10 cm
In △ABC and △BED,
PR RQ PQ
BE 25 cm 5 ∴  
∵   PS SR PR
AB 15 cm 3
∴ △PSR ~ △PRQ 3 sides prop.
ED 20 cm 5
 
BC 12 cm 3
BD (12  3) cm 15 5
  
AC 9 cm 9 3
BE ED BD
∴  
AB BC AC
∴ △ABC ~ △BED 3 sides prop.

Let’s Try 4.2

Name a pair of similar triangles Solution
in the figure and give a proof to In △ABD and △DCB,
explain your answer. DC 30 cm 4
∵  
13.5 cm D AB 22.5 cm 3
A
CB 24 cm 4
 
30 cm BD 18 cm 3
22.5 cm 18 cm
DB 18 cm 4
 
AD 13.5 cm 3
C
B 24 cm DC CB DB
∴  
AB BD AD
∴ △ABD ~ △DCB 3 sides prop.

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 8 Similarity

Example 5 (Level 1) (from Teaching Example 8.8) Let’s Try 5.1

Which two of the following triangles must be Which two of the following triangles must be
similar? Give a proof to explain your answer. similar? Give a proof to explain your answer.
O 19.2 V
W
23
23
20.8
13 12 P
U
23.4
M N
33
Q R
Solution 21.6

Note that the given angle in △DEF is NOT the

Solution
included angle of the two given sides.
In △OMN and △WUV,
In △ABC and △RPQ, WU 20.8 8
∵  
RQ 7.5 cm 3 OM 13 5
∵  
AC 5 cm 2 WV 19.2 8
 
PQ 4.5 cm 3 ON 12 5
 
BC 3 cm 2 WU WV
∴ 
RQ PQ OM ON
∴ 
AC BC O  W given
C  Q given ∴ △OMN ~ △WUV ratio of 2 sides, inc. 
∴ △ABC ~ △RPQ ratio of 2 sides, inc. 

Let’s Try 5.2 (from Quick Practice 8.8)

Which two of the following triangles must be similar? Give a proof to explain your answer.

Solution
In △ABC and △RQP,
RQ 5.6 cm 4
∵  
AB 4.2 cm 3
RP 3.6 cm 4
 
AC 2.7 cm 3
RQ RP
∴ 
AB AC
A  R given
∴ △ABC ~ △RQP ratio of 2 sides, inc. 

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 8 Similarity

Example 6 (Level 2) (from Teaching Example 8.9) Let’s Try 6.1

In the figure, PTR is a straight line. In the figure, AEC and BED are straight lines.
ACB = BDC, AC = 18 cm, BC = 12 cm,
BD = 13.5 cm and CD = 9 cm.
A

D
E
(a) Prove that △PQR ~ △TRS.
(b) Find PQ.

Solution B C

(a)
Divide the figure into △PQR and △TRS.
(a) Prove that △ABC ~ △BCD.
P
2.8 cm (b) Find AB.
T T 4.8 cm
3.2 cm S
3.2 cm
Q R 2.4 cm Solution
3 cm R
(a) In △ABC and △BCD,
In △PQR and △TRS, CD 9 cm 3
∵  
TS 4.8 cm BC 12 cm 4
∵ 
PR (2.8  3.2) cm BD 13.5 cm 3
 
4.8 AC 18 cm 4

6 CD BD
4 ∴ 
 BC AC
5
ACB  BDC given
RS 2.4 cm 4
  ∴ △ABC ~ △BCD ratio of 2 sides,
QR 3 cm 5
inc. 
TS RS
∴ 
PR QR
PRQ  TSR given
∴ △PQR ~ △TRS ratio of 2 sides,
inc. 
(b) ∵ △ABC ~ △BCD (proved in (a))

(b) ∵ △PQR ~ △TRS (proved in (a)) AB BC

∴  (corr. sides, ~△s)
BC CD
PQ QR
∴  (corr. sides, ~△s) AB 12 cm
TR RS 
12 cm 9 cm
PQ 3 cm
 AB  16 cm
3.2 cm 2.4 cm
PQ  4 cm

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 8 Similarity

Let’s Try 6.2 (from Quick Practice 8.9)

In △ACF as shown, B and E are points on AC and CF respectively.
(a) Prove that △ACF ~ △ECB.
(b) Find BE.

Solution
(a) In △ACF and △ECB,
Draw △ACF and △ECB separately.
EC 6 cm 6 1
∵    Note that C is the common angle of
AC (16  8) cm 24 4 the two triangles.
F
CB 8 cm 8 1
  
CF (6  26) cm 32 4 26 cm
16 cm
E E
EC CB 6 cm 6 cm
∴  A C B C
AC CF 16 cm B 8 cm 8 cm

ACF  ECB common 

∴ △ACF ~ △ECB ratio of 2 sides, inc. 

(b) ∵ △ACF ~ △ECB (proved in (a))

BE EC
∴  (corr. sides, ~ △s)
FA AC
BE 6 cm

16 cm 24 cm
BE  4 cm

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 8 Similarity