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Similar Triangles + Identity

Triangles are similar if they have the same shape but not necessarily the same size. Corresponding angles of similar triangles are congruent, and corresponding sides are in the same proportion. Two triangles can be similar even if one is rotated, reflected, or they overlap and share vertices or sides, as long as they have the same shape. Triangles are similar if all three corresponding angles are equal (AAA), if all three corresponding sides are in proportion (SSS), or if two sides are in proportion and the included angle is equal (SAS).

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221 views

Similar Triangles + Identity

Triangles are similar if they have the same shape but not necessarily the same size. Corresponding angles of similar triangles are congruent, and corresponding sides are in the same proportion. Two triangles can be similar even if one is rotated, reflected, or they overlap and share vertices or sides, as long as they have the same shape. Triangles are similar if all three corresponding angles are equal (AAA), if all three corresponding sides are in proportion (SSS), or if two sides are in proportion and the included angle is equal (SAS).

Uploaded by

AceZeta
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Similar Triangles

Definition: Triangles are similar if they have the same shape, but can be different sizes.
(They are still similar even if one is rotated, or one is a mirror image of the other).
Try this Drag any orange dot at either triangle's vertex. Both triangles will change shape and
remain similar to each other.

Triangles are similar if they have the same shape, but not necessarily the same size. You can
think of it as "zooming in" or out making the triangle bigger or smaller, but keeping its basic
shape. In the figure above, as you drag any vertex on triangle PQR, the other triangle changes
to be the same shape, but half the size. In formal notation we can write

which is read as "Triangle PQR is similar to triangle P'Q'R' ". The letter with a small vertical
dash after it such as P' is read as "P prime".

Properties of Similar Triangles


1. Corresponding angles are the congruent (same measure)

So in the figure above, the angle P=P', Q=Q', and R=R'.

2. Corresponding sides are all in the same proportion


Above, PQ is twice the length of P'Q'. Therefore, the other pairs of sides are also in
that proportion. PR is twice P'R' and RQ is twice R'Q'. Formally, in two similar
triangles PQR and P'Q'R' :

Rotation
One triangle can be rotated, but as long as they are the same shape, the triangles are still
similar. In the figure below, the triangle PQR is similar to P'Q'R' even though the latter is
rotated clockwise 90.
In this particular example, the triangles are the same size, so they are also congruent.

Reflection
One triangle can be a mirror image of the other, but as long as they are the same shape, the
triangles are still similar. It can be reflected in any direction, up down, left, right. In the figure
below, triangle PQR is a mirror image of P'Q'R', but is still considered similar to it.

How to tell if triangles are similar


Any triangle is defined by six measures (three sides, three angles). But you don't need to
know all of them to show that two triangles are similar. Various groups of three will do.
Triangles are similar if:
1. AAA (angle angle angle)
All three pairs of corresponding angles are the same.
See Similar Triangles AAA.
2. SSS in same proportion (side side side)
All three pairs of corresponding sides are in the same proportion
See Similar Triangles SSS.
3. SAS (side angle side)
Two pairs of sides in the same proportion and the included angle equal.
See Similar Triangles SAS.

Similar Triangles can have shared parts


Two triangles can be similar, even if they share some elements. In the figure below, the larger
triangle PQR is similar to the smaller one STR. S and T are the midpoints of PR and QR
respectively. They share the vertex R and part of the sides PR and QR. They are similar on
the basis of AAA, since the corresponding angles in each triangle are the same.

identity An equation which states that two expressions are equal for all values of any variables
that occur, such as x2 y2 = (x + y)(x y) and x(x 1)(x 2) = x3 3x2 + 2x. Sometimes the
symbol is used instead of = to indicate that a statement is an identity.
identity function The function which maps every element to itself, i.e. I(x) = x for every x.
itself, i.e. I(x) = x for every x.

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