Similar Triangles and Polygons Practice Problems

Master similarity ratios, scale factors, and proportional relationships with step-by-step practice problems for similar triangles and polygons

📚Master Similar Triangles and Polygons with Interactive Practice
  • Calculate scale factors and similarity ratios between corresponding sides
  • Identify corresponding angles and sides in similar triangles
  • Solve for missing side lengths using proportional relationships
  • Apply AA, SAS, and SSS similarity theorems to prove triangles similar
  • Find areas and perimeters of similar polygons using scale factors
  • Use similar triangles to solve real-world measurement problems

Understanding Similar Triangles and Polygons

Complete explanation with examples

Similarity of triangles and polygons

Similar triangles are triangles whose three angles are equal respectively and also the ratio between each pair of corresponding sides is equal. Two similar triangles are actually larger or smaller versions each other.

The ratio of similarity is the ratio between two corresponding sides in two similar triangles.

To prove similarities between triangles, we will use the following theorems:

  • Angle-Angle (A.A): If two angles are equal respectively between two triangles, then the triangles are similar.
  • Side-Angle-Side (S.A.S): If the ratio of two pairs of sides is equal, and also the angles between them are equal to each other, then the triangles are similar.
  • Side-Side-Side (S.S.S.): If for two triangles, the ratio of the three sides in one triangle to the three pairs in the other triangle is equal (similarity ratio), then the triangles are similar.

For similarity of polygons we will define it this way: if for two polygons all angles are equal and there is a constant ratio between two corresponding sides, then the polygons are similar.

Intuitively, just like similar triangles, also two similar polygons are actually an enlargement or reduction of each other.

Image 1 similar triangles

Detailed explanation

Practice Similar Triangles and Polygons

Test your knowledge with 42 quizzes

AAADDDFFFBBBCCC65°40°40°Which of the following are true?

Examples with solutions for Similar Triangles and Polygons

Step-by-step solutions included
Exercise #1

AAABBBCCCDDDEEE60°30°30°60°ΔACBΔBED ΔACB∼ΔBED

Choose the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution

First, let's look at angles C and E, which are equal to 30 degrees.

Angle C is opposite side AB and angle E is opposite side BD.

ABDB \frac{AB}{DB}

Now let's look at angle B, which is equal to 90 degrees in both triangles.

In triangle ABC the opposite side is AC and in triangle EBD the opposite side is ED.

ACED \frac{AC}{ED}

Let's look at angles A and D, which are equal to 60 degrees.

Angle A is the opposite side of CB, angle D is the opposite side of EB

CBEB \frac{CB}{EB}

Therefore, from this it can be deduced that:

ABBD=ACED \frac{AB}{BD}=\frac{AC}{ED}

And also:

CBED=ABBD \frac{CB}{ED}=\frac{AB}{BD}

Answer:

Answers a + b are correct.

Video Solution
Exercise #2

AAABBBCCCMMMNNN36 What is the ratio between the sides of the triangles ΔABC and ΔMNA?

Step-by-Step Solution

From the data in the drawing, it seems that angle M is equal to angle B

Also, angle A is an angle shared by both triangles ABC and AMN

That is, triangles ABC and AMN are similar respectively according to the angle-angle theorem.

According to the letters, the sides that are equal to each other are:

ABAM=BCMN=ACAN \frac{AB}{AM}=\frac{BC}{MN}=\frac{AC}{AN}

Now we can calculate the ratio between the sides of the given triangles:

MN=3,BC=6 MN=3,BC=6 63=2 \frac{6}{3}=2

Answer:

BCMN=2 \frac{BC}{MN}=2

Video Solution
Exercise #3

What is the ratio of similarity between the triangles shown in the diagram below?

AAABBBDDDCCCEEE

Step-by-Step Solution

From the drawing it appears that angle E equals angle A

Since angle D equals 90 degrees, its adjacent angle also equals 90 degrees.

In other words, angle D1 equals angle D2 and both equal 90 degrees.

Since we have two pairs of equal angles, the triangles are similar.

Also angle B equals angle C

Now let's write the similar triangles according to their corresponding angle letters:

ABC=ECD ABC=ECD

Let's write the ratio of sides according to the corresponding letters of the similar triangles:

ABEC=ADED=BDCD \frac{AB}{EC}=\frac{AD}{ED}=\frac{BD}{CD}

Answer:

ABEC=ADED=BDCD \frac{AB}{EC}=\frac{AD}{ED}=\frac{BD}{CD}

Video Solution
Exercise #4

Angle B is equal to 40°

Angle C is equal to 60°

Angle E is equal to 40°

Angle F is equal to 60°

Are the triangles similar?

AAABBBCCCDDDEEEFFF

Step-by-Step Solution

Given that the data shows that there are two pairs with equal angles:

B=E=40 B=E=40

C=F=60 C=F=60

The triangles are similar according to the angle-angle theorem, therefore triangle ABC is similar to triangle DEF.

Answer:

Yes

Video Solution
Exercise #5

Triangle DFE is similar to triangle ABC.

Calculate the length of FE.8y8y8y7m7m7m9y9y9yAAABBBCCCDDDEEEFFF

Step-by-Step Solution

Let's look at the order of letters of the triangles that match each other and see the ratio of the sides.

We will write accordingly:

Triangle ABC is similar to triangle DFE

The order of similarity ratio will be:

ABDF=BCFE=ACDE \frac{AB}{DF}=\frac{BC}{FE}=\frac{AC}{DE}

Now let's insert the existing data we have in the diagram:

8y9y=7mFE \frac{8y}{9y}=\frac{7m}{FE}

Let's reduce y and we get:

89FE=7m \frac{8}{9}FE=7m

FE=98×7m FE=\frac{9}{8}\times7m

FE=778m FE=7\frac{7}{8}m

Answer:

778m 7\frac{7}{8}m

Video Solution

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you find the scale factor between two similar triangles?

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To find the scale factor, divide the length of any side in the larger triangle by the corresponding side in the smaller triangle. For example, if corresponding sides are 12 and 8, the scale factor is 12/8 = 1.5.

What are the three ways to prove triangles are similar?

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The three similarity theorems are: 1) AA (Angle-Angle) - two angles are equal, 2) SAS (Side-Angle-Side) - two sides are proportional with included angles equal, 3) SSS (Side-Side-Side) - all three sides are proportional.

How do you find missing sides in similar triangles?

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Set up a proportion using corresponding sides. If triangles ABC and DEF are similar, then AB/DE = BC/EF = AC/DF. Cross multiply to solve for the unknown side length.

What is the difference between congruent and similar triangles?

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Congruent triangles have identical size and shape (all corresponding sides and angles are equal). Similar triangles have the same shape but different sizes (corresponding angles are equal, but sides are proportional).

How do you calculate the area ratio of similar polygons?

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The area ratio equals the square of the scale factor. If the scale factor is 3:2, then the area ratio is 3²:2² = 9:4. This means the larger polygon has 9/4 times the area of the smaller one.

What are corresponding parts in similar triangles?

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Corresponding parts are sides and angles that occupy the same relative position in similar triangles. Corresponding angles are always equal, while corresponding sides are proportional (have the same ratio).

How do you solve real-world problems using similar triangles?

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Identify the similar triangles in the problem, set up proportions using known and unknown measurements, then solve for the missing value. Common applications include shadow problems, map scaling, and indirect measurement.

Why are all circles similar to each other?

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All circles are similar because they have the same shape - every circle can be transformed into any other circle through scaling (changing size) and translation (changing position). The ratio of circumference to diameter (π) is constant for all circles.

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