8.

5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 Chapter 8
Similarity
Section 8.5
Proving Triangles are Similar

USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

USING SIMILAR TRIANGLES IN REAL LIFE

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 AAA SIMILARITY
POSTULATE
• If all the angles of a triangle
are congruent to the
corresponding angles of
another triangle, then the two
triangles are similar.
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

Postulate

C
D E
A D and C F 

ABC ~ DEF

A B

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 AA Similarity Postulate

W  W
WVX  WZY
AA Similarity

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

THEOREM S

THEOREM 8.2 Side-Side-Side (SSS) Similarity Theorem

If the corresponding sides of two P

triangles are proportional, then the A
triangles are similar.
Q R
AB BC
If = = CA
RP
PQ QR
B C
then ABC ~ PQR.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 Using the SSS Similarity Theorem

Which of the following three triangles are similar?

A 12 C E G 14 J
6 4
6 9 6 10
F 8 D
B H

SOLUTION
To decide which of the triangles are similar, consider the
ratios of the lengths of corresponding sides.

Ratios of Side Lengths of  ABC and  DEF

AB 6 3 CA 12 3 BC 9 3
DE
= 4
= 2
, FD
= 8
= 2
, EF
= 6
= 2
Shortest sides Longest sides Remaining sides

Because all of the ratios are equal,  ABC ~  DEF

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
 Using the SSS Similarity
Theorem
Which of the
three triangles
are similar?

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

THEOREM S

THEOREM 8.3 Side-Angle-Side (SAS) Similarity Theorem

X M
If an angle of one triangle is
congruent to an angle of a
second triangle and the lengths
of the sides including these
angles are proportional, then the
P N
triangles are similar.

If X M and ZX = XY Z Y
PM MN

then XYZ ~ MNP.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 Using the SAS Similarity Theorem

Use the given lengths to prove that  RST ~  PSQ.

SOLUTION GIVEN SP = 4, PR = 12, SQ = 5, QT = 15
PROVE  RST ~  PSQ S

4 5

P Q
SR SP + PR 4 + 12 16
SP
= SP
= 4
= 4
= 4
12 15
ST SQ + QT 5 + 15 20
SQ
= SQ
= 5
= 5
= 4
R T

The side lengths SR and ST are proportional to the corresponding

side lengths of  PSQ.

Because S is the included angle in both triangles, use the

SAS Similarity Theorem to conclude that  RST ~  PSQ.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 Parts of Similar Triangles
• If two triangles are X
similar, then the A
perimeters are
proportional to the
measures of
corresponding sides B C
Y Z

perimeterABC AB BC AC
  
perimeterXYZ XY YZ XZ

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 Parts of Similar Triangles
If two triangles are similar:
• the measures of the • the measures of the
corresponding altitudes corresponding angle
are proportional to the bisectors are proportional
corresponding sides to the corresponding sides
A X S
M
B D C
Y Z
W R
AD AC BA BC L O N U T
  
XW XZ YX YZ MO MN LM LN
  
SU ST RS RT
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
 Parts of Similar Triangles
• If 2 triangles are similar, • An angle bisector in a triangle
then the measures of the cuts the opposite side into
segments that are proportional
corresponding medians to the other sides E
are proportional to the A
corresponding sides. BC AB

G CD AD
T
B D
J C
H I
F H
U W G
GI GH GJ V
HJ
FG EF

   GH EH
TV UT TW UW
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
 Theorem
Triangle Proportionality Theorem
If a line is parallel to one side of a
triangle and intersects the other two
sides, then it divides the two sides
proportionally.

AD AE

DB EC
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
 Converse of the Triangle
Proportionally Theorem
If a line divides two sides of a triangle
proportionally, then the line is parallel
to the remaining side.

AD AE
  DE // BC
DB EC

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

Parallel
Only lines give
one Angle congruent
is Known Use
anglesSAS
Use ~ Theorem
AA ~ Postulate

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

No, Need to know the included angle.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

40

No, Need to know

Yes, AA ~ the included angle.
Postulate
DRM ~ XST

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 USING SIMILARITY THEOREMS

SSS ~ Theorem

AA ~ Theorem

SAS ~ Theorem

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

Checkpoint

Yes SAS
Yes,
SSS

240ft

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

 APPLICATIONS

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
Therefore the height of the
tower is 25 m.
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
Example 2.
A flagpole casts a shadow that is 50 feet long.
At the same time, a woman standing nearby
who is 5 feet 4 inches tall casts a shadow that
is 40 inches long. How tall is the flagpole to
the nearest foot?

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

The flagpole and the woman form sides of
two right triangles with the ground. The Sun’s
rays hit the flagpole and the woman at the
same angle. You have two pairs of congruent
angles, so the triangles are similar by the AA
Similarity Theorem.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

Solution:
You can use a proportion to find the height
x. Write 5 feet 4 inches as 64 inches so that
you can form two ratios of feet to inches.

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar

8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar
8.5 Proving Triangles are Similar