<img src="https://d5nxst8fruw4z.cloudfront.net/atrk.gif?account=iA1Pi1a8Dy00ym" style="display:none" height="1" width="1" alt="" />
Due to system maintenance, CK-12 will be unavailable on 8/19/2016 from 6:00p.m to 10:00p.m. PT.

# 7.3: Similar Polygons and Scale Factors

Difficulty Level: At Grade Created by: CK-12
Estimated7 minsto complete
%
Progress
Practice Similar Polygons and Scale Factors
Progress
Estimated7 minsto complete
%

What if you were comparing a baseball diamond and a softball diamond? A baseball diamond is a square with 90 foot sides. A softball diamond is a square with 60 foot sides. Are the two diamonds similar? If so, what is the scale factor? After completing this Concept, you'll be able to use your knowledge of similar polygons to answer these questions.

### Guidance

Similar polygons are two polygons with the same shape, but not necessarily the same size. Similar polygons have corresponding angles that are congruent, and corresponding sides that are proportional.

These polygons are not similar:

Think about similar polygons as enlarging or shrinking the same shape. The symbol \begin{align*}\sim\end{align*} is used to represent similarity. Specific types of triangles, quadrilaterals, and polygons will always be similar. For example, all equilateral triangles are similar and all squares are similar. If two polygons are similar, we know the lengths of corresponding sides are proportional. In similar polygons, the ratio of one side of a polygon to the corresponding side of the other is called the scale factor. The ratio of all parts of a polygon (including the perimeters, diagonals, medians, midsegments, altitudes) is the same as the ratio of the sides.

#### Example A

Suppose ABCJKL\begin{align*}\triangle ABC \sim \triangle JKL\end{align*}. Based on the similarity statement, which angles are congruent and which sides are proportional?

Just like in a congruence statement, the congruent angles line up within the similarity statement. So, AJ,BK,\begin{align*}\angle A \cong \angle J, \angle B \cong \angle K,\end{align*} and CL\begin{align*}\angle C \cong \angle L\end{align*}. Write the sides in a proportion: ABJK=BCKL=ACJL\begin{align*}\frac{AB}{JK} = \frac{BC}{KL} = \frac{AC}{JL}\end{align*}. Note that the proportion could be written in different ways. For example, ABBC=JKKL\begin{align*}\frac{AB}{BC} = \frac{JK}{KL}\end{align*} is also true.

#### Example B

MNPQRSTU\begin{align*}MNPQ \sim RSTU\end{align*}. What are the values of x,y\begin{align*}x, y\end{align*} and z\begin{align*}z\end{align*}?

In the similarity statement, MR\begin{align*}\angle M \cong \angle R\end{align*}, so z=115\begin{align*}z = 115^{\circ}\end{align*}. For x\begin{align*}x\end{align*} and y\begin{align*}y\end{align*}, set up proportions.

1830450x=x25=30x=15 1830=15y18y=450y=25\begin{align*}\frac{18}{30} &= \frac{x}{25} && \ \frac{18}{30} = \frac{15}{y}\\ 450 &= 30x && 18y = 450\\ x &= 15 && \quad y = 25\end{align*}

#### Example C

ABCDAMNP\begin{align*}ABCD \sim AMNP\end{align*}. Find the scale factor and the length of BC\begin{align*}BC\end{align*}.

Line up the corresponding sides, AB\begin{align*}AB\end{align*} and AM=CD\begin{align*}AM = CD\end{align*}, so the scale factor is 3045=23\begin{align*}\frac{30}{45} = \frac{2}{3}\end{align*} or 32\begin{align*}\frac{3}{2}\end{align*}. Because BC\begin{align*}BC\end{align*} is in the bigger rectangle, we will multiply 40 by 32\begin{align*}\frac{3}{2}\end{align*} because 32\begin{align*}\frac{3}{2}\end{align*} is greater than 1. BC=32(40)=60\begin{align*}BC = \frac{3}{2} (40)=60\end{align*}.

Watch this video for help with the Examples above.

#### Concept Problem Revisited

All of the sides in the baseball diamond are 90 feet long and 60 feet long in the softball diamond. This means all the sides are in a 9060=32\begin{align*}\frac{90}{60}=\frac{3}{2}\end{align*} ratio. All the angles in a square are congruent, all the angles in both diamonds are congruent. The two squares are similar and the scale factor is 32\begin{align*}\frac{3}{2}\end{align*}.

### Vocabulary

Similar polygons are two polygons with the same shape, but not necessarily the same size. The corresponding angles of similar polygons are congruent (exactly the same) and the corresponding sides are proportional (in the same ratio). In similar polygons, the ratio of one side of a polygon to the corresponding side of the other is called the scale factor.

### Guided Practice

1. ABCD\begin{align*}ABCD\end{align*} and UVWX\begin{align*}UVWX\end{align*} are below. Are these two rectangles similar?

2. What is the scale factor of ABC\begin{align*}\triangle ABC\end{align*} to XYZ\begin{align*}\triangle XYZ\end{align*}? Write the similarity statement.

3. ABCMNP\begin{align*}\triangle ABC \sim \triangle MNP\end{align*}. The perimeter of ABC\begin{align*}\triangle ABC\end{align*} is 150, AB=32\begin{align*}AB = 32\end{align*} and MN=48\begin{align*}MN = 48\end{align*}. Find the perimeter of MNP\begin{align*}\triangle MNP\end{align*}.

1. All the corresponding angles are congruent because the shapes are rectangles.

Let’s see if the sides are proportional. 812=23\begin{align*}\frac{8}{12} = \frac{2}{3}\end{align*} and 1824=34\begin{align*}\frac{18}{24} = \frac{3}{4}\end{align*}. 2334\begin{align*}\frac{2}{3} \neq \frac{3}{4}\end{align*}, so the sides are not in the same proportion, and the rectangles are not similar.

2. All the sides are in the same ratio. Pick the two largest (or smallest) sides to find the ratio.

1520=34\begin{align*}\frac{15}{20} = \frac{3}{4}\end{align*}

For the similarity statement, line up the proportional sides. ABXY,BCXZ,ACYZ,\begin{align*}AB \rightarrow XY, BC \rightarrow XZ, AC \rightarrow YZ,\end{align*} so ABCYXZ\begin{align*}\triangle ABC \sim \triangle YXZ\end{align*}.

3. From the similarity statement, \begin{align*}AB\end{align*} and \begin{align*}MN\end{align*} are corresponding sides. The scale factor is \begin{align*}\frac{32}{48} = \frac{2}{3}\end{align*} or \begin{align*} \frac{3}{2}\end{align*}. \begin{align*}\triangle ABC\end{align*} is the smaller triangle, so the perimeter of \begin{align*}\triangle MNP\end{align*} is \begin{align*}\frac{3}{2} (150)=225\end{align*}.

### Practice

Determine if the following statements are true or false.

1. All equilateral triangles are similar.
2. All isosceles triangles are similar.
3. All rectangles are similar.
4. All rhombuses are similar.
5. All squares are similar.
6. All congruent polygons are similar.
7. All similar polygons are congruent.
8. All regular pentagons are similar.
9. \begin{align*}\triangle BIG \sim \triangle HAT\end{align*}. List the congruent angles and proportions for the sides.
10. If \begin{align*}BI = 9\end{align*} and \begin{align*}HA = 15\end{align*}, find the scale factor.
11. If \begin{align*}BG = 21\end{align*}, find \begin{align*}HT\end{align*}.
12. If \begin{align*}AT = 45\end{align*}, find \begin{align*}IG\end{align*}.
13. Find the perimeter of \begin{align*}\triangle BIG\end{align*} and \begin{align*}\triangle HAT\end{align*}. What is the ratio of the perimeters?

Use the picture to the right to answer questions 14-18.

1. Find \begin{align*}m \angle E\end{align*} and \begin{align*}m \angle Q\end{align*}.
2. \begin{align*}ABCDE \sim QLMNP\end{align*}, find the scale factor.
3. Find \begin{align*}BC\end{align*}.
4. Find \begin{align*}CD\end{align*}.
5. Find \begin{align*}NP\end{align*}.

Determine if the following triangles and quadrilaterals are similar. If they are, write the similarity statement.

1. \begin{align*}\triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF\end{align*} \begin{align*}{\;}\end{align*} Solve for \begin{align*}x\end{align*} and \begin{align*}y\end{align*}.
2. \begin{align*}QUAD \sim KENT\end{align*} \begin{align*}{\;}\end{align*} Find the perimeter of \begin{align*}QUAD\end{align*}.
3. \begin{align*}\triangle CAT \sim \triangle DOG\end{align*} \begin{align*}{\;}\end{align*} Solve for \begin{align*}x\end{align*} and \begin{align*}y\end{align*}.
4. \begin{align*}PENTA \sim FIVER\end{align*} \begin{align*}{\;}\end{align*} Solve for \begin{align*}x\end{align*}.
5. \begin{align*}\triangle MNO \sim \triangle XNY\end{align*} \begin{align*}{\;}\end{align*} Solve for \begin{align*}a\end{align*} and \begin{align*}b\end{align*}.
6. Trapezoids \begin{align*}HAVE \sim KNOT\end{align*} Solve for \begin{align*}x\end{align*} and \begin{align*}y\end{align*}.
7. Two similar octagons have a scale factor of \begin{align*}\frac{9}{11}\end{align*}. If the perimeter of the smaller octagon is 99 meters, what is the perimeter of the larger octagon?
8. Two right triangles are similar. The legs of one of the triangles are 5 and 12. The second right triangle has a hypotenuse of length 39. What is the scale factor between the two triangles?
9. What is the area of the smaller triangle in problem 30? What is the area of the larger triangle in problem 30? What is the ratio of the areas? How does it compare to the ratio of the lengths (or scale factor)? Recall that the area of a triangle is \begin{align*}A=\frac{1}{2} \ bh\end{align*}.

### Notes/Highlights Having trouble? Report an issue.

Color Highlighted Text Notes

### Vocabulary Language: English

Congruent

Congruent figures are identical in size, shape and measure.

Proportion

A proportion is an equation that shows two equivalent ratios.

Scale Factor

A scale factor is a ratio of the scale to the original or actual dimension written in simplest form.

sine

The sine of an angle in a right triangle is a value found by dividing the length of the side opposite the given angle by the length of the hypotenuse.

Trigonometric Ratios

Ratios that help us to understand the relationships between sides and angles of right triangles.

Show Hide Details
Description
Difficulty Level:
Authors:
Tags:
Subjects: