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Notes Similar Figures

1) Similar figures are shapes that have the same shape but different sizes, with corresponding angles being congruent and sides proportional. 2) The perimeters of similar figures are proportional to the scale factor, as each side of one figure is multiplied by the scale factor to obtain the corresponding side of the other figure. 3) The areas of similar figures (including parallelograms, rectangles, and triangles) are proportional to the square of the scale factor, as the area formulae involve multiplying corresponding sides which are proportional to the scale factor.

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320 views

Notes Similar Figures

1) Similar figures are shapes that have the same shape but different sizes, with corresponding angles being congruent and sides proportional. 2) The perimeters of similar figures are proportional to the scale factor, as each side of one figure is multiplied by the scale factor to obtain the corresponding side of the other figure. 3) The areas of similar figures (including parallelograms, rectangles, and triangles) are proportional to the square of the scale factor, as the area formulae involve multiplying corresponding sides which are proportional to the scale factor.

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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SIMILAR FIGURES

(sections 6.2, 6.3)


Similar figures are those with the same shape but different size. Their corresponding
angles are congruent and corresponding sides make a proportion. When figures are
compared then the initial figure is called the pre-image and the final figure is called
the image. The value of the ration of the side length of image to the side length of
the pre-image is called the scale factor
__
= ( )
__

From these proportions it follows that the big triangle was chosen as an image and
the small one as a pre-image.

Perimeters of Similar Figures


If figures are similar then their perimeters refer as the scale factor. To prove this
statement consider two polygons 1 2 with sides 1 , 2, and the similar
polygon 1 2 which is going to be an image. To be certain let the image be
bigger figure as on the picture below.

1
1

The perimeter of the pre-image is the sum of all sides:


= 1 + 2 + +

(*)

and the perimeter of the image is the sum of the corresponding similar sides:
= 1 + 2 + +

(**)

Ones our figures are similar then their sides make a proportion:
1
1

where k is the scale factor.

2
2

==

=,

It is possible to rewrite these equations in the form :


1 = 1 , 2 = 2 , 3 = 3 , . , =
If we put these expressions into the equation (**) it will look as:
= 1 + 2 + + .
After the applying the distribution property backwards (factoring) this
expression becomes:
= (1 + 2 + + ) = ,
or

or

= .

In other words, the perimeter of similar figures refer to each other as the
scale factor (or as their sides).

Area of Similar Figures


Similar Parallelograms and Rectangles. Consider two similar parallelograms
ABCD and A*B*C*D* and let the image (star figure) be larger than the pre-image
ABCD.
C*

B*
B

C
h*
h

A*

a*

D*

Let us mark bases of these figures as a and a* and altitudes as h and h*. Once figures
are similar then their sides make a proportion:

= , where k is the scale factor.

We can rewrite these equations as follows:


a* = ka and h* = kh (***)
Applying the formula for the area of parallelograms to our figures we will get

A ABCD = ah and AA*B*C*D* = a*h* .


After the substitution from (***) it follows:

AA*B*C*D* = a*h* = kakh= k2ah =k2 A ABCD


Finally there are the following formulae:

A*= k2 A or

= 2.

In other words, the areas of parallelograms/rectangles refer to each other


as the square of the scale factor (or as squares of their sides).

Similar Triangles. Consider two similar triangles ABC and A*B*C* and let the
image (star figure) be larger than the pre-image ABC.
B*
B
h*
h
A

A*

a*

C*

ah
Let us mark (as we did before for parallelograms) bases of these figures as a and a*
and altitudes as h and h*. Once figures are similar then their sides make a proportion:

= , where k is the scale factor.

We can rewrite these equations as follows:


a* = ka and h* = kh (***)
Applying the formula for the area of parallelograms to our figures we will get

A ABC =

and A

* * *
A B C

After the substitution from (***) it follows:

AA*B*C* =

=
2

=k2 A ABC

Finally there are the following formulae:

A = k A or
2

= 2.

In other words, the areas triangles refer to each other as the square of the
scale factor (or as squares of their sides).

This result can be extended for all similar figures:


Areas of similar figures refer to each other as the square of the scale factor
(or as squares of their sides):

A=kA
*

or

= 2.

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