Question

State whether or not the following triangles are similar. If not, explain why not. If so, write a similarity statement

Answer 1

9514 1404 393

Answer:

  a) ∆RLG ~ ∆NCP; SF: 3/2 (smaller to larger)

  b) no; different angles

Step-by-step explanation:

a) The triangles will be similar if their angles are congruent. The scale factor will be the ratio of any side to its corresponding side.

The third angle in ∆RLG is 180° -79° -67° = 34°. So, the two angles 34° and 67° in ∆RLG match the corresponding angles in ∆NCP. The triangles are similar by the AA postulate.

Working clockwise around each figure, the sequence of angles from lower left is 34°, 79°, 67°. So, we can write the similarity statement by naming the vertices in the same order: ∆RLG ~ ∆NCP.

The scale factor relating the second triangle to the first is ...

  NC/RL = 45/30 = 3/2

__

b) In order for the angles of one triangle to be congruent to the angles of the other triangle, at least one member of a list of two of the angles must match for the two triangles. Neither of the numbers 57°, 85° match either of the numbers 38°, 54°, so we know the two triangles have different angle measures. They cannot be similar.