Answer:
x = 35, y = 18
Step-by-step explanation:
Since both triangles are similar, their sides must be proportional with means all of them have a common ratio.
If NM = 16, and KJ = 40. 40/16 is the ratio from ∆<u>NM</u>L to ∆<u>JK</u>L. The reciprocal(numerator and denominator flip, the product of a number and it's reciprocal is 1) of this is true from ∆JKL to ∆NML.
Now to find the missing sides you multiply a side by the common ratio to find it's corresponding side length.
Dividing by a number is the same as multiplying by the reciprocal of that number.
40/16 can be reduced to 5/2 or 2 ½ as a mixed fraction.
16/40 can be reduced to 2/5 or 0.4 as a decimal.
Since the scale of ∆JKL is greater than ∆NML, you multiply by 5/2 to get the corresponding side of ∆JKL from ∆NML.
Since the scale of ∆NML is less than ∆JKL, you multiply by 2/5 to get the corresponding side of ∆NNL from ∆JKL.
Therefore x = 14 × 5/2 = 70/2 = 35.
y = 45 × 2/5 = 90/5 = 18.
