Using any of the three triangle similarities of corresponding angles or side lengths, explain why the two triangles are similar Reference the triangle similarity criteria of choice (SAS or SSS) explain your reasoning in your answer, and show work for any needed computations

Two similar triangles one is smaller but they have the same angles

1 answer

To prove that two triangles are similar, we can use the Angle-Angle (AA) similarity criterion, which states that if two triangles have two pairs of corresponding angles that are equal, then the triangles are similar. However, since you specifically mentioned SAS (Side-Angle-Side) or SSS (Side-Side-Side) for reasoning, let’s delve into both of those criteria.

Given:

  • Two triangles: Triangle \(ABC\) and Triangle \(DEF\)
  • Angles \( \angle A = \angle D \) and \( \angle B = \angle E \)

Using Angle-Angle (AA) Similarity Criterion:

  1. Angle Measures: From the problem statement, we have that \( \angle A = \angle D \) and \( \angle B = \angle E \).
  2. Third Angle: By the Triangle Sum Theorem, the sum of angles in a triangle is \(180^\circ\).
    • Hence, for Triangle \(ABC\): \[ \angle C = 180^\circ - (\angle A + \angle B) \]
    • For Triangle \(DEF\): \[ \angle F = 180^\circ - (\angle D + \angle E) \]
    • Substituting the known equal angles: \[ \angle C = 180^\circ - (\angle D + \angle E) = \angle F \]
  3. Conclusion: Since all three angles are equal (\(\angle A = \angle D\), \(\angle B = \angle E\), and \(\angle C = \angle F\)), by the AA criterion, Triangle \(ABC\) is similar to Triangle \(DEF\) (i.e., \( \triangle ABC \sim \triangle DEF \)).

Alternative: Using SSS Similarity

Assume we need to establish that the ratios of the corresponding sides are equal.

  1. Assumed Side Lengths: Let:
    • \(AB = a\), \(BC = b\), and \(AC = c\)
    • \(DE = k \cdot a\), \(EF = k \cdot b\), \(DF = k \cdot c\) where \(k\) is a constant ratio in which Triangle \(DEF\) is a scaled-down version of Triangle \(ABC\).
  2. Proportion of Sides: By the definition of similar triangles: \[ \frac{AB}{DE} = \frac{BC}{EF} = \frac{AC}{DF} = k \]
  3. Conclusion: The ratios of the corresponding sides are equal. Therefore, by the SSS similarity criterion, Triangle \(ABC\) is similar to Triangle \(DEF\).

Note:

Since you mentioned that the two triangles have the same angles, an immediate conclusion can be drawn using the AA criterion. However, establishing similarity through SSS would require knowing the actual side lengths or their ratios. Nonetheless, both criteria confirm the similarity of the two triangles.

Summary

Thus, through either angle comparisons or side ratio computations, we've established that Triangle \(ABC\) and Triangle \(DEF\) are similar by the AA, SAS, or SSS similarity criteria.