Are the triangles below similar? If so, what is their ratio?
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Are the triangles below similar? If so, what is their ratio?
To determine if the triangles and are similar, we apply the Side-Side-Side (SSS) similarity criterion. This requires that the ratios of corresponding sides are equal.
We are given the side lengths: , , for , and , , for .
First, find the ratio for each pair of corresponding sides:
Since , all sides maintain a constant ratio. Hence, the triangles are similar.
The similarity ratio is , indicating with a ratio of 3:1.
The correct choice, as given in the options, is:
Yes, similarity ratio:
Yes, similarity ratio:
Is the similarity ratio between the three triangles equal to one?
Look at the side lengths and match them by size! The longest side of one triangle corresponds to the longest side of the other. Here: BC=12 (longest) matches LT=4 (longest), CA=6 (shortest) matches LK=2 (shortest).
If the ratios are different, then the triangles are not similar! For similarity, all three ratios must be exactly equal. Even small differences mean the triangles don't have the same shape.
Yes! Always write the ratio as larger triangle : smaller triangle consistently. Here we use giving ratios of 3, not which would give ratios of 1/3.
The ratio 3:1 shows the relationship clearly - triangle ABC is 3 times larger than triangle KLT. We can also write it as just "3" or as the fraction .
SSS similarity works when you know all three side lengths of both triangles. If you only know some sides or angles, you'll need different methods like SAS or AA similarity.
Orientation doesn't matter! Similar triangles can be rotated, flipped, or positioned differently and still be similar. Focus on matching corresponding sides by length, not by position in the diagram.
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