Similarity
When you zoom in on a photo, everything gets bigger in the same proportion: the photo doesn't get distorted. The two images are similar. With this idea, 2 600 years ago, Thales of Miletus measured the height of a pyramid using only its shadow and a stick. Today it is used in plans, maps, models and 3D printers.
Similar figures
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$k > 1$: enlargement. $\quad k < 1$: reduction. $\quad k = 1$: identical figures.
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A scale is a scale factor: a 1 : 50 plan has $k = \frac{1}{50}$.
Change the scale factor: the sides are multiplied by $k$, but the area is multiplied by $k^2$.
A graphic designer is working on the logo for a new app. The original design is a rectangle measuring $8\text{ cm}$ wide and $12\text{ cm}$ high. For the loading screen,…
A graphic designer is working on the logo for a new app. The original design is a rectangle measuring $8\text{ cm}$ wide and $12\text{ cm}$ high. For the loading screen, he needs to create a larger version that is similar to the original. If the width of the enlarged version must be $20\text{ cm}$, what will be the height of the logo on that screen?
On the floor plan of a house, the scale used is $1:50$. If the living room has a length of $12\text{ cm}$ in the drawing, calculate the actual length of this room in…
On the floor plan of a house, the scale used is $1:50$. If the living room has a length of $12\text{ cm}$ in the drawing, calculate the actual length of this room in metres.
Thales' theorem
A very useful case is triangles in a Thales position: a small triangle inside a larger one, sharing an angle and with the opposite side parallel. They are similar.
Two triangles are positioned in Thales's configuration. Knowing that the horizontal segments are parallel and measure $6\text{ cm}$ and $10\text{ cm}$, and that the…
Two triangles are positioned in Thales's configuration. Knowing that the horizontal segments are parallel and measure $6\text{ cm}$ and $10\text{ cm}$, and that the vertical segment of the smaller triangle measures $9\text{ cm}$, calculate the value of the unknown vertical segment denoted by $x$ of the larger triangle.
In the following figure, the lines $r$, $s$, and $t$ are parallel. Knowing that $y = x + 1$, use Thales's Theorem to calculate the unknown lengths $x$ and $y$ expressed…
In the following figure, the lines $r$, $s$, and $t$ are parallel. Knowing that $y = x + 1$, use Thales's Theorem to calculate the unknown lengths $x$ and $y$ expressed in centimetres.
Criteria for similar triangles
To know whether two triangles are similar you don't need to check everything. One of these criteria is enough:
| Criterion | What to check |
|---|---|
| 1. Two equal angles | If two angles match, the third does too (they add up to 180°). |
| 2. Proportional sides | All three sides in the same ratio: $\frac{a'}{a} = \frac{b'}{b} = \frac{c'}{c}$. |
| 3. One equal angle and the sides that form it proportional | $\hat{A} = \hat{A}'$ and $\frac{b'}{b} = \frac{c'}{c}$. |
State whether the following pairs of triangles are similar and justify which criterion you used (AAA, SSS or SAS): Triangle 1: Angles of $40^\circ$ and $70^\circ$.…
State whether the following pairs of triangles are similar and justify which criterion you used (AAA, SSS or SAS):
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Triangle 1: Angles of $40^\circ$ and $70^\circ$.
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Triangle 2: Angles of $70^\circ$ and $70^\circ$.
Observe the right-angled triangle in the figure. The altitude $h$ to the hypotenuse divides the original triangle into two smaller triangles. a) Justify why the three…
Observe the right-angled triangle in the figure. The altitude $h$ to the hypotenuse divides the original triangle into two smaller triangles.
- a) Justify why the three triangles (the original and the two small ones) are similar to each other.
- b) If the segments into which the hypotenuse is divided measure $m = 4\text{ cm}$ and $n = 9\text{ cm}$, calculate the altitude $h$ using the similarity of the two small triangles.
- c) Calculate the area of the original triangle.
Measuring heights with shadows
At the same time of day, the Sun's rays arrive parallel. That is why an object and its shadow form a right-angled triangle that is similar to that of any other object and its shadow.
A 3rd ESO student is $1,60\text{ m}$ tall. At a certain time of day, they cast a shadow on the ground of $2\text{ m}$. If right next to them, a lamppost casts a shadow…
A 3rd ESO student is $1,60\text{ m}$ tall. At a certain time of day, they cast a shadow on the ground of $2\text{ m}$. If right next to them, a lamppost casts a shadow of $5\text{ m}$, what is the height of the lamppost?
To calculate the height of a communication tower that casts a very long shadow, Marcos, who is $1,70\text{ m}$ tall, stands so that the tip of his shadow coincides with…
To calculate the height of a communication tower that casts a very long shadow, Marcos, who is $1,70\text{ m}$ tall, stands so that the tip of his shadow coincides with the tip of the tower's shadow. If Marcos is $25\text{ m}$ from the base of the tower and his shadow measures $2,5\text{ m}$, answer:
- a) Why can we state that the triangles formed by Marcos and the tower with their respective shadows are similar? Mention the similarity criterion used.
- b) Calculate the height of the tower.
Perimeters, areas and volumes
If the lengths are multiplied by $k$:
A pizzeria offers two sizes of round pizza that are similar. The "Small" pizza has a radius of $10\text{ cm}$ and an area of approximately $314\text{ cm}^2$. If the…
A pizzeria offers two sizes of round pizza that are similar. The "Small" pizza has a radius of $10\text{ cm}$ and an area of approximately $314\text{ cm}^2$. If the "Family" pizza has a radius of $20\text{ cm}$, what will its area be? (Remember the relationship between the scale factor $k$ and the areas).
Two rectangles are similar. The first has a base of $12\text{ cm}$ and an area of $96\text{ cm}^2$. The second rectangle has an area of $150\text{ cm}^2$. a) Calculate…
Two rectangles are similar. The first has a base of $12\text{ cm}$ and an area of $96\text{ cm}^2$. The second rectangle has an area of $150\text{ cm}^2$.
- a) Calculate the scale factor between the second and first rectangle. (Hint: use the relationship between areas).
- b) Calculate the dimensions (base and height) of the second rectangle.
- c) What is the ratio between their perimetres?
A furniture company manufactures regular hexagonal coffee tables. They have two models: the "Mini" model has a side length of $30\text{ cm}$ and its glass top costs…
A furniture company manufactures regular hexagonal coffee tables. They have two models: the "Mini" model has a side length of $30\text{ cm}$ and its glass top costs $45\text{ €}$. The "Gran Salón" model is similar to the previous one and has a side length of $60\text{ cm}$.
- a) What is the scale factor between the large model and the small one?
- b) Knowing that the price of the glass is proportional to its area, how much will the glass top of the "Gran Salón" model cost?
- c) If $180\text{ cm}$ of metal tape is needed to border the small table, how much tape will be needed for the large table?
Back to the beginning: Thales stuck a stick vertically in the ground and measured its shadow at the same time as the pyramid's shadow: since the Sun's rays were parallel, he set up the proportion $\frac{\text{pyramid height}}{\text{pyramid shadow}} = \frac{\text{stick height}}{\text{stick shadow}}$ and worked out the exact height without needing to climb it.