Revision Topic 3: Similar Shapes

Key Points to Remember:

* Shapes are similar if one shape is an enlargement of the other.
* When two shapes are similar, the corresponding sides are in proportion and corresponding
angles are equal.
* The scale factor of enlargement is the ratio:
length of a side on second shape
length of corresponding side on first shape
.

Example 1: Simple example

The two trapezia below are similar. Find the values of x and y.
7.2 cm 10.08 cm

y cm
9.1 cm

13 cm

x cm
The first step is to find the scale factor of the enlargement. This can be found by dividing the length
of two corresponding sides. We can use the length of the two top sides to find the scale factor here.
10.08
So, s.f. =  1.4 .
7 .2

The missing sides can be found by either multiplying or dividing by the scale factor.
To find x: Multiply 13 cm (the corresponding length on the first shape) by 1.4,
i.e. x = 13 × 1.4 = 18.2 cm.
[You check that this answer is reasonable – as x is on the larger shape, x must be bigger than 13 cm]
To find y: Divide 9.1 cm (the corresponding length on the second shape) by 1.4,
i.e. y = 9.1 ÷ 1.4 = 6.5 cm.

Examination-style question:
x X

57º 9 cm
8 cm θ
4 cm
w W

y Y

z Z
The two shapes (wxyz and WXYZ) are mathematically similar.
a) Calculate the length of XY.
b) Find the size of angle YXW (marked θ on the diagram)

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 Similar Triangles
To show that two triangles are similar, you need to check that
Either they contain the same angles
Or corresponding lengths are in the same ratio.

Example 2: Similar triangles

Explain why the two triangles below are similar. Calculate the lengths marked a and b.

3.5 cm
35º
75º 70º
a 2.6 cm
1.75 cm b
35º
2.8 cm

Both triangles contain the same three angles (namely 75°, 70° and 35°). Therefore they are similar.
First the shapes must be redrawn so that angles that are equal are in the same position.

75º
a 2.6 cm 75°
1.75 cm b
70° 35º
2.8 cm 70° 35°
3.5 cm
The scale factor for the enlargement is 3.5 ÷ 2.8 = 1.25

To find a: a = 1.75 ÷ 1.25 = 1.4 cm.

To find b: b = 2.6 × 1.25 = 3.25 cm

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Examination Question:
These triangles are similar. B
They are not drawn 1.75 Y
accurately. C
Angle A equals angle X. 4.25 24.5
Angle B equals angle Y.
Calculate the length of XY.
Z
A 77
X

Examination Question:
State whether or not the triangles ABC and XYZ are similar. Show working to support
your answer.
Y
A 8 cm C
4 cm 3 cm

4 cm 6 cm X
Z
6 cm
B

[Hint: As there are no angles shown, to see whether the triangles are similar or not you will need to
calculate the scale factor based on each of the three pairs of corresponding sides– if all the scale
factors are identical then the triangles are similar].

Example 3:

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Show that triangles ABC and APQ are similar and calculate the length of AC and BP.
A

2 cm 3 cm PQ and BC are parallel

lines.
4 cm Q
P

6 cm
B C
The triangles are similar if they contain the same angles. We can show this:
Angle A is common to both triangles ABC and APQ
Angle APQ = Angle ABC as they are corresponding angles (parallel lines)
Angle AQP = Angle ACB as they are corresponding angles.
So all three angles in the triangles are equal. So the triangles are parallel.

To calculate the lengths it is easiest to draw the two triangles separately:

A
2cm 3cm A

P 4cm Q

B 6cm C
Using the bases of the two triangles we see that the scale factor is 6 ÷ 4 = 1.5.
So: AC = 3 × 1.5 = 4.5 cm

Likewise, AB = 2 × 1.5 = 3 cm. So BP = AB – AP = 3cm – 2cm = 1 cm.

Examination Question:
In the diagram FG = 5.6 metres, EH = 3.5 metres and E D
DH = 15 metres. F
EH is parallel to FG.
FED and DHG are straight lines. 5.6 m 3.5 m
a) Explain why triangles DEH and DFG are similar.
b) Calculate the length of DG and GH. 15 m

H
G

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Example 4: 5cm
A
AB and CD are parallel lines. B
AD and BC meet at X.
a) Prove that triangles ABX and DCX are similar.
b) Which side in triangle DCX corresponds to AX in triangle ABX?
c) Calculate the length of AX. X

3cm

C D
a) To show the triangles are similar we need to show 4cm
they contain the same angles:
Angle AXB = Angle CXD (vertically opposite angles)
Angle BAX = Angle XDC (alternate angles)
So the third angles in each triangle must also be equal, i.e. Angle ABX = Angle XCD.
Therefore the triangles are similar.
b) It is simplest to now redraw the two triangles so that they are the same way up and with
equal angles in corresponding positions:

X
X

3cm

C 4 cm D

B 5 cm A
We see that AX corresponds to DX.

c) The scale factor is 5 ÷ 4 = 1.25

So AX = 3 × 1.25 = 3.75 cm.

Examination Question:
11cm
AB is parallel to CD. A B
Lines AD and BC intersect at point O.
AB = 11 cm. AO = 8 cm. OD = 6 cm.
8cm
Calculate the length of CD.

O
6cm

C D

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