Study Guide: Similar Triangles

These web-based activities were developed, during summer sessions from 1997 through 1999, by students at Mainland High School, located in Daytona Beach, FL. As part of Mainland's CCTT grant, the students were given permission by the book's publisher to convert the ancillary materials of the County's adopted Algebra 1 Textbook (Glencoe Algebra 1 - ISBN: 9780028253282) into html format.

Study Guide
Integration: Geometry
Similar Triangles

Triangle RST is similar to triangle XYZ. The angles of the two triangles are congruent. They are called corresponding angles. The sides opposite corresponding angles are called corresponding sides. Proportions can be used to find the missing measures of similar traingles.

Example: Find the height of the apartment building.

The apartment building is 84 meters high.

Refer to the triangles shown at the right to answer the next three questions.

1. Which triangles are similar?

2. Name corresponding angles of the similar triangles?

3. Name corresponding sides of the similar triangles?

Let's Practice: Solve the following problem.

4. Bruce likes to amuse his brother by shining a flashlight on is hand and making a shadow on the wall. How far is it from the flashlight to the wall?

4.3 feet