
Thirdly, since the corresponding angles are equal, each side of the image triangle is parallel to the matching side of the original triangle:Ī ′ B ′ || AB, B ′ C ′ || BC and C ′ A ′ || CA. Secondly, we can verify that each angle of A ′ B ′ C ′ is equal to the matching angle of ABC.ī ′ A ′ C ′ = BAC, A ′ C ′ B ′ = ACB and C ′ B ′ A ′ = CBA. We can use this diagram to verify three important properties of enlargements.įirst, it is easy to verify with compasses that each side of the image triangle A ′ B ′ C ′ is twice the length of the matching sides of the original triangle ABC.
#Sas similarity how to#
The next figure below shows how to construct the image A ′ B ′ C ′ of ABC under the enlargement with centre O and enlargement factor 2. For example, the diagram below shows a point O and a triangle ABC. In this module, we will only deal with positive enlargement factors. The distances of all points from the enlargement centre increase or decrease by this factor.

Scale drawings and enlargements are usually discussed a year or so earlier than similarity, and these topics therefore receive a self-contained treatment in Sections 1−2. The treatment of similarity and enlargements in this module has been guided by well-established classroom practice. Secondly, just as congruence was used to prove many basic theorems about triangles and special quadrilaterals, so similarity will allow us to establish further important theorems in geometry. First, most situations involving similarity can be reduced to similar triangles, and we shall establish four similarity tests for triangles, corresponding to the four congruence tests for triangles. The theory of similarity develops in the same way as congruence.

This constant ratio is the same ratio that appears in scale drawings and enlargements. Matching angles in similar figures are equal, but matching lengths in two similar figures are all in the same ratio. Thus two figures are similar if an enlargement of one is congruent to the other.Īny two figures that have the same shape are similar. Figures that can be mapped one to the other by these transformations and enlargements are called similar. The module, Congruence studied congruent figures, which are figures that can be mapped one to the other by a sequence of translations, rotations and reflections.

This is different from the three transformations that we have already introduced − translations, rotations and reflections all produce an image that is the same size and shape as the original figure. An enlargement transformation preserves the shape of the figure, but increases or decreases all distances by a constant ratio. The transformation that produces a scale drawing is an enlargement. It is usually expressed in terms of a ratio, so the topic of scale drawings is closely related to ratios and fractions. The proportional increase or decrease in lengths is called the scale of the drawing.

For example, we would want to reduce the size when drawing:Īnd we would want to increase the size when drawing: Scale drawings are used when we increase or reduce the size of an object so that it fits nicely on a page or computer screen.
