ACTIVITIES. SIMILARITY. MATHEMATICS 4th E.S.O.

a'=7cm
1. Given the two pentagons below:

a=5cm e'

e=6cm

b'
b=7cm
d=4cm d'

c=8cm
c'

Find the similarity ratio, and calculate the unknown sides of the second polygon.

2. If the two triangles below are similar, and the similarity ratio is 1,5, calculate the sides of the
second triangle.

b=24cm
a=18cm b'
a'

c=30cm

c'

3. Given the two similar right-angled triangles below, find the length of the unknown sides:

b=12cm a=15cm
a'
b'

c'
 4. Calculate x, y and z on the figures:

a)
8cm
4cm

6cm

b)
8cm

2cm

x 3cm 5cm

c)
x

8,1cm
5cm
1,5cm

2cm
y

z
6cm
d)

7cm
10cm
6cm
y

x 8cm

5. Explain why the triangles ABC and DEF are similar in the following pairs:
E
a) B
100º
100º

60º
C
A 20º
D F

B
b) E

5cm 10cm

8cm 16cm

A 12cm C

F
D 19,2cm

c)
F
C

8cm
12cm
A 12cm B

18cm E
D
 6. Calculate the lengths h, m, n of the right-angled triangle:

18 cm
7,5 cm
h

m n

7. Calculate the lengths b, h, n of the right-angled triangle:

8 cm
b
h

3,6 cm n

10cm

8. If two hexagons are similar and the similarity ratio is r=3,5, knowing the area of the first
hexagon is 100 m 2 , calculate the area of the second hexagon.

9. If you want to make a model of a house and you choose as scale factor 1:150

a) Calculate the height in the model of a wall 4 m high.

b) If the surface of a room of the house is 20 m 2 , calculate the area of the room in the model.
c) Calculate the volume of a swimming pool in the model, if the real swimming pool has a volume
of 40 m 3 .
SOLUTIONS:

1. r=1,4 b'=9,8 cm c'=11,2 cm d'=5,6 cm e'=8,4 cm

2. a'=27 cm b'=36 cm c'=45 cm
3. c=9 cm a'=20 cm b'=16 cm
4. a) x=12 cm
b) x=1,25 cm y=4,8 cm
c) x=8 cm y=3,75 cm z=10,8 cm
d) x=6,9 cm y=4,6 cm
5. a) Criterion 1: Two triangles are similar if two of their angles are equal.
b) Criterion 2: Two triangles are similar if their sides are proportional.
c) Criterion 3: Two triangles are similar if they have an equal angle, and the sides that
formed them are proportional.
6. h=6,92 cm m=2,88 cm n=16,62 cm
7. b=6 cm n=6,4 cm h=4,8 cm
8. 1225 m 2
9. a) 2,66 cm
b) 0,88 cm 2
c) 1,85 cm3