I B M Y P 5 · G R A D E 1 0 · M AT H E M AT I C S

Similar Triangles
Part A — Comprehensive, Inquiry-Based Notes

Key Concept: Relationships Related: Similarity · Measurement · Space

Global Context: Scientific & technical innovation

🔎 Statement of Inquiry
When we understand the relationships between the matching parts of similar forms, we can measure
what we cannot reach and scale designs reliably — a skill at the heart of scientific and technical
innovation.
Inquiry questions to keep in mind:
Factual: What makes two triangles similar? How is "similar" different from "congruent"?
Conceptual: Why does keeping shape but changing size preserve angles but scale lengths?
Debatable: "You can measure the height of anything without climbing it." True? When does it fail?

1 Learning Objectives A B C D

By the end of this unit you will be able to:

Explain, in your own words, what it means for two triangles to be similar. A

Distinguish clearly between similar and congruent triangles. A

Test whether two triangles are similar using the AA, SAS and SSS criteria, and justify your choice. A
C

Identify corresponding angles and sides from a similarity statement written in the correct order. A

Find and use the scale factor to calculate unknown sides, perimeters and areas. A

Investigate patterns (e.g. how area changes with scale factor) and generalise a rule. B

Communicate reasoning with correct notation, diagrams and a stated criterion. C

Apply similarity to real situations — heights, maps, shadows, models — and reflect on the result. D

🧠 ATL Skills you will use

Thinking (Critical & Transfer): spotting equal angles, transferring one rule to many contexts ·
Communication: writing correspondence in the right order, labelling diagrams · Research: measuring
shadows/objects to test a method · Self-management: checking whether you used k or k² at the right moment.

2 Prior Knowledge Required

You should already know… Why it matters here

Angles in a triangle add to 180° Makes the AA criterion work — the third angle is automatic.

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 1 of 11

 Types of angles (vertically opposite, Used to find equal angles when lines are parallel.
alternate, co-interior)

Ratio and proportion (e.g. 6 : 9 = 2 : 3) Comparing corresponding sides and solving for unknowns.

Solving simple linear/proportion Cross-multiplying to find a missing length.

equations

Congruent triangles (SSS, SAS, ASA) Similarity is the "same shape" extension of congruence.

Area of a triangle = ½ × base × height Needed to understand why area scales by k².

3 Key Vocabulary

📘 Words to own (use them precisely)

Term Student-friendly meaning

Similar (~) Same shape, size may differ. Angles equal, sides in the same ratio.

Congruent (≅) Same shape and same size — an exact copy.

Corresponding Parts that "match up" between two figures (angle-to-angle, side-to-side).

Proportional In the same ratio, e.g. all sides multiplied by the same number.

Scale factor (k) The number you multiply every length by to get the other triangle.

Criterion A minimum test (AA, SAS, SSS) that proves similarity.

Enlargement / Making a shape bigger (k>1) or smaller (0<k<1) while keeping its shape.
Reduction

4·5 Introduction & Definition

Start by noticing: think of a photo you enlarge on your phone. The picture gets bigger, but nothing looks
stretched or squashed — a face stays a face. Every length grew by the same amount, and none of the angles
changed. That everyday idea is exactly what mathematicians call similarity.

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 2 of 11

 F

1.5b 1.5a

~
b a

k = 1.5
c
1.5c
A B
D E

Fig 1 · △ABC ~ △DEF. Matching angles are equal (same colour/marks); every side of DEF is 1.5× the matching side of ABC.

📐 Definition
Two triangles are similar when both of these are true:
1. Their corresponding angles are equal, and
2. Their corresponding sides are in the same ratio (proportional).
We write △ABC ~ △DEF. The order of the letters shows the matching: A↔D, B↔E, C↔F.

💡 Remember
For triangles, the two conditions are linked: equal angles automatically force proportional sides, and
vice-versa. That is why a single well-chosen criterion (AA, SAS or SSS) is enough — you never need to
check everything.

6 Similar vs Congruent Triangles A

Feature Congruent (≅) Similar (~)

Shape Same Same

Size Same May be different

Corresponding angles Equal Equal

Corresponding sides Equal (ratio 1 : 1) Proportional (ratio k : 1)

Scale factor k=1 k is any positive number

Everyday picture Two identical photocopies A photo and its enlargement

💡 Key idea
Every congruent pair is also similar (with k = 1). So congruence is just the special case of similarity
where the size doesn't change.

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 3 of 11

 7 Similarity Criteria: AA · SAS · SSS A C

You do not need to measure all six parts. Any one of these three tests proves similarity.

AA SAS

Angle–Angle Side–Angle–Side
If two angles of one triangle equal two angles of If one pair of angles is equal and the two
the other, the triangles are similar. sides that include those angles are in the
Why two is enough: the third angle is forced, since all same ratio, the triangles are similar.
three add to 180°. The equal angle must be between the two proportional
sides.

6
3

4
8

SSS

Side–Side–Side
If all three pairs of corresponding sides are in the same ratio, the triangles are similar — the equal
angles then follow for free.
3 4 5 1
Example: sides 3, 4, 5 and 6, 8, 10 give = = = , so the triangles are similar with k = 2.
6 8 10 2

Decision Flowchart — "Are these two triangles similar?"

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 4 of 11

 Start: compare the parts

Do 2 pairs of angles match? YES → AA

(look for parallel lines, shared angles) Similar ✓

no

All 3 sides in the same ratio? YES → SSS

(check each pair a/d = b/e = c/f) Similar ✓

no

1 equal angle + the 2 sides around it YES → SAS

in the same ratio? Similar ✓

no

Not enough evidence

gather more, or they may not be similar

Fig 2 · Choose the first test whose conditions you can satisfy.

⚠️ Careful
There is no "SSA" similarity test. Two matching sides plus a non-included angle do not guarantee
similarity. The angle in SAS must sit between the two proportional sides.

8 Corresponding Angles & Sides A C

The similarity statement is a map of what matches what. Read it in order.

If △ABC ~ △PQR then… Equal angles Proportional sides

A↔P, B↔Q, C↔R ∠A = ∠P AB BC CA

= =
∠B = ∠Q PQ QR RP
∠C = ∠R

💡 Trick to match sides

A side matches the side opposite the matching angle. Opposite ∠A is BC; opposite ∠P is QR — so
BC ↔ QR. Naming vertices in order makes this automatic.

9 Scale Factor (k) A B

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 5 of 11

 📐 Formula
length in the new (image) triangle
k=
matching length in the original triangle
k > 1 → enlargement (bigger) · 0 < k < 1 → reduction (smaller) · k = 1 → congruent
Use the same direction for every ratio, or your k will flip.

10 Properties of Similar Triangles A B

Property Rule

Corresponding angles Equal

Corresponding sides In ratio k

Corresponding altitudes, medians, angle bisectors In ratio k

Perimeters In ratio k

Areas In ratio k²

Similarity is reflexive, symmetric & transitive △ABC ~ △ABC; if 1~2 then 2~1; if 1~2 and 2~3 then 1~3

📐 The scaling laws

Lengths scale by k · Areas scale by k² · (Volumes of similar solids scale by k³)

🧠 ATL · Investigating patterns B

Draw a triangle, then double every side (k = 2). Measure both areas. You will find the area became 4× — that's
k². Try k = 3 and predict before you measure. Generalising this pattern is real MYP Criterion B work.

11 Proofs (Reasoning) B C

Proof 1 · Why AA needs only two angles

Suppose ∠A = ∠D and ∠B = ∠E. Since the angles of any triangle add to 180°:
∠C = 180° − ∠A − ∠B = 180° − ∠D − ∠E = ∠F.
So the third pair is equal too. All corresponding angles match, which forces the sides into a common ratio —
the triangles are similar. ∎

Proof 2 · Area ratio = k²

Let △ABC ~ △DEF with scale factor k, so every length of DEF is k times the matching length of ABC. Take BC
as base of the first and EF as base of the second, with heights h and H to those bases.
EF = k·BC and H = k·h (heights are corresponding lengths).
Then:

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 6 of 11

 Area(DEF) ½ · EF · H (k·BC)(k·h)
= = = k². ∎
Area(ABC) ½ · BC · h BC · h

Proof 3 · Basic Proportionality Theorem (Thales)

Statement: A line drawn parallel to one side of a triangle, cutting the other two sides, divides them in the
same ratio.

AD AE

D D∥E line ∥ BC E

DB EC

B C

Fig 3 · DE ∥ BC ⇒ AD/DB = AE/EC.

Proof (using areas): Join BE and CD.

Area(ADE) AD
△ADE and △BDE share the height from E to line AB, so = .
Area(BDE) DB
Area(ADE) AE
△ADE and △CDE share the height from D to line AC, so = .
Area(CDE) EC
△BDE and △CDE sit on the same base DE and between the same parallels DE ∥ BC, so they have equal
area.
AD AE
Since the two left-hand fractions have equal denominators, their right-hand sides are equal: = .∎
DB EC
This theorem is the engine behind many "similar triangle inside a triangle" problems.

12 Solved Examples A C

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 7 of 11

 EASY

Example 1 — Find a missing side

△ABC ~ △DEF with AB = 6 cm, DE = 9 cm and BC = 8 cm. Find EF.

DE 9
Scale factor: k = = = 1.5.
AB 6
EF corresponds to BC, so EF = k × BC = 1.5 × 8 = 12 cm.

MODERATE

Example 2 — Parallel line inside a triangle (BPT)

In △ABC, D lies on AB and E on AC with DE ∥ BC. AD = 3 cm, DB = 6 cm, AE = 4 cm. Find EC.

AD AE
Because DE ∥ BC, by the Basic Proportionality Theorem: = .
DB EC
3 4
So = ⇒ 3 · EC = 6 × 4 = 24 ⇒ EC = 8 cm.
6 EC
Criterion used: △ADE ~ △ABC by AA (shared ∠A, and equal corresponding angles from DE ∥ BC).

CHALLENGING

Example 3 — From area ratio to perimeter

Two similar triangles have areas in the ratio 9 : 16. The perimeter of the smaller triangle is 45 cm. Find
the perimeter of the larger triangle.

9 3
Step 1 — get k from areas: area ratio = k², so k² = ⇒k= (smaller : larger).
16 4
45 3 45 × 4
Step 2 — perimeters scale by k: = ⇒P= = 60 cm.
P 4 3
Watch out: many students wrongly do 45 × 16/9. Perimeter uses k, not k².

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 8 of 11

 CHALLENGING

Example 4 — Altitude in a right triangle (geometric mean)

In right-angled △ABC (right angle at A), AD is the altitude drawn to the hypotenuse BC. BD = 4 cm and
DC = 9 cm. Find AD.

B 4 9 C
D

The altitude to the hypotenuse creates three similar triangles: △BDA ~ △ADC. Matching the sides
around the right angles gives:
AD² = BD × DC = 4 × 9 = 36 ⇒ AD = √36 = 6 cm.
AD is the geometric mean of the two segments of the hypotenuse — a beautiful consequence of similarity.

13 Real-Life Applications & Interdisciplinary Links D

Application Subject link

parallel sun rays ⇒ equal angles ⇒ AA
tree = ? Heights of trees, buildings, Physics,
flagpoles by shadows/mirror Geography

Map & blueprint scales, scale Geography,

models Design Tech

stick
Ray diagrams, pinhole camera, Physics (Optics)
lenses
shadow

Perspective drawing, enlarging Visual Arts

artwork
Fig 4 · Same sun angle ⇒ two similar right triangles. Tree height
= stick height × (tree shadow ÷ stick shadow).

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 9 of 11

 Ramps, gradients, roof pitch Design,
Engineering

Foundation of trigonometry Mathematics

(constant ratios)

14 Common Mistakes C

⚠️ Don't fall for these

Matching the wrong vertices — always follow the order in the ~ statement.
Thinking similar means congruent (it doesn't — sizes can differ).
Using k for area. Area uses k²; volume uses k³.
Flipping the ratio halfway (numerator and denominator must stay consistent).
Calling triangles similar because they "look alike" — always name a criterion (AA/SAS/SSS).
Using SSA as if it proves similarity — it doesn't.
In SAS, using an angle that is not between the two chosen sides.

15 Exam Tips

🎯 Score the method marks

Write the similarity statement in correct order — it earns marks and prevents ratio errors.
State the criterion (AA / SAS / SSS) explicitly. Examiners reward the reason, not just the answer.
Redraw overlapping triangles separately so matching parts are obvious.
Mark equal angles and known lengths straight onto the diagram.
Decide early: is the question about length (k), area (k²) or volume (k³)?
Keep units, and give a one-line check ("Is the bigger side really bigger?").

16 Frequently Asked Questions

Question Answer

Are all equilateral triangles similar? Yes. Every angle is 60°, so AA is satisfied.

Are all right-angled triangles similar? No. They share one 90° angle but need a second
matching angle.

Are all isosceles triangles similar? No — their angles can differ.

Is a congruent pair also similar? Yes, with k = 1.

Does the order of letters really matter? Yes — it defines the correspondence and the ratios.

Can only side lengths prove similarity? Yes — that's the SSS criterion (all three ratios equal).

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 10 of 11

 17 Summary Notes

📌 The whole topic in nine lines

1. Similar = same shape, sizes may differ (~). Congruent = same shape and size (≅).
2. Similar ⇒ angles equal and sides proportional.
3. Three tests: AA, SAS, SSS. No SSA.
4. Correspondence follows the letter order; a side matches the side opposite the matching angle.
5. Scale factor k = new length ÷ old length.
6. Perimeters scale by k; areas by k²; volumes by k³.
7. DE ∥ BC ⇒ AD/DB = AE/EC (Basic Proportionality Theorem).
8. Altitude to hypotenuse: AD² = BD·DC.
9. Real use: measure the unreachable (trees, rivers, buildings) and scale designs.

18 Formula Box

📐 Keep these at your fingertips

Idea Formula

Similarity statement △ABC ~ △DEF ⇒ ∠A=∠D, ∠B=∠E, ∠C=∠F

Side ratios AB/DE = BC/EF = CA/FD = k

Scale factor k = new length ÷ matching old length

Perimeter ratio P₂ : P₁ = k

Area ratio A₂ : A₁ = k²

Volume ratio (similar solids) V₂ : V₁ = k³

Basic Proportionality DE ∥ BC ⇒ AD/DB = AE/EC

Altitude to hypotenuse AD² = BD × DC

19 Quick Revision Sheet

⚡ 60-second refresh
Prove similar → find AA, SAS, or SSS. Parallel line → think BPT.
Find a side → multiply by k. Right-angle altitude → AD²=BD·DC.
Find area → multiply by k². Always → name the criterion.
Order matters → match by letters. Never → use SSA or mix k with k².

End of Part A · Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 Mathematics · Inquiry-based notes · Original teaching resource.

Similar Triangles · IB MYP 5 · Part A — Notes Page 11 of 11