Lesson 8-5

Triangle Proportionality
Today’s Goals
Explore Proportions in Triangles ● Solve problems and
prove theorems by
 nline Activity Use dynamic geometry software to complete the
O using triangle
Explore. proportionality.
● Solve problems and
prove theorems by
 INQUIRY How do the midsegments of a
using the Triangle
triangle compare to its sides? Midsegment Theorem
and its corollaries.
Learn Triangle Proportionality
Today’s Vocabulary
When a triangle contains a line that is parallel to one of its sides, the two midsegment of a
triangles formed can be proven similar using the Angle-Angle Similarity triangle
Postulate. Because the triangles are similar, their sides are proportional.
Theorem 8.8: Triangle Proportionality Theorem
If a line is parallel to one side of a triangle and intersects the other two
sides, then it divides the sides into segments of proportional lengths.
Theorem 8.9: Converse of Triangle Proportionality Theorem
If a line intersects two sides of a triangle and separates the sides into
proportional corresponding segments, then the line is parallel to the
third side of the triangle.

You will prove Theorems 8.8 and 8.9 in Exercises 18 and 19, respectively.

Example 1 Use Triangle Proportions to Find the Think About It!

Length of a Side If BP = 9, PC = 15, and
​​  ¯​​ ǁ ​​ CD
In △BCD, PQ ¯.​​ If QD = 14.5, BP = 9, and PC = 15, PQ = 7.5, could you
B
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9 7.5
find BQ. use __
​​  15 ​​ = ___
​​  CD ​​ to find CD?
P Justify your reasoning.
BP
​​ ___
BQ
​​ = ​​ ​​ ___ Q
PC QD ​​ Triangle Proportionality Theorem

__ 9
​  15 ​​ = ___
​ ​​  14.5 ​​
BQ
Substitution C No; sample answer:
D The Triangle
15BQ = 130.5 Multiplication Property of Equality Proportionality
BQ = 8.7 Solve. Theorem only applies
to the nonparallel sides
Check of the triangle.
In △FGH, ¯
​​ 
FH​​ ǁ¯
​​  . If GB = 14.4, BF = 4.8,
BC​​ G
and GH = 21, find GC and CH.
GC = 15.75 CH = 5.25
C
B H
F

Lesson 8-5 • Triangle Proportionality 487

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 Your Notes Example 2 Use Triangle Proportions to Determine
if Lines are Parallel
In △WXY, YL = 5, LX = 20, and JX ​  ¯​is four X
​  ¯​. Is ​​ ¯
times as long as WJ ​ ​¯​​? Explain
JL ​​ ǁ WY
your reasoning.
To show that ¯ ​​  ¯​​, we must show
​​ JL​​ ǁ WY
___WJ __YL J
that ​​  JX ​​ = ​ ​LX ​​using the Converse of the L
Triangle Proportionality Theorem. Find and W
simplify each ratio. Because JX ​​ ¯​​is four times Y
as long as WJ ¯
​​  ,​​  you can represent their
lengths with x and 4x, respectively.
WJ x 1 YL 5 1
​​ ___ __ _ __ __ _
JX ​​ = ​​  4x ​​ or ​​  4 ​​ ​​  LX ​​ = ​ ​20 ​​ or ​​  4 ​​
1 1
Because _
​​  4 ​​ = _ ​​ ¯​​ ∥ WY
​​  4 ​​, the sides are proportional. Therefore, JL ​​  ¯​​.

Check
In △PQR, PK = 34, KQ = 20, and Q
​​  ¯​​ ∥ KJ
PJ = 1.7JR. Is QR ​​  ¯​​? Explain your
reasoning. Yes; sample answer: K
PK PJ 17
Because ___
​​  KQ ​​ = ___
​​  JR ​​ = __
​​  10 ​​, the sides are
proportional. Therefore, QR ​​ ​​  ¯ ∥ ​​ KJ
​​  ¯ ​​. P
J
R

Learn Midsegments and Parallel Lines

A
A midsegment of a triangle is a
segment that connects the midpoints P
of the legs of the triangle. Every R
triangle has three midsegments. The B
midsegments of △ABC are RP ​​  ¯​​,
​​  ¯​​, PQ
Q
​​  ¯​​.
and RQ C
One special case of the Triangle Proportionality Theorem is the

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Triangle Midsegment Theorem.

Theorem 8.10: Triangle Midsegment Theorem

Words A midsegment of a triangle is parallel to one side of the
triangle, and its length is one half of the length of that side.
Example If J and K are midpoints of ​​ FH ​​ ¯ F
¯, respectively, then
and ​​ HG ​​
¯ ¯ and ​JK​ = __ 1
​​ JK ​​ ∥ ​​ FG ​​ ​​  2 ​​FG. J
G
K
H
You will prove Theorem 8.10 in Exercise 20.

Another special case of the Triangle Proportionality Theorem involves

three or more parallel lines cut by two transversals.

488 Module 8 • Similarity

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 Corollary 8.1: Proportional Parts of Parallel Lines
Words If three or more parallel lines intersect two transversals, then
they cut off the transversals proportionally.

Example ​ ​¯ ​​ ∥ BF
If AE ​ ​¯ ​​,
​ ​¯ ​​ ∥ CG
A E
___ AB ___ EF
​ ​  ​​ = FG
then BC ​​   ​​.
B F

C G

You will prove Corollary 8.1 in Exercise 21.

If the scale factor of the proportional segments is 1, they separate the

transversals into congruent parts.

Corollary 8.2: Congruent Parts of Parallel Lines Go Online

Words If three or more parallel lines cut off congruent segments on A proof of Corollary 8.2
one transversal, then they cut off congruent segments on is available.
every transversal.
Example ​ ​¯ ​​ ∥ BF
If AE ​ ​¯ ​​ and
​ ​¯ ​​ ∥ CG
¯ ≅ BC ​​
​​ AB ​​ ​​  ¯, A E
¯.
¯ ≅ ​​ FG ​​
then ​​ EF ​​
B F

C G

Example 3 Use the Triangle Midsegment Theorem Study Tip

¯and DE
In the figure, ​ EF ​  ¯ are Midsegments The
A
midsegments of △ABC. Triangle Midsegment
Find DE. Theorem is similar
15 to the Trapezoid
DE D
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F Midsegment Theorem,
1
DE = __
​​  2 ​​ AC 9.2 82° which states that the
1 midsegment of a
DE = __
​​  2 ​​ (15) trapezoid is parallel
DE = 7.5 C E B to the bases and its
length is one half the
C sum of the measures
of the bases.
Check
​​  ¯​​, GH
In the figure, FG ​​  ¯​​, and FH
​​  ¯​​ are midsegments
of △ABC. Find each measure. 19.5
F G
AC = 32.5 AB = 39
CB = 28 CG = 14 14 16.25 Think About It!
AH = 19.5 If BC = 24, what is DF?
A B 12
H

Lesson 8-5 • Triangle Proportionality 489

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 Example 4 Use Proportional Segments
of Transversals
REAL ESTATE A developer is looking to
purchase lots 18 and 19 on the lake
and wants to determine the length of
the property’s boundary that runs 96.5 ft
Lot 18
along the lake, a measurement known
as frontage. Find the lake frontage for x
102 ft
Lot 18 to the nearest tenth of a foot.

h
Lot 19

mat
By Corollary 8.1, because the three 120 ft

um
boundaries are parallel, the segments

os
ad
formed by the front and back property

an
lines are divided into proportional parts.

W
ke
La
Let x represent the missing length.
102 96.5
​​ ___ ____
120 ​​ = ​​  x ​​ Corollary 8.1

102x = 11580 Multiplication Property of Equality

x = 113.5 Divide each side by 102.

Example 5 Use Congruent Segments of Transversals

Find the values of x and y. A J
⟷ ⟷ ⟷
Because ​​ AJ ​​ ∥ ​ ​BK ​​ ∥ ​ ​CL ​​ and
2x + 8 4y - 1
¯​​ ≅ KL
​​ JK ​​  ¯​​, then AB ​​  ¯​​.
​​  ¯​​ ≅ BC
B K

7x - 12 y+8
C L
Find the value of x.

AB = BC Definition of congruence

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2x + 8 = 7x - 12 Substitution
8= 5 x − 12 Subtract 2x from each side.
20 = 5x Add 12 to each side.
Go Online 4 =x Divide each side by 5.
You may want to
Find the value of y.
complete the
construction activities JK = KL Definition of congruence
for this lesson. 4y − 1 = y+8 Substitution
3 y−1=8 Subtract y from each side.
3y = 9 Add 1 to each side.
y= 3 Divide each side by 3.

Go Online You can complete an Extra Example online.

490 Module 8 • Similarity

THIS MATERIAL IS PROVIDED FOR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED OR FURTHER DISTRIBUTED.