Math  /  Geometry

QuestionQuestion Shwibaypes
Determine if triangle STUS T U and triangle VWXV W X are or are not similar, and, if they are, state how you know. (Note that figures are NOT neceacerily drawn to scale.) Answer Anteript 1 iat di 2

Studdy Solution

STEP 1

What is this asking? Do triangles STUSTU and VWXVWX have the same shape, even if they're different sizes? Watch out! Don't assume similarity just because some angles or sides look the same – we need to *prove* it!
Also, the order of the letters in the triangle names matters!

STEP 2

1. Find if we have enough information
2. Check for Side-Angle-Side (SAS) similarity

STEP 3

We know two sides of triangle STUSTU (ST=20ST = 20 and SU=26SU = 26) and one angle (S=49\angle S = 49^\circ).
We also know two sides of triangle VWXVWX (VW=40VW = 40 and WX=40WX = 40) and two angles (V=49\angle V = 49^\circ and W=52\angle W = 52^\circ).

STEP 4

To prove similarity, we can use several methods like Angle-Angle (AA), Side-Side-Side (SSS), or Side-Angle-Side (SAS).
Let's see if we can use SAS.

STEP 5

We have S=49\angle S = 49^\circ in triangle STUSTU and V=49\angle V = 49^\circ in triangle VWXVWX.
These angles are equal!
This is our **matching angle**.
Now we need to check the **ratios of the corresponding sides** around this angle.

STEP 6

The sides around S\angle S in triangle STUSTU are ST=20ST = 20 and SU=26SU = 26.
The sides around V\angle V in triangle VWXVWX are VW=40VW = 40 and VXVX.
Uh oh, we don't know VXVX!
But we *do* know VW=40VW = 40 and WX=40WX = 40. VWVW corresponds to STST, and we need to find the side that corresponds to SUSU.

STEP 7

We don't have enough information to find VXVX.
SAS similarity requires two corresponding sides and the included angle.
We only have one corresponding side and the included angle.
We can't use SAS here!
Let's think about the angles.
We know two angles of triangle VWXVWX: V=49\angle V = 49^\circ and W=52\angle W = 52^\circ.
The angles in a triangle add up to 180180^\circ, so X=1804952=180101=79\angle X = 180^\circ - 49^\circ - 52^\circ = 180^\circ - 101^\circ = 79^\circ.
We don't know any other angles in triangle STUSTU, so we can't use AA similarity either.
We can't use SSS because we don't know all three sides of either triangle.

STEP 8

We don't have enough information to determine if the triangles are similar.
We can't use AA, SAS, or SSS similarity.

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