Question

The triangles below are similar (being similar means there is a proportional relationship between the measures of each of the sides). What is the length of ED? (HINT: You can solve this question by using the MATH Ratio Table)

Answer 1

Answer: B) 18 cm

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Work Shown:

ED/DF = AB/AC

x/24 = 12/16

16x = 24*12

16x = 288

x = 288/16

x = 18

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Step-by-step explanation:

Because the triangles are similar, we can form the proportion shown above. There are many variations of the proportion that can happen, but they all lead to the same result x = 18.

So for instance, another proportion you could solve is ED/AB = DF/AC.

The key is to keep up the same pattern when forming the ratios.

What I mean by that is when I formed ED/DF I divided the vertical side over the horizontal side for triangle EDF. So to form the second fraction, we must do the same division (vertical over horizontal) for triangle ABC.