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Help I don’t understand

Help I don’t understand-example-1

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Answer:

TV = 18

Explanation:

First, we can visualize rotating the triangle ΔTUV 180 degrees to line it up with ΔTRS, as shown in the picture. This makes it easier to visualize which sides correspond to each other. Because UT is parallel to RT, and UV is still parallel to RS (rotating the triangle 180 or 360 degrees does not change this), we know UT is similar to RT and so on.

As the ratio of similar sides are equal in similar shapes, we can say that

RT/UT = TS/TV = RS/UV

One thing to note is that all sides of TRS are on top, while all sides of TUV are on the bottom. Make sure that for all your sides, that the same triangle's sides stay on either the top or bottom.

Given this, and that we want to find TV, we can say that

TS / TV = RS / UV (I didn't use RT/UT because we don't know UT)

27 / TV = 24 / 16

Multiply both sides by 16 to eliminate a denominator

27 * 16 / TV = 24

Multiply both sides by TV to eliminate all denominators

27 * 16 = 24 * TV

Divide both sides by 24 to isolate TV

27 * 16 / 24 = TV

TV = 18

Help I don’t understand-example-1
User Imdadhusen
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