Which triangles in the figure above are congruent and/or similar? Find the value of x, angle /_ACE and the area hat(AEC), and BFDC.

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2 Answers
Aug 11, 2016

Assuming:

AE_|_CE and

BF_|_AC

There are three similar (not congruent) triangles: Delta ACE, Delta ABF and Delta FDE

x=13

/_ACE=45^o

S_(AEC)~~187.88

S_(BFDC)~~102.88

Explanation:

There are three triangles:
Delta ACE, Delta ABF and Delta FDE.

Given that all of them are right triangles and all of them are isosceles. Therefore, all of them have acute angles of 45^o and, therefore, all are similar to each other.

Since all three hypotenuses are different, there are no congruent pairs of them.

Length of x.
Since Delta ABF is a right triangle with catheti x and x and hypotenuse 13sqrt(2), Pythagorean Theorem gives:
x^2+x^2=(13sqrt(2))^2
=> 2x^2=338
=> x^2=169
=> x=13

Angle /_ACE=45^o because, as we stated above, triangle Delta ACE is right isosceles.

Area of Delta AEC.
S_(AEC) = 1/2*AE*CE =
= 1/2*(13sqrt(2)+1)^2=1/2(338+26sqrt(2)+1)~~187.88

Area of BFDC.
We have to subtract areas of Delta ABF and Delta FDE from the area of Delta ACE to get the area of BFDC.
S_(BFDC)=S_(AEC) - S_(ABF) - S_(FDE) =
=1/2(338+26sqrt(2)+1) - 1/2*x^2 - 1/2*1^2 =
=1/2(339+26sqrt(2)-169-1) = 1/2(169+26sqrt(2))~~102.88

Aug 11, 2016

We have a triangle Delta FED such that bar (FE) = bar (ED) = 1 and
bar (FD)=2 defining a null area triangle!

Explanation:

We have a triangle Delta FED such that bar (FE) = bar (ED) = 1 and
bar (FD)=2 defining a null area triangle!