Congruence and similarity: lengths, areas and volumes worksheet — GCSE Higher

1.Two similar triangles have lengths in the ratio 2 : 5. The sides of the smaller triangle are 4 cm, 6 cm and 8 cm. Work out the length of the longest side of the larger triangle.

2.Two similar triangular flower beds have lengths in the ratio 3 : 7. The area of the smaller bed is 45 m². Work out the area of the larger bed.

3.Two similar company logos are printed at different sizes. The area of the larger logo is 2.25 times the area of the smaller logo. Work out the length scale factor from the smaller logo to the larger logo.

4.Two traffic cones are geometrically similar. The smaller cone has height 6 m and the larger cone has height 9 m. Work out the ratio of the volume of the smaller cone to the volume of the larger cone, giving your answer in the form a : b in its simplest form.

5.Triangle JKL and triangle MNP are similar, with JK ÷ MN = JL ÷ MP = 2. A student says triangle JKL must be congruent to triangle MNP. Write down why the student is wrong.

6.Two similar hexagonal tiles have lengths in the ratio 4 : 7. A side of the smaller tile is 8.4 cm long. Work out the length of the corresponding side of the larger tile.

7.Two similar model cars have a length scale factor of 2 from the small model to the large model. Priya works out that the area scale factor is 2² = 4, and then says the volume scale factor must also be 4, since that is the number she just calculated. Is Priya correct?

8.A drinks company sells a novelty giant bottle that is geometrically similar to its standard 500 ml bottle, scaled up by a length factor of 1.5. Work out the capacity of the giant bottle, in ml.

9.In triangle ABC and triangle DEF, the angle at A equals the angle at D, and AB ÷ DE = AC ÷ DF. Write down what this proves about the two triangles.

10.Triangle ABC and triangle DEF are similar. The area of triangle ABC is 36 cm² and the area of triangle DEF is 100 cm². Work out the ratio of the lengths of triangle ABC to the lengths of triangle DEF, in its simplest form.

11.In triangle ABC and triangle DEF, the angle at A and the angle at D are both 40°, and the angle at B and the angle at E are both 70°. No side lengths are given. Write down whether the two triangles must be similar, with the reason.

12.Two spheres are similar solids. Their radii are in the ratio 3 : 4. Write down the ratio of their surface areas.

13.Two similar bottles have heights in the ratio 1 : 2. Write down the ratio of their volumes.

14.A photocopier enlarges a document so that every length is multiplied by the same scale factor. A line on the original document is 3.2 cm long, and the same line measures 11.2 cm on the enlarged copy. A second line on the original document is 2.5 cm long. Work out the length of the second line on the enlarged copy, giving your answer to 2 decimal places.

15.Two similar ponds have perimeters in the ratio 4 : 11. The perimeter of the larger pond is 88 m. Work out the perimeter of the smaller pond.