Question in-tri

4.1 Lines, Angles, and Triangles - Triangle sum theorem
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In triangles L M N and R S T , angles L and R each have measure 60 °, L N = 10 , and R T = 30 . Which additional piece of information is sufficient to prove that triangle L M N is similar to triangle R S T ?

A.

M N = 7 and S T = 7

B.

M N = 7 and S T = 21

C.

The measures of angles M and S are 70 ° and 60 °, respectively.

D.

The measures of angles M and T are 70 ° and 50 °, respectively.

In triangles L M N and R S T , angles L and R each have

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Lines, Angles, and Triangles — Triangle sum theorem. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice D is correct. Two triangles are similar if they have three pairs of congruent corresponding angles. It’s given that angles L and R each measure 60/mo>, and so these corresponding angles are congruent. If angle M is 70/mo>, then angle N must be 50/mo> so that the sum of the angles in triangle L M N is 180/mo>. If angle T is 50/mo>, then angle S must be 70/mo> so that the sum of the angles in triangle R S T is 180/mo>. Therefore, if the measures of angles M and T are 70/mo> and 50/mo>, respectively, then corresponding angles M and S are both 70/mo>, and corresponding angles N and T are both 50/mo>. It follows that triangles L M N and R S T have three pairs of congruent corresponding angles, and so the triangles are similar. Therefore, the additional piece of information that is sufficient to prove that triangle L M N is similar to triangle R S T is that the measures of angles M and T are 70/mo> and 50/mo>, respectively.

Choice A is incorrect. If the measures of two sides in one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides in another triangle and the included angles are congruent, then the triangles are similar. However, the two sides given are not proportional and the angle given is not included by the given sides.

Choice B is incorrect. If the measures of two sides in one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides in another triangle and the included angles are congruent, then the triangles are similar. However, the angle given is not included between the proportional sides.

Choice C is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.