Journal of the Mathematics Council of the Alberta Teachers’ Association
Volume 47 Issue 2, June 2010
30 – 34
Similar Triangles Versus Trigonometry
Tim Sibbald
Similar triangles are included in the shape and space strand of Alberta’s Grade 9 mathematics curriculum. This provides a good footing for introducing trigonometric ratios in subsequent courses, because similar triangles familiarize students with the idea of using ratios of side lengths in a triangle. However, the premise of this article is that similar triangles provide a rich vein of mathematics when revisited from other parts of the math curriculum (in particular, Mathematics 20-1 and 30-1, and Pure Mathematics 20 and 30)-in effect, when viewed through the rear-view mirror.
