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Lesson 98:  Similar vs. Congruent

In this easy lesson, we'll learn the difference between similar and congruent figures.   

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Don't forget to watch the embedded video clip for this lesson at the bottom of the page.  Please be sure to read the embedded video information and disclaimer.

In real life, we use the word "similar" to mean different things.  The term is somewhat vague.  In math, it has a special definition.  See the picture below.  In math, two figures are called similar if they are the same shape, but different sizes, such as the turtles in the lower half of the picture.  It doesn't matter if they are rotated or not.  Two figures are congruent if they are exactly the same size and the same shape, such as the turtles in the top half of the picture.  Again, rotation doesn't matter at all.

Congruent vs. Similar

Make sure that you memorize these definitions as they come up quite a bit in math.     

Remember that you can ask a math question if you have additional questions about a topic, or you can contact me if you have any comments or suggestions for this site.

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