SOLUTION: In triangle ABC, E and F are midpoints of sides line AB and line AC, respectively; and H and I trisect the side BC. If the area of triangle ABC is 120, what is the area of triangle

Algebra.Com
Question 1060919: In triangle ABC, E and F are midpoints of sides line AB and line AC, respectively; and H and I trisect the side BC. If the area of triangle ABC is 120, what is the area of triangle EFJ?
Image is in the link: http://prntscr.com/dhjxtm

Answer by KMST(5328)   (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The area of BCA is (1/2)(AB)*h,
with h being the height relative to base BC,
or (in other words, the distance from BC to A).
Because E and F are midpoints of sides AB and AC,
EFA and BCA are similar, EFA being a (1/2) scale version of BCA,
the height of EFA (distance from EF to A) being (1/2)h.
That makes the distance from AB to EF also (1/2)h,
and makes the area of EFA 1/4 of the area of BCA.
(That is (1/4)120=30 for the area of EFA).
Angles EJF and HJI are congruent because they are vertical angles,
formed by the intersection of lines EI and HF.
Angles JIH=EIH=EIB and FEJ=FEI are also congruent because they are alternate interior angles.
formed between parallel lines BC and EF by trasversal EI.
That makes triangles HIJ and EFJ similar triangles.
The length of their bases, EF={1/2)AB, and HI=(1/3)AB are in a 3:2 ratio.
The ratio of the heights relative to those bases is also 3/2.
Their heights add up to (1/2)h, the distance between AB and EF.
That makes the height of HIJ (2/5)(1/2)h=(2/10)h,
and the height of EFJ (3/5)(1/2)h=(3/10)h.
The area of EFJ, with a base (1/2) of the base of BCA,
and a height (3/10) of the height of BCA,
is (1/2)(3/10)=3/20 of the area of BCA.
So Area of EFJ=(3/20)120=3*6= .

RELATED QUESTIONS

If D , E and F are the midpoints of sides AB , BC , and CA respectively of an isosceles... (answered by ccs2011)
Given: Quadrilateral ABCD; E, F, G and H are midpoints of AD, AB, BC, and CD... (answered by mananth)
Your are given a triangle ABC with a line drawn in the middle of the diagram that... (answered by solver91311)
P,Q,R and S are the midpoints of sides line AB, line BC, line CD and line DA respectively (answered by satyareddy22)
how do i do the following problem? Points D(2,4), E(3,2)and F(4,5) are the midpoints... (answered by solver91311)
If D , E and F are the midpoints of sides AB , BC , and CA respectively of an equilateral (answered by richard1234)
In ABC, where A(1, 18), B( - 7, 4), and C(5, 0), determine whether the line segment... (answered by mananth)
R, S, and T are, respectively, the midpoints of the sides AB, AD, and CD of a square.... (answered by richard1234)
In a triangle ABC , BC=24 and angle A=60 degree . D ,M are the points on side AC and E , (answered by Edwin McCravy)