Question 180170
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The elementary intuitive difference is that congruent figures are the same shape <i><b>and</b></i> size.  Similar figures are the same shape, but not necessarily the same size.  Note that if two figures are congruent, then they are also similar, but not vice-versa.


The analytic geometry definintion says that if the Euclidian distance between any two points on one figure is equal to the Euclidian distance between the two corresponding points on the other figure, then the figures are congruent.  By extention, the figures would be similar if the comparison of the Euclidian distance between such points is always identically proportional between the two figures.


Hope that helps.





John
*[tex \LARGE e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0]
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