Problem:
Rhombus ABCD is similar to rhombus BFDE. The area of rhombus ABCD is 24, and β BAD=60β. What is the area of rhombus BFDE?
Answer Choices:
A. 6
B. 43β
C. 8
D. 9
E. 63β
Solution:
Since β BAD=60β, isosceles β³BAD is also equilateral. As a consequence, β³AEB,β³AED,β³BED,β³BFD,β³BFC, and β³CFD are congruent. These six triangles have equal areas and their union forms rhombus ABCD, so each has area 24/6=4. Rhombus BFDE is the union of β³BED and β³BFD, so its area is (C)8β.
OR
Let the diagonals of rhombus ABCD intersect at O. Since the diagonals of a rhombus intersect at right angles, β³ABO is a 30β60β90β triangle. Therefore AO=3ββ BO. Because AO and BO are half the length of the longer diagonals of rhombi ABCD and BFDE, respectively, it follows that
Area(ABCD)Area(BFDE)β=(AOBOβ)2=31β
Thus the area of rhombus BFDE is (1/3)(24)=(C)8β.