Basic Geometry : Plane Geometry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Basic Geometry

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Example Questions

Example Question #3 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

How would you classify the following angle?

Angle

Possible Answers:

Obtuse

Right

Scalene

Straight

Acute

Correct answer:

Obtuse

Explanation:

Obtuse angles are greater than .

Scalene is a designation for triangles that have one angle greater than , but this figure is not a triangle.

Acute angles are less than , right angles are , and straight angles are .

Therefore this angle is obtuse.

 

 

 

 

Example Question #4 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

Lines

What is the measure of ?

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

When two parallel lines are crossed by a third line (called the transversal), the measure of the angles follows a specific pattern. The pairs of angles inside the two lines and on opposite sides are called alternate interior angles. Alternate interior angles, such as and , have the same degree measure. Therefore, the measure of is .

Example Question #4 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

Mark is training for cross country and comes across a new hill to run on. After Mark runs  meters, he's at a height of  meters. What is the hill's angle of depression when he's at an altitude of  meters?

 

Possible Answers:

Cannot be determined

The same as the angle of inclination 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Angle_of_a_line_hill

Upon reading the question, we're left with this spatial image of Mark in our heads. After adding in the given information, the image becomes more like

Angle_of_a_line_hill_resolution

The hill Mark is running on can be seen in terms of a right triangle. This problem quickly becomes one that is asking for a mystery angle given that the two legs of the triangle are given. In order to solve for the angle of depression, we have to call upon the principles of the tangent function. Tan, Sin, or Cos are normally used when there is an angle present and the goal is to calculate one of the sides of the triangle. In this case, the circumstances are reversed. 

Remember back to "SOH CAH TOA." In this problem, no information is given about the hypotenuse and nor are we trying to calculate the hypotenuse. Therefore, we are left with "TOA." If we were to check, this would work out because the angle at Mark's feet has the information for the opposite side and adjacent side. 

Because there's no angle given, we must use the principles behind the tan function while using a fraction composed of the given sides. This problem will be solved using arctan (sometimes denoted as ). 

Example Question #1 : Geometry

Two angles are supplementary and have a ratio of 1:4.  What is the size of the smaller angle?

Possible Answers:

18^{\circ}

72^{\circ}

36^{\circ}

45^{\circ}

144^{\circ}

Correct answer:

36^{\circ}

Explanation:

Since the angles are supplementary, their sum is 180 degrees.  Because they are in a ratio of 1:4, the following expression could be written:

x+4x=180

5x=180

x=36^{\circ}

Example Question #6 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

Varsity_question

AB and CD are two parrellel lines intersected by line EF. If the measure of angle 1 is , what is the measure of angle 2? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The angles are equal. When two parallel lines are intersected by a transversal, the corresponding angles have the same measure.  

Example Question #2 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

Lines A and B in the diagram below are parallel. The triangle at the bottom of the figure is an isosceles triangle.

Act2

What is the degree measure of angle ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Since A and B are parallel, and the triangle is isosceles, we can use the supplementary rule for the two angles,  and  which will sum up to . Setting up an algebraic equation for this, we get . Solving for , we get . With this, we can get either  (for the smaller angle) or  (for the larger angle - must then use supplementary rule again for inner smaller angle). Either way, we find that the inner angles at the top are 80 degrees each. Since the sum of the angles within a triangle must equal 180, we can set up the equation as

 degrees.

Example Question #1 : Geometry

Angles

Figure not drawn to scale.

In the figure above, APB forms a straight line. If the measure of angle APC is eighty-one degrees larger than the measure of angle DPB, and the measures of angles CPD and DPB are equal, then what is the measure, in degrees, of angle CPB?

Possible Answers:

33

40

50

114

66

Correct answer:

66

Explanation:

Let x equal the measure of angle DPB. Because the measure of angle APC is eighty-one degrees larger than the measure of DPB, we can represent this angle's measure as x + 81. Also, because the measure of angle CPD is equal to the measure of angle DPB, we can represent the measure of CPD as x.

Since APB is a straight line, the sum of the measures of angles DPB, APC, and CPD must all equal 180; therefore, we can write the following equation to find x:

x + (x + 81) + x = 180

Simplify by collecting the x terms.

3x + 81 = 180

Subtract 81 from both sides.

3x = 99

Divide by 3.

x = 33.

This means that the measures of angles DPB and CPD are both equal to 33 degrees. The original question asks us to find the measure of angle CPB, which is equal to the sum of the measures of angles DPB and CPD.

measure of CPB = 33 + 33 = 66.

The answer is 66.

Example Question #1 : How To Find An Angle Of A Line

One-half of the measure of the supplement of angle ABC is equal to the twice the measure of angle ABC. What is the measure, in degrees, of the complement of angle ABC?

Possible Answers:

36

18

72

54

90

Correct answer:

54

Explanation:

Let x equal the measure of angle ABC, let y equal the measure of the supplement of angle ABC, and let z equal the measure of the complement of angle ABC.

Because x and y are supplements, the sum of their measures must equal 180. In other words, x + y = 180. 

We are told that one-half of the measure of the supplement is equal to twice the measure of ABC. We could write this equation as follows:

(1/2)y = 2x.

Because x + y = 180, we can solve for y in terms of x by subtracting x from both sides. In other words, y = 180 – x. Next, we can substitute this value into the equation (1/2)y = 2x and then solve for x.

(1/2)(180-x) = 2x.

Multiply both sides by 2 to get rid of the fraction.

(180 – x) = 4x.

Add x to both sides.

180 = 5x.

Divide both sides by 5.

x = 36.

The measure of angle ABC is 36 degrees. However, the original question asks us to find the measure of the complement of ABC, which we denoted previously as z. Because the sum of the measure of an angle and the measure of its complement equals 90, we can write the following equation:

x + z = 90.

Now, we can substitute 36 as the value of x and then solve for z.

36 + z = 90.

Subtract 36 from both sides.

z = 54.

The answer is 54. 

Example Question #1 : Geometry

Parallellines

 

 

In the diagram, AB || CD. What is the value of a+b?

Possible Answers:

None of the other answers.

160°

80°

60°

140°

Correct answer:

160°

Explanation:

Refer to the following diagram while reading the explanation:

Parallellines-answer

We know that angle b has to be equal to its vertical angle (the angle directly "across" the intersection).  Therefore, it is 20°. 

Furthermore, given the properties of parallel lines, we know that the supplementary angle to a must be 40°.  Based on the rule for supplements, we know that a + 40° = 180°.  Solving for a, we get a = 140°.

Therefore, a + b = 140° + 20° = 160°

Example Question #1552 : Plane Geometry

In rectangle ABCD, both diagonals are drawn and intersect at point E.  

Let the measure of angle AEB equal x degrees.

Let the measure of angle BEC equal y degrees.

Let the measure of angle CED equal z degrees.

Find the measure of angle AED in terms of x, y, and/or z.

Possible Answers:

360 – x + y + z

180 – 2(x + z)

180 – (x + y + z)

180 – 1/2(x + z)

180 – y

Correct answer:

180 – 1/2(x + z)

Explanation:

Intersecting lines create two pairs of vertical angles which are congruent. Therefore, we can deduce that y = measure of angle AED.

Furthermore, intersecting lines create adjacent angles that are supplementary (sum to 180 degrees). Therefore, we can deduce that x + y + z + (measure of angle AED) = 360.

Substituting the first equation into the second equation, we get

x + (measure of angle AED) + z + (measure of angle AED) = 360

2(measure of angle AED) + x + z = 360

2(measure of angle AED) = 360 – (x + z)

Divide by two and get:

measure of angle AED = 180 – 1/2(x + z)

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