GED Math : Triangles

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #1212 : Ged Math

Which of the following describes a triangle with sides of length 9 feet, 3 yards, and 90 inches?

Possible Answers:

The triangle is equilateral.

Insufficient information is given to answer this question.

The triangle is scalene.

The triangle is isosceles but not equilateral.

Correct answer:

The triangle is isosceles but not equilateral.

Explanation:

One yard is equal to three feet, and one foot is equal to twelve inches. Therefore, 9 feet is equal to  inches, and 3 yards is equal to  inches. The triangle has sides of measure 90 inches, 108 inches, and 108 inches. Exactly two sides are of equal measure, so it is isosceles but not equilateral.

Example Question #1213 : Ged Math

For a triangle, suppose a given interior angle is  degrees and the other two angles are .  What is the value of ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The sum of the three interior angles of a triangle is 180 degrees.

Set up an equation such that all three angles are equal to 180 degrees.

Combine like-terms.

Subtract 34 on both sides.

Divide by 6 on both sides.

The answer is:  

Example Question #71 : Triangles

If a triangle is isosceles, and the vertex angle is 100 degrees, what must be another angle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The isosceles triangle has two congruent sides and two congruent angles.  

The interior angles will sum to 180 degrees.

Let the unknown angles be .  These angles are congruent to each other because the triangle is isosceles.

Divide by 2 on both sides.

The answer is:  

Example Question #71 : Triangles

Triangle 3

Figure NOT drawn to scale.

Refer to the above diagram. Evaluate 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 is indicated to be isosceles, with , so, by the isosceles triangle theorem, 

.

Since the measures of the interior angles of a triangle total 

Substitute  for  and  for , then solve for :

Subtract  from both sides:

Multiply both sides by :

 is an exterior angle of ; its measure is the sum of those of its remote interior angle,  and , so 

Substitute and add:

.

Example Question #72 : Triangles

For an isosceles triangle, if the vertex angle is measured 30 degrees, what must a base angle equal?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

An isosceles has two equivalent base angles.  We can set up an equation such that both angles with the vertex angle add up to 180 degrees.

Solve for , which is a base angle.  Subtract 30 from both sides.

Divide by 2 on both sides.

The answer is:  

Example Question #73 : Triangles

The figure below is what type of triangle?

 

1

Possible Answers:

Isosceles

Equiangular 

Right

Scalene

Correct answer:

Scalene

Explanation:

Start by figuring out the degree measurements of each angle.

Since we know that the angles of a triangle must add up to , we can write the following equation:

Solve for .

Now, we know the measure of the angles:

Since each angle of the triangle is different, this means the the legs of the triangle must also be different. Thus, this is a scalene triangle.

Example Question #72 : Triangles

Which of the following can be the measures of the three angles of an isosceles triangle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

By the Isosceles Triangle Theorem, an isosceles triangle - a triangle with at least two sides of equal length - must have at least two angles of equal degree measure. The choice  can therefore be immediately eliminated.

Also, the degree measures must total , so add the measures in each group to find the set that conforms to this condition:

:

 

:

:

The last group is the correct choice.

Example Question #73 : Triangles

A triangle has one angle measure of  degrees and another of  degrees. Find the measure of the third angle. 

Possible Answers:

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

Correct answer:

 degrees

Explanation:

For all triangles, the sum of the three angles is equal to  degrees. Therefore, if you are given two angles and you need to solve for the third one, you need to add the two angles you know and subtract that from . Because  and because , the third angle has a measure of  degrees. 

Example Question #74 : Triangles

If one angle of an isosceles triangle measures 120, what are the other two angle measures?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

First we need to recall that whenever we add up all 3 angles of any given triangle, the sum will always be .

In an isosceles triangle two of the angles are congruent. Since we are told that one of the angles of our triangle is  we know that this is an obtuse triangle, since 120 is greater than 90.

We need to subtract 120 from 180 to find the remainder of the triangle which is 

Since we are working with an isosceles triangle, we know that the remaining two angles are going to be congruent. To find the degree of the angles we simply divide 60 by 2. Our answer is; both angles are 

Example Question #1 : Similar Triangles And Proportions

Which of the following statements is not a consequence of the statement

 ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

 is simply a restatement of , since the names of the corresponding vertices of the similar triangles are still in the same relative positions.

 is a consequence of , since corresponding angles of similar triangles are, by definition, congruent.

 is a consequence of , since corresponding sides of similar triangles are, by definition, in proportion.

However, similar triangles need not have congruent corresponding sides. Therefore, it does not necessarily follow that . This is the correct choice.

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