High School Math : Plane Geometry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for High School Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #3 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

 

 

Let the measures, in degrees, of the three angles of a triangle be x, y, and z. If y = 2z, and z = 0.5x - 30, then what is the measure, in degrees, of the largest angle in the triangle?

 

Possible Answers:
96
108
48
60
30
Correct answer: 108
Explanation:

The measures of the three angles are x, y, and z. Because the sum of the measures of the angles in any triangle must be 180 degrees, we know that x + y + z = 180. We can use this equation, along with the other two equations given, to form this system of equations:

x + y + z = 180

y = 2z

z = 0.5x - 30

If we can solve for both y and x in terms of z, then we can substitute these values into the first equation and create an equation with only one variable.

Because we are told already that y = 2z, we alreay have the value of y in terms of z.

We must solve the equation z = 0.5x - 30 for x in terms of z.

Add thirty to both sides.

z + 30 = 0.5x

Mutliply both sides by 2

2(z + 30) = 2z + 60 = x

x = 2z + 60

Now we have the values of x and y in terms of z. Let's substitute these values for x and y into the equation x + y + z = 180.

(2z + 60) + 2z + z = 180

5z + 60 = 180

5z = 120

z = 24

Because y = 2z, we know that y = 2(24) = 48. We also determined earlier that x = 2z + 60, so x = 2(24) + 60 = 108.

Thus, the measures of the three angles of the triangle are 24, 48, and 108. The question asks for the largest of these measures, which is 108.

The answer is 108. 

Example Question #4 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

Angles x, y, and z make up the interior angles of a scalene triangle. Angle x is three times the size of y and 1/2 the size of z. How big is angle y.

Possible Answers:

42

36

108

54

18

Correct answer:

18

Explanation:

The answer is 18

We know that the sum of all the angles is 180. Using the rest of the information given we can write the other two equations:

x + y + z = 180      

x = 3y      

2x = z

We can solve for y and z in the second and third equations and then plug into the first to solve.

x + (1/3)x + 2x = 180

3[x + (1/3)x + 2x = 180]

3x + x + 6x = 540

10x = 540

x = 54

y = 18

z = 108

Example Question #11 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

Slide2

In the picture above,  is a straight line segment. Find the value of .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A straight line segment has 180 degrees. Therefore, the angle that is not labelled must have:

We know that the sum of the angles in a triangle is 180 degrees. As a result, we can set up the following algebraic equation:

Subtract 70 from both sides:

Divide by 2:

Example Question #21 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

Rt_triangle_lettersIf angle  and angle , what is the value of ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

For this problem, remember that the sum of the degrees in a triangle is .

This means that .

Plug in our given values to solve:

Example Question #22 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

In , and . To the nearest tenth, what is  ?

Possible Answers:

A triangle with these sidelengths cannot exist.

Correct answer:

A triangle with these sidelengths cannot exist.

Explanation:

The sum of the two smallest sides is less than the greatest side:

By the Triangle Inequality, this triangle cannot exist.

Example Question #23 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

Exterior_angle

 

If the measure of  and the measure of  then what is the meausre of ?

Possible Answers:

Not enough information to solve

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The key to solving this problem lies in the geometric fact that a triangle possesses a total of  between its interior angles.  Therefore, one can calculate the measure of  and then find the measure of its supplementary angle, .

 and  are supplementary, meaning they form a line with a measure of .

One could also solve this problem with the knowledge that the sum of the exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the two interior angles opposite of it.

Example Question #322 : Plane Geometry

Exterior_angle

 

 

If the measure of  and the measure of  then what is the meausre of ?

Possible Answers:

Not enough information to solve

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The key to solving this problem lies in the geometric fact that a triangle possesses a total of  between its interior angles.  Therefore, one can calculate the measure of  and then find the measure of its supplementary angle, .

 and  are supplementary, meaning they form a line with a measure of .

One could also solve this problem with the knowledge that the sum of the exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the two interior angles opposite of it.

Example Question #24 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

A triangle has angles that measure  and  degrees. What is the measure of its third angle?

Possible Answers:

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

 degrees

Correct answer:

 degrees

Explanation:

The sum of the angles of any triangle is always  degrees. Since the third angle will make up the difference between  and the sum of the other two angles, add the other two angles together and subtract this sum from .

Sum of the two given angles:  degrees

Difference between  and this sum:  degrees

Example Question #1 : Acute / Obtuse Triangles

In the triangle below, AB=BC (figure is not to scale) .  If angle A is 41°, what is the measure of angle B?

                                       A (Angle A = 41°)

                                       Act_math_108_02               

                                     B                           C

 

Possible Answers:

41

98

90

82

Correct answer:

98

Explanation:

  If angle A is 41°, then angle C must also be 41°, since AB=BC.  So, the sum of these 2 angles is:

41° + 41° = 82°

Since the sum of the angles in a triangle is 180°, you can find out the measure of the remaining angle by subtracting 82 from 180:

180° - 82° = 98°

 

 

Example Question #327 : Geometry

You are given a triangle with angles  degrees and  degrees. What is the measure of the third angle? 

Possible Answers:

 degrees 

 degrees

 degrees 

 degrees

 degrees

Correct answer:

 degrees

Explanation:

Recall that the sum of the angles of a triangle is  degrees. Since we are given two angles, we can then find the third. Call our missing angle

We combine the like terms on the left. 

Subtract  from both sides.

Thus, we have that our missing angle is  degrees. 

 

 

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