PSAT Math : Isosceles Triangles

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #2 : Isosceles Triangles

Triangle ABC has angle measures as follows:

\dpi{100} \small m\angle ABC=4x+3\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small m\angle ABC=4x+3 

\dpi{100} \small m\angle ACB=2x+6\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small m\angle ACB=2x+6

\dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x

What is \dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC?

Possible Answers:

19

79

57

44

90

Correct answer:

57

Explanation:

The sum of the measures of the angles of a triangle is 180.

Thus we set up the equation \dpi{100} \small 4x+3+2x+6+3x=180\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small 4x+3+2x+6+3x=180

After combining like terms and cancelling, we have \dpi{100} \small 9x=171\rightarrow x=19\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small 9x=171\rightarrow x=19

Thus \dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x=57\displaystyle \dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x=57

Example Question #3 : Isosceles Triangles

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is five more than twice the vertex angle.  What is the base angle?

Possible Answers:

47\displaystyle 47

73\displaystyle 73

55\displaystyle 55

62\displaystyle 62

34\displaystyle 34

Correct answer:

73\displaystyle 73

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let x\displaystyle x = the vertex angle and 2x+5\displaystyle 2x+5 = the base angle

So the equation to solve becomes  x+(2x+5)+(2x+5)=180\displaystyle x+(2x+5)+(2x+5)=180

Thus the vertex angle is 34 and the base angles are 73.

Example Question #1 : Isosceles Triangles

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is 15 less than three times the vertex angle.  What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 45

\displaystyle 75

\displaystyle 30

\displaystyle 50

\displaystyle 25

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 30

Explanation:

Every triangle contains 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let \displaystyle x = vertex angle and \displaystyle 3x-15 = base angle

So the equation to solve becomes \displaystyle x+(3x-15)+(3x-15)=180.

Example Question #2 : How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is ten less than twice the vertex angle.  What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 65^{\circ}

\displaystyle 35^{\circ}

\displaystyle 40^{\circ}

\displaystyle 70^{\circ}

\displaystyle 20^{\circ}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 40^{\circ}

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let \displaystyle x = vertex angle and \displaystyle 2x - 10 = base angle

So the equation to solve becomes  \displaystyle x + (2x - 10) + (2x - 10) = 180

So the vertex angle is 40 and the base angles is 70

Example Question #1 : How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Triangle

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is 10 more than twice the vertex angle.  What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 50^{\circ}

\displaystyle 45^{\circ}

\displaystyle 32^{\circ}

\displaystyle 74^{\circ}

\displaystyle 60^{\circ}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 32^{\circ}

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let \displaystyle x= the vertex angle and \displaystyle 2x + 10 = the base angle

So the equation to solve becomes \displaystyle x + (2x +10) + (2x +10) = 180

The vertex angle is 32 degrees and the base angle is 74 degrees

Example Question #1 : Isosceles Triangles

In an isosceles triangle, the vertex angle is 15 less than the base angle.  What is the base angle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 90

\displaystyle 50

\displaystyle 65

\displaystyle 25

\displaystyle 45

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 65

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let \displaystyle x = base angle and \displaystyle x - 15 = vertex angle

So the equation to solve becomes \displaystyle (x - 15) + x + x = 180

Thus, 65 is the base angle and 50 is the vertex angle.

Example Question #5 : Isosceles Triangles

In an isosceles triangle the vertex angle is half the base angle.  What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

45\displaystyle 45

72\displaystyle 72

36\displaystyle 36

108\displaystyle 108

54\displaystyle 54

Correct answer:

36\displaystyle 36

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let x\displaystyle x = base angle and 0.5x\displaystyle 0.5x = vertex angle

So the equation to solve becomes x+x+0.5x=180\displaystyle x+x+0.5x=180, thus x=72\displaystyle x=72 is the base angle and 0.5x=36\displaystyle 0.5x=36 is the vertex angle.

Example Question #431 : Geometry

If the average (arithmetic mean) of two noncongruent angles of an isosceles triangle is \displaystyle 55^o, which of the following is the measure of one of the angles of the triangle?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 30^o

\displaystyle 40^o

\displaystyle 45^o

\displaystyle 90^o

\displaystyle 50^o

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 40^o

Explanation:

Since the triangle is isosceles, we know that 2 of the angles (that sum up to 180) must be equal. The question states that the noncongruent angles average 55°, thus providing us with a system of two equations:

\displaystyle \frac{x+y}{2}=55^o

\displaystyle x+x+y=180^o

Solving for x and y by substitution, we get x = 70° and y = 40° (which average out to 55°).

70 + 70 + 40 equals 180 also checks out.

Since 70° is not an answer choice for us, we know that the 40° must be one of the angles.

Example Question #1 : Isosceles Triangles

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is 27^{\circ}\displaystyle 27^{\circ}.  What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

126^{\circ}\displaystyle 126^{\circ}

135^{\circ}\displaystyle 135^{\circ}

108^{\circ}\displaystyle 108^{\circ}

75^{\circ}\displaystyle 75^{\circ}

149^{\circ}\displaystyle 149^{\circ}

Correct answer:

126^{\circ}\displaystyle 126^{\circ}

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees.  An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles. 

Solve the equation 27+27+x=180\displaystyle 27+27+x=180 for x to find the measure of the vertex angle. 

x = 180 - 27 - 27

x = 126

Therefore the measure of the vertex angle is 126^{\circ}\displaystyle 126^{\circ}.

Example Question #1 : Triangles

Two sides of an isosceles triangle are 20 and 30. What is the difference of the largest and the smallest possible perimeters?

Possible Answers:

The answer cannot be determined

0

15

30

10

Correct answer:

10

Explanation:

The trick here is that we don't know which is the repeated side. Our possible triangles are therefore 20 + 20 + 30 = 70 or 30 + 30 + 20 = 80.  The difference is therefore 80 – 70 or 10.

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