Triangle Problem

Geometry Level 3

E E is a point inside A B C \triangle ABC such that A E = B E = B C AE=BE=BC and A B E = C B E = 2 0 \angle ABE= \angle CBE=20^\circ . Find the measure of C A E \angle CAE .

1 0 10^\circ 3 0 30^\circ 1 5 15^\circ 2 0 20^\circ

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4 solutions

Maria Kozlowska
Jun 24, 2018

By doing extra construction as shown above we get an isosceles trapezoid A B C D ABCD . A E C D AECD is a kite and its diagonals are perpendicular. Line segment A C AC bisects D A E \angle DAE therefore C A E = 1 0 \angle CAE =10^\circ

Hello! Would you mind explaining to me how you know that C E CE and C D CD have the same length?

John Frank - 1 year, 9 months ago
Marta Reece
Jun 23, 2018

Some angle chasing gives the angles listed.

We can set A E = E B = B C = 1 AE=EB=BC=1 .

E C = 2 × s i n ( 1 0 ) = 0.3473 EC=2\times sin(10^\circ)=0.3473

From the law of cosines in A C E \triangle ACE we get A C = 1.2856 AC=1.2856

From the law of sines C A E = a r c s i n ( C E A C s i n ( 14 0 ) ) = 1 0 \angle CAE=arcsin(\frac {CE}{AC}\cdot sin(140^\circ))=\boxed {10^\circ}

@Marta Reece Is there any way to solve this without using a Calculator????

Aaghaz Mahajan - 2 years, 11 months ago

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Probably, but I sure don't know it.

Marta Reece - 2 years, 11 months ago

Let C A E = θ \angle CAE = \theta . Then A C E = 4 0 θ \angle ACE = 40^\circ - \theta . We have E C = 2 sin ( 1 0 ) EC = 2\sin(10^\circ) and A E = 1 AE = 1 .

We shall repeatedly use the product to sum and sum to product formulas. https://brilliant.org/wiki/fundamental-trigonometric-identities-problem/#product-to-sum-formulas

Applying the law of sines in A C E \triangle ACE , we obtain

\[ \begin{align}

\frac{\sin(\angle CAE)}{EC} &= \frac{\sin( \angle ACE)}{AE} \\ \frac{\sin(\theta)}{2\sin(10^\circ)} &= \sin(40^\circ - \theta) \\ \sin(\theta) &= 2\sin(10^\circ)\sin(40^\circ - \theta) \\ \sin(\theta) &= 2\sin(10^\circ)\cos(\theta + 50^\circ) & \text{as } \cos(\phi) = \sin(90^\circ - \phi) \\ \sin(\theta) &= \sin(\theta + 60^\circ) + \sin(-\theta - 40^\circ) \\ \sin(\theta) - \sin(\theta + 60^\circ) &= - \sin(\theta + 40^\circ) \\ \sin(\theta - 60^\circ) &= - \sin(\theta + 40^\circ) & \text{since } \sin(\theta - 60^\circ) + \sin(\theta + 60^\circ) = 2\sin(\theta)\cos(60^\circ) = \sin(\theta) \\ \sin(\theta - 60^\circ) + \sin(\theta + 40^\circ) &= 0 \\ 2\sin(\theta - 10^\circ)\sin(-50^\circ) &= 0 \\ \sin(\theta - 10^\circ) &= 0

\end{align} \]

Along with the fact that 0 θ 18 0 0 \leq \theta \leq 180^\circ , we deduce that θ = 1 0 \theta = 10^\circ .

John Frank - 1 year, 9 months ago
Edwin Gray
Jun 24, 2018

Define the 3 equal lengths each as S, AC = h, EC = f. Clearly, <BEA = 140, < BEC = 80, <AEC = 140. In triangle BEC, by Law of Cosines, F^2 = s^2 + s^2 - 2s^2 cos(20), f = .347296355S. In triangle AEC, by Law of Cosines, h^2 = f^2 + s^2 -2fs cos(140), h = 1.28557515S. In triangle AEC, by the Law of Sines, f/sin(x) = h/sin(140), x = 10. Ed Gray

Since A E = B E AE=BE , then A E B \triangle AEB is an isosceles triangle. Draw C B D ∠CBD , where C B D = 20 ° ∠CBD=20° clockwise. Extend A C AC to F F , where F F is the intersection of A C AC and B D BD . Since A C B D AC⊥BD , then A F B \triangle AFB is a right triangle. Note that A B F = 3 A B E ∠ABF=3∠ABE , then A F B \triangle AFB is a 30-60 right triangle. Therefore, B A F = B A E + C A E = 30 ° C A E = 10 ° ∠BAF=∠BAE+∠CAE=30°⟹∠CAE=10° .

Hello! Would you mind explaining to me how you know that A C B D AC \perp BD ? (Also, what is D D ?)

John Frank - 1 year, 9 months ago

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