Measure the angle!

Geometry Level 5

A point P P lies in a triangle A B C ABC . The edge A C AC meets the line B P BP at Q Q , and A B AB meets C P CP at R R . Suppose that A R = R B = C P AR = RB = CP and C Q = P Q CQ = PQ . Find the value of B R C \angle BRC in degrees.


The answer is 120.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

1 solution

Extend C R CR to point D D such that R D = R B RD=RB . Draw B D BD .

Applying Menelaus' Theorem on B A Q \bigtriangleup BAQ with R P C RPC being the transversal, we get,

B R R A \frac{BR}{RA} \cdot A C C Q \frac{AC}{CQ} \cdot Q P P B \frac{QP}{PB} = = 1 1

\Rightarrow B R R A \frac{\bcancel{BR}}{\bcancel{RA}} \cdot A C C Q \frac{AC}{\bcancel{CQ}} \cdot Q P P B \frac{\bcancel{QP}}{PB} = = 1 1 [ Since B R = R A BR=RA & C Q = P Q CQ=PQ ]
\Rightarrow B P = A C BP=AC

Observe that, in B P D \bigtriangleup BPD & A C R \bigtriangleup ACR , P D = P R + R D = P R + C P = C R PD= PR+RD=PR+CP=CR , D P B = R C A \angle DPB=\angle RCA & B P = A C BP=AC . Hence, B P D \bigtriangleup BPD \cong A C R \bigtriangleup ACR by S S A S-S-A criterion of congruence.

\Rightarrow B D = A R = R B BD=AR=RB

In B D R \bigtriangleup BDR , B D = R B = D R BD=RB=DR ; Hence, B D R \bigtriangleup BDR is equilateral.

Therefore, B R C = 180 D R B = 180 60 = 12 0 \angle BRC=180-\angle DRB=180-60=\boxed {120^{\circ}}

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...