Quirky Convex Quadrilateral

Geometry Level 4

A B C D ABCD is a convex quadrilateral satisfying A B = B C = C D , AB=BC=CD, A D = D B AD=DB and B A D = 7 5 \angle BAD = 75^\circ . What is the measure of B C D \angle BCD ?


The answer is 150.

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9 solutions

黎 李
May 20, 2014

Reflect A A with respect to B D BD to get point E E . Since A D B = 3 0 \angle ADB = 30^\circ , hence A D E = 6 0 \angle ADE = 60^\circ and A D = A E AD=AE , so A D E ADE is equilateral. By side-side-side, It follows that A B E ABE is congruent to B C D BCD , hence B C D = A B E = 2 A B D = 15 0 \angle BCD = \angle ABE = 2 \angle ABD = 150^\circ .

Zi Song Yeoh
May 20, 2014

Since ABD is isosceles, A B D = 7 5 , A D B = 3 0 \angle ABD = 75^{\circ}, \angle ADB = 30^{\circ} . And let C B D = C D B = a \angle CBD = \angle CDB = a . Then B C D = 180 2 a \angle BCD = 180 - 2a . By cosine rule,

A B 2 = A D 2 + D B 2 2 A D D B cos ( 30 ) = 2 B D 2 ( 1 3 2 ) AB^{2} = AD^{2} + DB^{2} - 2AD \cdot DB \cos(30) = 2BD^{2}(1 - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}) .

B D 2 = B C 2 + C D 2 2 B C C D cos ( 180 2 a ) = 2 A B 2 ( 1 c o s ( 180 2 a ) ) ) BD^{2} = BC^{2} + CD^{2} - 2BC \cdot CD \cos(180 - 2a) = 2AB^{2}(1 - cos(180 - 2a))) .

Combining these two equations and simplifying gives c o s ( 180 2 a ) = 3 2 cos(180 - 2a) = -\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} , so B C D = 15 0 \angle BCD = 150^{\circ} .

Most students approached this using sine rule and cosine rule. You have to use the exact value of sin 7 5 / cos 7 5 \sin 75^\circ / \cos 75^\circ to obtain the exact answer. Zi Song shows how we can avoid calculating those values.

Several synthetic solutions exist, due to the great amount of symmetry in this problem.

Calvin Lin Staff - 7 years ago

We have A D B = 3 0 o \angle ADB=30^o . Now suppose that A D = D B = x AD=DB=x . Then A B 2 = 2 x 2 2 x 2 . cos 3 0 o AB^2=2x^2-2x^2.\cos30^o A B 2 = ( 2 3 ) x 2 AB^2=(2-\sqrt{3})x^2 So we have D B 2 = B C 2 + D C 2 2 B C . D C . cos ( B C D ) DB^2=BC^2+DC^2-2BC.DC.\cos(\angle BCD) Since B C 2 = D C 2 = B C . D C = A B 2 = ( 2 3 ) x 2 BC^2=DC^2=BC.DC=AB^2=(2-\sqrt{3})x^2 and D B 2 = x 2 DB^2=x^2 , we have x 2 = ( 2 3 ) x 2 + ( 2 3 ) x 2 2. ( 2 3 ) x 2 . cos ( B C D ) x^2=(2-\sqrt{3})x^2+(2-\sqrt{3})x^2-2.(2-\sqrt{3})x^2.\cos(\angle BCD) Eliminate x 2 x^2 we have 1 = ( 4 2 3 ) ( 1 cos ( B C D ) ) 1=(4-2\sqrt{3})(1-\cos(\angle BCD)) cos ( B C D ) = 1 1 4 2 3 = 3 2 \cos(\angle BCD)=1-\dfrac{1}{4-2\sqrt{3}}=\dfrac{-\sqrt{3}}{2} Since ABCD is a convex quadrilateral, then we have B C D = 15 0 o \angle BCD = 150^o

Moderator note:

Good usage of the convex quadrilateral condition. It should become clear that if we reflect A A across B D BD , we can get a quadrilateral which satisfies the length requirements, but will not be convex.

This hints at looking at the point E E , which is the reflection of A A across B D BD . Can you use this hint to get a synthetic solution?

It's pretty good hint. I realize that if E E is the reflection of A A across B D BD , then A D = 2 A E AD=2AE . Let F F be the reflection of C C across B D BD , then D B = 2 F B DB=2FB , means that A E = F B AE=FB . So it must be Δ A B E Δ B C F \Delta ABE \cong \Delta BCF . This affects B C F = 7 5 \angle BCF=75^{\circ} , and we get B C D = 2. B C F = 15 0 \angle BCD=2.\angle BCF=150^{\circ} . I think it's much better solution than before where I use much trigonometric calculation there...

Christyan Tamaro Nadeak - 7 years, 10 months ago

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It seems that by "if E E is the reflection of A A across B D BD " you meant "if E E is the projection of A A onto B D BD ," with point F F defined similarly. If E E is the reflection of A A across B D BD , then we have A D = A E AD=AE , not A D = 2 A E AD=2AE . Nice solution, though!

Omid Rooholfada - 7 years, 10 months ago

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argh, so sorry, it's projection --". thanks for your correction, Omid.

Christyan Tamaro Nadeak - 7 years, 10 months ago

You can also use the law of sines on triangle A B D ABD to get that sin B A D = B D 2. A B \sin \angle BAD = \frac{BD}{2.AB} . Then if P P is the midpoint of B D BD , then since B C D \vartriangle BCD is isosceles, B P C \angle BPC is a right angle, and so sin B C P = B P B C = B D 2. A B \sin \angle BCP = \frac{BP}{BC} = \frac{BD}{2.AB} . Therefore B C P = B A D \angle BCP = \angle BAD .

Matt McNabb - 7 years, 10 months ago

Let B C D = x , A B = a , \angle BCD = x,\, AB = a, and A D = b AD =b . Since the triangle A B D ABD is isosceles, it follows that A B D = 7 5 \angle ABD = 75^\circ and A D B = 3 0 . \angle ADB = 30^\circ. The law of cosines applied to the triangle A B D ABD and triangle B C D BCD yield a 2 = b 2 + b 2 2 b 2 cos 3 0 = b 2 ( 2 3 ) a^2 = b^2 + b^2 -2b^2\cos 30^\circ = b^2(2-\sqrt{3}) and b 2 = a 2 + a 2 2 a 2 cos x = 2 a 2 ( 1 cos x ) , b^2 = a^2+a^2-2a^2\cos x = 2a^2(1-\cos x), respectively. These two equations together imply that cos x = 1 b 2 2 a 2 = 1 1 2 ( 2 3 ) = 3 2 = cos 15 0 . \cos x =1-\frac{b^2}{2a^2} = 1-\frac{1}{2(2-\sqrt{3})}=-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}=\cos 150^\circ. Hence x = 15 0 . x = \boxed{150^\circ}.

Abhishek Thakur
May 20, 2014

Let AB=BC=CD=a and AD=DB=b

Apply Cosine Rule on Angle BAD and Angle ADB to get: (a/2b) = (1.732 - 1) / (2 1.414) and ((2 b b - a a) / (2 b b))=(1.732/2). Solve these two equations to get values of a and b and then apply Cosine Rule to Angle BCD to get cos(angle BCD) = -(1.732/2).

Therefore Angle BCD = 150 degrees.

Wilson Kan
May 20, 2014

Let BD = 1, by the cosine law in ABD, we can solve for A B 2 = 2 3 AB^2 = 2 - \sqrt{3} .

Then by the cosine law in BCD, we can find that B C D = 15 0 \angle BCD = 150^\circ .

Jason Shi
May 20, 2014

By Law of Sines on triangle $ABD$, we have $$ \frac{AD}{\sin 75^\circ}=\frac{BA}{\sin 30^\circ}$$ So we can write $$ AD=(\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{2})k=BD, AB=2k=BC=CD. $$ Now by Law of Cosines on triangle $BCD$, we have $$ \cos C=\frac{(2k)^2+(2k)^2-[(\sqrt6+\sqrt2)k]^2}{2(2k)(2k)}$$ $$ =-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\implies C=\boxed{120^\circ} $$

Daniel Chiu
Aug 4, 2013

Since A D B \triangle ADB is isosceles, m A D B = 3 0 m\angle ADB=30^\circ . By the Law of Sines, sin 3 0 1 = sin 7 5 A D \dfrac{\sin 30^\circ}{1}=\dfrac{\sin 75^\circ}{AD} Therefore, A D = B D = 6 + 2 2 AD=BD=\dfrac{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{2}}{2} . Let E E be the foot of the perpendicular from C C to B D \overline{BD} , and so B E = E D BE=ED , since B C D \triangle BCD is isosceles. D E = 6 + 2 4 DE=\dfrac{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{2}}{4} , and m E C D = sin 1 6 + 2 4 = 7 5 m\angle ECD=\sin^{-1}\dfrac{\sqrt{6}+\sqrt{2}}{4}=75^\circ . Therefore, the answer is 150 \boxed{150} .

Harshit Aggarwal
May 20, 2014

2(angle BAD)= angle BCD angle BAD=75 degree therefore angle BCD = 150 degree

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