Tricky chase

Geometry Level 4

What is the measure of the red angle in degrees?

35 20 30 There isn't enough information to know 25

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2 solutions

Mark C
May 6, 2016

I initially used trig and asked, is there an easier way? Michael replied Yes, so I figured it out. The (probably) intended method is below the trig one.

c = a sin ( 100 ) sin ( 40 ) = a sin ( 80 ) sin ( 40 ) c = a\cdot\frac{\sin(100)}{\sin(40)} = a\cdot\frac{\sin(80)}{\sin(40)}

B O = c sin ( 30 ) sin ( 130 ) = c 1 2 cos ( 40 ) \overline{BO} = c\cdot\frac{\sin(30)}{\sin(130)} = c\cdot\frac{1}{2\cos(40)}

= a sin ( 80 ) 2 sin ( 40 ) cos ( 40 ) = a sin ( 80 ) sin ( 80 ) = a = a\cdot\frac{\sin(80)}{2\sin(40)\cos(40)} = a\cdot\frac{\sin(80)}{\sin(80)} = a

So B O C BOC is isosceles and B C O = ( 180 20 ) / 2 = 80 \angle BCO = (180-20)/2 = 80 , and hence the needed angle is 20 \boxed{20} degrees.

Here the values filled in are easy to find. The trick that can be hard to see if you don't have the diagram drawn to scale is the symmetry that entails that the two angles labeled "x" are equal.

Yes, there's an easier way without using trigonometry, using a "tricky angle chase".

Michael Mendrin - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Please post Michael mendrin

Amit Kumar - 3 years, 2 months ago
Vishwash Kumar
Oct 21, 2016

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