Why Couldn't I Count?

Geometry Level 2

I drew a regular polygon but I forgot to count the number of sides of this polygon.

Which of the following angles couldn't possibly be the interior angle of this polygon?

12 0 120^\circ 13 0 130^\circ 14 0 140^\circ 15 0 150^\circ

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3 solutions

Zee Ell
Sep 12, 2016

Since:

• the sum of the exterior angles is always 360° (independently from the number of vertices the polygon has),

• external angle = 180° - internal angle, and

• each exterior angle in a regular polygon with n n vertices can be calculated as:

e x t = 360 ° n n = 360 ° e x t ext = \frac {360°}{n} \iff n = \frac {360°}{ext} ,

therefore, if the interior angle is:

• 120° , then e x t = 180 ° 120 ° = 60 ° and n = 360 ° 60 ° = 6 \text {• 120° , then } ext = 180° - 120° = 60° \text { and } n = \frac {360°}{60°} = 6

We have a hexagon.

• 130° , then e x t = 180 ° 130 ° = 50 ° and n = 360 ° 50 ° = 7.2 \text {• 130° , then } ext = 180° - 130° = 50° \text { and } n = \frac {360°}{50°} = 7.2

Since 7.2 is not an integer, we don't have a polygon here (as a polygon cannot have 7.2 vertices).

• 140° , then e x t = 180 ° 140 ° = 40 ° and n = 360 ° 40 ° = 9 \text {• 140° , then } ext = 180° - 140° = 40° \text { and } n = \frac {360°}{40°} = 9

We have a nonagon.

• 150° , then e x t = 180 ° 150 ° = 30 ° and n = 360 ° 30 ° = 12 \text {• 150° , then } ext = 180° - 150° = 30° \text { and } n = \frac {360°}{30°} = 12

We have a dodecagon.

Hence, our answer is:

130 ° \boxed {130°}

Tapas Mazumdar
Sep 18, 2016

For any regular polygon of ' n n ' sides,

Sum of all interior angles = ( n 2 ) 18 0 \text{Sum of all interior angles} = (n-2)180^{\circ}

So,

Magnitude of each interior angle = ( n 2 ) 18 0 n \text{Magnitude of each interior angle} = \dfrac{(n-2)180^{\circ}}{n}

Let the magnitude of each interior angle be x x .

( n 2 ) 18 0 n = x ( 18 0 x ) n = 36 0 n = 36 0 18 0 x \begin{aligned} \therefore & ~~~~~~~~~~~ \dfrac{(n-2)180^{\circ}}{n} = x \\ \\ & \implies (180^{\circ}-x)n=360^{\circ} \\ \\ & \implies n=\dfrac{360^{\circ}}{180^{\circ}-x} \end{aligned}

Since, n n represents number of sides of the polygon and must be an integer.

So, out of the given options, only 13 0 130^{\circ} does not give us an integer value for n n as 36 0 18 0 13 0 = 7.2 \dfrac{360^{\circ}}{180^{\circ}-130^{\circ}} = 7.2 which is not an integer.

So, the required answer is 13 0 \boxed{130^{\circ}} .

Nicely done!

Chung Kevin - 4 years, 8 months ago

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