Note: Figure not drawn to scale.
In triangle , bisects with on . Point lies on line with between and . The measure of is , and the measure of is . If is the measure of , what is the value of ?
An extended side points to the exterior-angle theorem: the outside angle equals the two far interior angles added together. Find the full angle at the bisected vertex, then halve it. Use the angle sum in the smaller triangle to find the requested angle; Desmos can solve the equations you write. Don't put the outside angle in the triangle's interior-angle sum.
Hints
- Hint 1
An exterior angle sits outside a triangle where a side has been extended. It equals the two interior angles away from that corner added together. Which angles are away from C?
- Hint 2
An angle bisector cuts an angle into two equal parts. Once you know the whole angle at , divide it by to get the part inside triangle .
- Hint 3
A triangle's three interior angles total . In triangle , you have the angle at and half the angle at . What must the angle at be?
Step-by-step
Use the exterior angle, then the smaller triangle
Step 1Relate the outside angle to the angles at A and B
Let be the measure of . Because extends through to , is an exterior angle. An exterior angle equals the two far interior angles added together. Since is on , is the given angle at . So
- Step 2
Find the whole angle at A
Type in Desmos. Here stands for , and tells Desmos to find the value that matches both sides. Under PARAMETERS, Desmos shows , so the whole angle at A measures .
- Step 3
Halve the angle at A
The angle bisector makes half of , so . Type beneath the first line in Desmos. It prints , the angle at inside triangle .
- Step 4
Write the angle sum for triangle ABD
The three angles inside triangle are at , at , and at . A triangle's angles add to , so
- Step 5
Find the angle at D
Type in Desmos, using for the requested angle . Under PARAMETERS, it shows . So measures . Grid in 103.