How to find an angle

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ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning › How to find an angle

Questions 1 - 10
1

and are supplementary; and are complementary.

.

What is ?

Explanation

Supplementary angles and complementary angles have measures totaling and , respectively.

, so its supplement has measure

, the complement of , has measure

2

Lines

Examine the above diagram. What is ?

Explanation

By angle addition,

3

Thingy

Note: Figure NOT drawn to scale.

In the above figure, and . Which of the following is equal to ?

Explanation

and form a linear pair, so their angle measures total . Set up and solve the following equation:

4

Two angles which form a linear pair have measures and . Which is the lesser of the measures (or the common measure) of the two angles?

Explanation

Two angles that form a linear pair are supplementary - that is, they have measures that total . Therefore, we set and solve for in this equation:

The two angles have measure

and

is the lesser of the two measures and is the correct choice.

5

A line intersects parallel lines and . and are corresponding angles; and are same side interior angles.

Evaluate .

Explanation

When a transversal such as crosses two parallel lines, two corresponding angles - angles in the same relative position to their respective lines - are congruent. Therefore,

Two same-side interior angles are supplementary - that is, their angle measures total 180 - so

We can solve this system by the substitution method as follows:

Backsolve:

, which is the correct response.

6

Thingy

Figure NOT drawn to scale

The above figure shows Trapezoid , with and tangent to the circle. ; evaluate .

Explanation

By the Same-Side Interior Angle Theorem, since , and are supplementary - that is, their degree measures total . Therefore,

is an inscribed angle, so the arc it intercepts, , has twice its degree measure;

.

The corresponding major arc, , has as its measure

The measure of an angle formed by two tangents to a circle is equal to half the difference of those of its intercepted arcs:

Again, by the Same-Side Interior Angles Theorem, and are supplementary, so

7

Lines

Examine the above diagram. If , give in terms of .

Explanation

The two marked angles are same-side exterior angles of parallel lines, which are supplementary - that is, their measures have sum 180. We can solve for in this equation:

8

Lines

Examine the above diagram. Which of the following statements must be true whether or not and are parallel?

Explanation

Four statements can be eliminated by the various parallel theorems and postulates. Congruence of alternate interior angles or corresponding angles forces the lines to be parallel, so

and

.

Also, if same-side interior angles or same-side exterior angles are supplementary, the lines are parallel, so

and

.

However, whether or not since they are vertical angles, which are always congruent.

9

Lines

Examine the above diagram. If , give in terms of .

Explanation

The two marked angles are same-side interior angles of parallel lines, which are supplementary - that is, their measures have sum 180. We can solve for in this equation:

10

Two vertical angles have measures and . Which is the lesser of the measures (or the common measure) of the two angles?

Explanation

Two vertical angles - angles which share a vertex and whose union is a pair of lines - have the same measure. Therefore, we set up and solve the equation

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