Join 60,000+ competitive exam aspirants
In an isosceles тЦ│PQR, PQ=QR. If each of the two equal angles is 15 degrees more than one-fourth of the third angle, find the value of тИаQ.
100 degrees
80 degrees
120 degrees
90 degrees
120 degrees
Use the option elimination by substituting: if Q = 120, then base angles = (180-120)/2 = 30. Check if 30 = 15 + 120/4. Since 30 = 15 + 30 = 45 is false, re-evaluate: if base angles are equal to 30, Q is 120. Check 30 = 15 + 120/4 тЖТ 30 = 15 + 30 (False). Wait, let equal angles be x. 2x+y=180. x=15+y/4. Substitute y=180тИТ2x: x=15+(180тИТ2x)/4тЯ╣x=15+45тИТ0.5xтЯ╣1.5x=60тЯ╣x=40. Thus y=180тИТ80=100.
An isosceles triangle PQR with PQ = QR, implying base angles are equal. Let the equal angles be x and the third angle be y. The condition is x = 15 + (1/4)y.
2x+y=180┬░
Use the option elimination by substituting: if Q = 120, then base angles = (180-120)/2 = 30. Check if 30 = 15 + 120/4. Since 30 = 15 + 30 = 45 is false, re-evaluate: if base angles are equal to 30, Q is 120. Check 30 = 15 + 120/4 тЖТ 30 = 15 + 30 (False). Wait, let equal angles be x. 2x+y=180. x=15+y/4. Substitute y=180тИТ2x: x=15+(180тИТ2x)/4тЯ╣x=15+45тИТ0.5xтЯ╣1.5x=60тЯ╣x=40. Thus y=180тИТ80=100.
Students often assume the equal angles are adjacent to the vertex Q, but the problem states PQ = QR, meaning the equal angles are тИаP and тИаR, and the vertex angle is тИаQ.
Define variables
Let the vertex angle тИаQ=y and the base angles тИаP=тИаR=x.
тИаP=тИаR=x,тИаQ=y
Formulate equations
From the angle sum property of a triangle, 2x+y=180┬░. From the problem, x=4yтАЛ+15.
2x+y=180,x=4yтАЛ+15
Solve for x
Substitute y=180тИТ2x into the second equation: x=4180тИТ2xтАЛ+15.
x=45тИТ0.5x+15тЯ╣1.5x=60
Calculate angles
Solving for x, we get x=40┬░. Thus, тИаQ=y=180тИТ2(40)=100┬░.
x=40,y=180тИТ80=100
A is correct because the calculated value for the third angle тИаQ is 100 degrees.
This problem is a classic application of linear systems in geometry. Always verify the sum of internal angles equals 180 degrees to catch arithmetic errors.