In the figure above, if ABCD is a rectangle, then what is the perimeter of∆BCD?
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Solution
In a rectangle, opposite sides are equal, and each angle measures 90 degrees.Triangle ABD is a 5-12-13 right triangle, so BD = 13. Furthermore,BC = 12, and CD = 5.To find the perimeter of any figure, add the lengths of the sides. In this case, 5 + 12 + 13 = 30, so the answer is choice (A).
Quantity A | Quantity B |
x | 70 |
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Solution
The interior angles of a triangle add up to 180°, therefore, x = 110.
ABCD is a square. Points E and F, not shown, are the midpoints of \(\underline{all}\) and \(\overline{CD}\) respectively. Line segments are drawn to connect points E and F to A. Which of the following \(\underline{must}\) be true?
Indicate \(\underline{all}\) possible values.
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Solution
A,B, and C
To solve this question, draw and label the figure. When drawn and labeled, the figure should look like this:
Since points E and F are midpoints of the sides of a square and ∠C is a right angle, triangle ECF is a 45:45:90 triangle; thus choice (A) must be correct. Since ∠CEF = 45°, if ∠FEA also equaled 45, then ∠CEA would be a right angle and would be perpendicular to ; instead, since ∠FEA + 45 > 90, then ∠FEA > 90 and choice (B) must be correct. If ∠EFA = 90, then ∠FEA = 90, and thus ∠EAF = 0; since ∠EAF > 0, ∠EFA < 90, so choice (C) must be correct. If ∠FAD = 30, then triangle FAD would be a 30:60:90 right triangle with legs of x and and a hypotenuse of 2x; since that is not the case, ∠FAD ≠ 30; eliminate choice (D). If ∠AEB = 60, then triangle EAB would be a 30:60:90 right triangle with legs of x and and a hypotenuse of 2x; since that is not the case, ∠AEB ≠ 60; eliminate choice (E). If ∠AFD = 45, then ∠FAD = ∠EAB = 45, which would mean that ∠EAF = 0; since ∠EAF > 0, ∠AFD cannot = 45; eliminate choice (F).
Triangles ABC, ACD, and ABD are all isosceles triangles. Point E (not shown) is the midpoint between points B and D. If the ratio of \(\frac{\overline{BC}}{\overline{CE}}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{1}\), then what is the measure, in degrees, of ∠CAD?
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Solution
To answer this question, Plug In the Answers.Because \(\frac{\overline{BC}}{\overline{CE}}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{1}\), triangle BCE is a 30:60:90 triangle and BCD is an equilateral triangle with all angle measures equal to 60. Start with choice (C). If ∠CAD = 30, then since triangle ACD is isosceles, ∠CAB =30 as well. Since both triangles ABC and ACD share \(\overline{AC}\), and triangle ABC is isosceles, then ∠CAB and ∠CBA are both equal to 30 as well. The angles within triangle ABD should add up to 180. However, ∠CAD + ∠CAB + ∠CDA + ∠CDB + ∠CBD + ∠CBA =30 + 30 + 30 + 60 + 60 + 30 = 240, which is too big; eliminate choices (C) and (D), which is bigger. Now try choice (B). If ∠CAD = 15, then ∠CDA = 15 as well, and ∠CAB and ∠CBA are both equal to 15 as well. Verify that the angles will add up to 180 for triangle ABD: ∠CAD + ∠CAB + ∠CDA + ∠CDB + ∠CBD + ∠CBA =15 + 15 + 15 + 60 + 60 + 15 = 180.Choice (B) is the correct answer.
If a regular polygon has x angles each measuring q degrees, then what is the value of q ?
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Solution
To solve this question, plug in some easy values for the variables. For example, if the polygon were a square, then x = 4. Since each angle would equal 90, q = 90, your target answer.Check all the answers by plugging in x = 4. Only \(\frac{180(4-2)}{4}=90\) , so choice (D) is correct.
In the figure above a + b + f =
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Solution
As soon as you see variables in the answer choices, draw your figure and set up your scratch paper to Plug In.The sum of d, e, and f has to be 180, so try d = 50, e = 60, and f = 70. Similarly, the sum of a, b, and c has to be 360, so try a = 110, b = 120, and c = 130. Since the problem asked for a + b + f, your target answer is 110 + 120 + 70 = 300. Now plug your values for c, d, and e into the answer choices; only choice (D) hits your target.
A and B are the endpoints of a line segment. Segment AB is crossed through point C by another line segment with endpoints D and E. If ∠ACD > 90˚, and the sum of ∠ACE and ∠BCD is x˚, then which of the following must be true?
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Solution
For this problem it helps to draw the figure. When you do, exaggerate the angles as shown in the diagram below. From the diagram, ∠ACE and ∠BCD are both smaller than 90°.The sum of any two angles less than 90° will be less than 180°; this sum is x from the question, making choice (D) correct.You can also plug in your own numbers to the diagram to test the choices. If ∠ACD is 120°, then ∠ACD and ∠BCD are both 60° and add up to 120°, which is now the value of x.You can eliminate choices (A) and (E).To eliminate further, try a really big number such as 170° for ∠ACD Angles ∠ACE and ∠BCD are now both 10° and add up to 20°, the new value of x.You can eliminate choices (B) and (C), leaving choice (D) as the correct answer.
If LMNO is a parallelogram, what is the value of x + y?
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Solution
Fill in the diagram little by little. Angle LON must be equal to 75 degrees, because ∠LON + 115° = 180° to make a straight line. The shape is a parallelogram, so it must also be true that ∠LON = ∠LMN.There are 360 degrees in the whole parallelogram, and ∠LON + ∠LMN = 150, so there are 360 – 150 = 110 degrees remaining in the parallelogram.Thus, (x + 10) + (y + 8) = 110. You can now simplify the expression to get x + y = 92.
Note: Figure not drawn to scale.
In the figure above, STVW is a square, SX and YZ intersect at point W, and UW is twice as long as UV. What is the value of b?
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Solution
The question is asking for a specific amount and there are no variables in the answer choices, so PITA. Starting with choice (C), b = 60.By vertical angles, b = 2a, so a = 30. If a = 30, then ∠SWU = 90.This won’t work because all four angles of a square equal 90° and ∠SWU must be smaller than 90.Eliminate choices (C), (D), and (E).Try a smaller value, such as in choice (B). Now b = 40 which means a = 20, ∠SWU = 60 and ∠UWV is 30°. A right triangle in which the hypotenuse is twice one of the sides is a 30:60:90 triangle.That means that triangle UWV is a 30:60:90 triangle in which ∠VUW is 60° and ∠UWV is 30°. Per our calculations, that’s what ∠UWV is supposed to be, so the correct answer is choice (B).
In the figure above, what is the sum of x and y in terms of z?
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Solution
It’s a geometry problem with variables in the answer choices, so draw the figure and set up your scratch paper to Plug In.Try x = 60 and y = 70; the missing angle in the small triangle on top is now 50°, as is the missing angle in the small triangle in the middle. Since z combines with the 2 angles you just found to form a line, 2(50) + z = 180, and z = 80.The problem asked for the sum of x and y, so plug 80 in for z to all the answers and look for your target answer of 130. Only choice (B) works.