The Mathematics Education Department
EMT 725, Lisa F. Garey

100 degree Isosceles Triangle

Click here for the Problem statement

The problem asks for the measure of angle BCD. As the hint suggested, constructing a perpendicular line through the midpint of AD gives us AE = DE, where E is any point on that perpendicular line.

 

 

Let ADE be an equiateral triangle.

Then we have .

The hint also suggested reflecting along CD. When ADC and their segements are reflected along CD, the image is conruent with EDC. Then we have a kite where the opposite angles are equal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The interior angle sum of any quaddrilateral is 360. Let angle BCD be x. Hence,

360 = angle(DAC)+ angle(ADA') + angle(DA'C) + angle(A'CA)

= 100 + 60 + 100 + (40+x) + (40+x)

x = 10 degrees = angle(BCD)

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