SAT Math : Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangles

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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例子Questions

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例子Question #1 :Isosceles Triangles

Two sides of an isosceles triangle are 20 and 30. What is the difference of the largest and the smallest possible perimeters?

Possible Answers:

10

15

30

The answer cannot be determined

0

Correct answer:

10

Explanation:

The trick here is that we don't know which is the repeated side. Our possible triangles are therefore 20 + 20 + 30 = 70 or 30 + 30 + 20 = 80. The difference is therefore 80 – 70 or 10.

例子Question #3 :Isosceles Triangles

A triangle with two equal angles is called a(n)__________.

Possible Answers:

equilateral triangle

isosceles triangle

disjoint triangle

Pythagoras triangle

right triangle

Correct answer:

isosceles triangle

Explanation:

An isoceles triangle is a triangle that has at least two congruent sides (and therefore, at least two congruent angles as well).

例子Question #1 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

Triangle ABC has angle measures as follows:

\dpi{100} \small m\angle ABC=4x+3

\dpi{100} \small m\angle ACB=2x+6

\dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x

What is\dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC?

Possible Answers:

57

44

90

19

79

Correct answer:

57

Explanation:

The sum of the measures of the angles of a triangle is 180.

Thus we set up the equation\dpi{100} \small 4x+3+2x+6+3x=180

After combining like terms and cancelling, we have\dpi{100} \small 9x=171\rightarrow x=19

Thus\dpi{100} \small m\angle BAC=3x=57

例子Question #2 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is five more than twice the vertex angle. What is the base angle?

Possible Answers:

34

47

55

73

62

Correct answer:

73

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Letx= the vertex angle and2x+5= the base angle

So the equation to solve becomesx+(2x+5)+(2x+5)=180

Thus the vertex angle is 34 and the base angles are 73.

例子Question #3 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is 15 less than three times the vertex angle. What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Every triangle contains 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let= vertex angle and= base angle

So the equation to solve becomes.

例子Question #4 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is ten less than twice the vertex angle. What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let= vertex angle and= base angle

So the equation to solve becomes

So the vertex angle is 40 and the base angles is 70

例子Question #1 :Isosceles Triangles

The base angle of an isosceles triangle is 10 more than twice the vertex angle. What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let= the vertex angle and= the base angle

So the equation to solve becomes

The vertex angle is 32 degrees and the base angle is 74 degrees

例子Question #6 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

In an isosceles triangle, the vertex angle is 15 less than the base angle. What is the base angle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Let= base angle and= vertex angle

So the equation to solve becomes

Thus, 65 is the base angle and 50 is the vertex angle.

例子Question #7 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

In an isosceles triangle the vertex angle is half the base angle. What is the vertex angle?

Possible Answers:

54

108

36

72

45

Correct answer:

36

Explanation:

Every triangle has 180 degrees. An isosceles triangle has one vertex angle and two congruent base angles.

Letx= base angle and0.5x= vertex angle

So the equation to solve becomesx+x+0.5x=180, thusx=72is the base angle and0.5x=36is the vertex angle.

例子Question #8 :How To Find An Angle In An Acute / Obtuse Isosceles Triangle

If the average (arithmetic mean) of two noncongruent angles of an isosceles triangle is, which of the following is the measure of one of the angles of the triangle?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Since the triangle is isosceles, we know that 2 of the angles (that sum up to 180) must be equal. The question states that the noncongruent angles average 55°, thus providing us with a system of two equations:

Solving for x and y by substitution, we get x = 70° and y = 40° (which average out to 55°).

70 + 70 + 40 equals 180 also checks out.

Since 70° is not an answer choice for us, we know that the40°must be one of the angles.

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