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2008 AMC 10B Problems/Problem 24

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Problem

Quadrilateral ABCD has AB = BC = CD, angle ABC = 70 and angle BCD = 170. What is the measure of angle BAD?

\mathrm{(A)}\ 75\qquad\mathrm{(B)}\ 80\qquad\mathrm{(C)}\ 85\qquad\mathrm{(D)}\ 90\qquad\mathrm{(E)}\ 95

Solution

Draw the angle bisectors of the angles ABC and BCD. These two bisectors obviously intersect. Let their intersection be P. We will now prove that P lies on the segment AD.

Note that the triangles ABP and CBP are equal, as they share the side BP, and we have AB=BC and \angle ABP = \angle CBP.

Also note that for similar reasons the triangles CBP and CDP are equal.

Now we can compute their inner angles. BP is the bisector of the angle ABC, hence \angle ABP = \angle CBP = 35^\circ, and thus also \angle CDP = 35^\circ. CP is the bisector of the angle BCD, hence \angle BCP = \angle DCP = 85^\circ, and thus also \angle BAP = 85^\circ.

It follows that \angle APB = \angle BPC = \angle CPD = 180^\circ - 35^\circ - 85^\circ = 60^\circ. Thus the angle APB has 180^\circ, and hence P does indeed lie on AD. Then obviously \angle BAD = \angle BAP = \boxed{ 85^\circ }.

unitsize(1cm);defaultpen(.8);real a=4;pair A=(0,0), B=a*dir(0), C=B+a*dir(110), D=C+a*dir(120);draw(A--B--C--D--cycle);pair P...

See also

2008 AMC 10B (ProblemsResources)
Preceded by
Problem 23
Followed by
Problem 25
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