An angle measures 36° less than the measure of its supplementary angle. What is the measure of each angle?

1 answer

Let the measure of the unknown angle be \( x \) degrees. The supplementary angle, which adds up to 180° with the angle \( x \), can be expressed as \( 180° - x \).

According to the problem, the angle \( x \) measures 36° less than its supplementary angle. This can be written as an equation:

\[ x = (180° - x) - 36° \]

Now, simplify the equation:

\[ x = 180° - x - 36° \] \[ x = 144° - x \]

Next, add \( x \) to both sides to combine like terms:

\[ x + x = 144° \] \[ 2x = 144° \]

Now, divide both sides by 2 to solve for \( x \):

\[ x = \frac{144°}{2} = 72° \]

Now that we know the measure of the unknown angle \( x \), we can find its supplementary angle:

\[ 180° - x = 180° - 72° = 108° \]

Thus, the measures of the angles are:

  • The unknown angle: \( 72° \)
  • Its supplementary angle: \( 108° \)

To recap:

  • The unknown angle measures 72°
  • Its supplementary angle measures 108°