triangle LMN is inscribed inside a circle with diameter LM and the inscribed angle at N. the length of LM is 22 cm and the < MLN=20 degrees. using what you know about inscribed angl;es, find the approximate side length, MN

3 answers

To find the length of side \( MN \) in triangle \( LMN \), we can use properties of triangles inscribed in a circle (cyclic triangles) and the relationship between the angle and the arc opposite to it.

Given:

  • The diameter \( LM = 22 \) cm.
  • The inscribed angle \( \angle MLN = 20^\circ \).

Step 1: Identify the angle subtended by arc \( LN \)

Since \( LM \) is the diameter of the circle, angle \( MLN \) subtends the arc \( LN \) on the circle, and we can apply the following property of inscribed angles:

\[ \text{The angle subtended at the center (}\angle LON\text{) is twice the inscribed angle (}\angle MLN\text{):} \] \[ \angle LON = 2 \times \angle MLN = 2 \times 20^\circ = 40^\circ. \]

Step 2: Calculate the length of arc \( LN \)

Using the angle at the center, we can find the length of arc \( LN \). The total circumference \( C \) of the circumcircle is given by:

\[ C = \pi \times d = \pi \times 22 \text{ cm}. \]

The portion of the circumference that corresponds to arc \( LN \) can be calculated based on the central angle \( \angle LON \).

\[ \text{Length of arc } LN = \frac{\angle LON}{360^\circ} \times C = \frac{40}{360} \times \pi \times 22 \text{ cm}. \]

This length can be simplified as:

\[ \text{Length of arc } LN = \frac{1}{9} \times \pi \times 22 \text{ cm} \approx \frac{22\pi}{9} \text{ cm} \approx 7.69 \text{ cm} \text{ (using } \pi \approx 3.14\text{)}. \]

Step 3: Use the sine rule to find side \( MN \)

Now, we will apply the sine rule. In triangle \( LMN \):

\[ \frac{MN}{\sin(\alpha)} = \frac{LM}{\sin(\angle MLN)}, \]

where \( \alpha = \angle MNL \).

Since \( \angle MLN = 20^\circ \), we can find \( \alpha \) as follows. We know that

\[ \angle MLN + \angle MNL + \angle NML = 180^\circ, \]

with \( \angle NML = 90^\circ \) (since it's inscribed in a semicircle):

This gives us:

\[ 20^\circ + \alpha + 90^\circ = 180^\circ \Rightarrow \alpha = 70^\circ. \]

Step 4: Substitute and solve for \( MN \)

Now we can use the length of \( LM = 22 \text{ cm} \) and the known angles:

\[ \frac{MN}{\sin(70^\circ)} = \frac{22}{\sin(20^\circ)}. \]

Using approximate values for the sine function:

\[ \sin(70^\circ) \approx 0.9397, \quad \sin(20^\circ) \approx 0.3420. \]

Substituting these values into the equation gives:

\[ MN \approx \frac{22 \cdot \sin(70^\circ)}{\sin(20^\circ)} \approx \frac{22 \cdot 0.9397}{0.3420}. \]

Calculating this yields:

\[ MN \approx \frac{20.6344}{0.3420} \approx 60.37 \text{ cm}. \]

Final Answer

Thus, the approximate length of side \( MN \) is approximately \( 60.37 \text{ cm} \).

answer choices are

8 cm
6.8 cm
7.5 cm
20.7 cm

I apologize for the earlier confusion. Let's re-evaluate the problem with more straightforward geometry.

Given:

  • \( LM = 22 \) cm (diameter of the circle).
  • \( \angle MLN = 20^\circ \).

Step-by-step Solution

  1. Understanding the Triangle and Circle:

    • Since \( LM \) is the diameter of the circle, triangle \( LMN \) is a right triangle with \( \angle LNM = 90^\circ \) because any angle subtended by a diameter is a right angle.
  2. Using the Properties of Sine:

    • We can use the sine ratio to find the length of \( MN \).
    • In triangle \( LMN \), we know:
      • \( \angle MLN = 20^\circ \)
      • \( \angle LNM = 90^\circ \)
      • \( LM \) is the hypotenuse, which is \( 22 \) cm.

    The sine of angle \( MLN \) can be used to relate the opposite side \( MN \) to the hypotenuse \( LM \):

    \[ \sin(\angle MLN) = \frac{MN}{LM} \]

    Substituting the known values:

    \[ \sin(20^\circ) = \frac{MN}{22} \]

  3. Calculating \( MN \):

    • First, let's calculate \( \sin(20^\circ) \):

    \(\sin(20^\circ) \approx 0.3420\)

    Now, we can set up our equation:

    \[ 0.3420 = \frac{MN}{22} \]

    Rearranging gives:

    \[ MN = 22 \cdot 0.3420 \approx 7.524 \text{ cm} \]

Conclusion

Based on the calculations, the length of \( MN \) is approximately 7.5 cm, which matches one of the given answer choices. Thank you for your patience!