Geometry - Arcs created by Secant Lines

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marenubium
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Homework Statement



This picture:
http://i.imgur.com/n015WjU.png

It's drawn with exactly the amount of information from the worksheet. Specifically, the two secants meet at a point, with an angle of 28 degrees between them. Both secants partition off an arc of 120 degrees. The goal is to find the arc labeled x.

Homework Equations



Theorem (1): If an angle's vertex lies on a circle, then the angle is equal to half of the subtended arc.
Theorem (2): An angle is a central angle IFF the subtended arc is equal to the measure of the angle.

The Attempt at a Solution



Visual aid:
http://i.imgur.com/14Xoqfz.png

I labeled the points where the secants touch the circle A, B, C, D I then drew the purple lines.

By theorem 1, angles ADB, CBD are both 60 degrees.

Thus angle BED is 60 degrees since BED is a triangle, formed out of three straight lines.

Since AD is a straight line, AEB + BED = 180 degrees.

Thus AEB = 120 degrees.

This violates Theorem 2 since E is clearly not the center of the circle. I'm honestly not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've stared at this on and off for a couple hours now. Thanks for any directions.
 
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marenubium said:

Homework Statement



This picture:
Diagram of a circle with two secant lines meeting at an external point on the left, labelled 28 degrees, with arcs marked 120 degree arc at the top and 120 degree arc at the bottom, and an unlabelled point x on the right of the circle.


It's drawn with exactly the amount of information from the worksheet. Specifically, the two secants meet at a point, with an angle of 28 degrees between them. Both secants partition off an arc of 120 degrees. The goal is to find the arc labeled x.

Homework Equations



Theorem (1): If an angle's vertex lies on a circle, then the angle is equal to half of the subtended arc.
Theorem (2): An angle is a central angle IFF the subtended arc is equal to the measure of the angle.

The Attempt at a Solution



Visual aid:
http://i.imgur.com/14Xoqfz.png

I labeled the points where the secants touch the circle A, B, C, D I then drew the purple lines.

By theorem 1, angles ADB, CBD are both 60 degrees.

Thus angle BED is 60 degrees since BED is a triangle, formed out of three straight lines.

Since AD is a straight line, AEB + BED = 180 degrees.

Thus AEB = 120 degrees.

This violates Theorem 2 since E is clearly not the center of the circle. I'm honestly not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've stared at this on and off for a couple hours now. Thanks for any directions.
Use the central angles. Theorem 2 is not true for angle AEB. What is subtended arc?
 
Last edited:
Some more hints:

Geometry diagram of a circle with two secant lines meeting outside it at a point marked 28 degrees; labelled 120 degree arcs, a 120 degree central angle, and red, green and blue angle wedges with a marked point x.

Determine the green angles, then the red ones. With the 28° angle and the red ones, you get the blue angle, and then x.
 
Thank you. I guess my problem is I forgot that I could manufacture central angles even though the figure didn't contain the center of the circle.