Setting Up an Advanced Mathematics Equation

Click For Summary
The discussion revolves around solving an equation related to angle relationships, specifically finding angle θ based on the condition that twice the supplement of θ is 104 degrees greater than four times its complement. Participants emphasize the importance of correctly defining supplementary and complementary angles in algebraic terms, leading to the equations s = 180 - θ and c = 90 - θ. They work through algebraic manipulations to simplify the original equation, ultimately arriving at a solution for θ. The final answer determined through their calculations is 52 degrees. The conversation highlights the need for careful algebraic handling and understanding of angle properties.
Medgirl314
Messages
568
Reaction score
2

Homework Statement


Twice the supplement of angle 0 is 104 degrees greater than four times the complement of angle 0. Find 0.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I'm not sure where to begin. I'm good with angle relationships, all I need is the equation.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Medgirl314 said:

Homework Statement


Twice the supplement of angle 0 is 104 degrees greater than four times the complement of angle 0. Find 0.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I'm not sure where to begin. I'm good with angle relationships, all I need is the equation.
You could begin by writing an equation for the supplement and the complement of an angle θ. Then substitute in the equation that you are given:

2s = 4c + 104

AM
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person
Thank you!
 
So the next step would be to divide both sides by 4, yielding 2s=c+26 . Then I could divide both sides by 2, yielding s=c+13. After that,I'm not sure how to proceed, because I still don't know c.
 
Medgirl314 said:
So the next step would be to divide both sides by 4, yielding 2s=c+26 . Then I could divide both sides by 2, yielding s=c+13. After that,I'm not sure how to proceed, because I still don't know c.
Use the definition of supplementary and complementary angles. But check your algebra first! You have to do the same operation to BOTH sides of the equation.

AM
 
I could divide all the things by 2, yielding s=2c+52, but then I don't know what to do with the 2c.
 
Medgirl314 said:
I could divide all the things by 2, yielding s=2c+52, but then I don't know what to do with the 2c.
What is the definition of supplementary angle in terms of θ? What is the definition of complementary angle in terms of θ?

AM
 
I could divide 52 by 2c, but then all I have is s=26c.
 
Oh! Sorry! I was too busy working on randomly dividing that I forgot to check for new replies.
 
  • #10
Medgirl314 said:
I could divide 52 by 2c, but then all I have is s=26c.

You have to follow the rules of algebra first. You must do the same operation to both sides of the equation.

Use s = 2c + 52

s = ? (an expression involving θ)
c = ? "

That gives you a single equation with one unknown: θ, so you have the solution.

AM
 
  • #11
Okay, I know that complementary angles add up to 90 degrees, and supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees, but I'm not sure how to work that into the equation. 2s=180=4c+104 doesn't seem to make sense.
 
  • #12
Annnnd again. xD. I need to refresh the page more often.
 
  • #13
Okay, so I have s=c+52 But I'm not quite sure what to do with my information about complementary and supplementary angles. 180-s=90-c+52 *seems* right, but that introduces more numbers and symbols that don't seem to want to go anywhere.
 
  • #14
So you have some angle ##\theta##. If ##s## is its supplementary, what is it? Write this as a formula ##s = ... ##, where ##...## has ##\theta## in some (correct!) way.
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person
  • #15
Would something along the lines of 0=(180-s=90-c+52) work out somehow? It doesn't seem right. Sorry for the trouble, I'm used to applying equations, not writing them.
 
  • #16
Or 0+s=90-c+52 ?
 
  • #17
You said: "supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees". If the supplementary angles are denoted by ##\theta## and ##s##, write "supplementary angles add up to 180 degrees" as an equation involving ##\theta, \ s ## and 180 degrees.
 
  • #18
Medgirl314 said:
Okay, so I have s=c+52 But I'm not quite sure what to do with my information about complementary and supplementary angles. 180-s=90-c+52 *seems* right, but that introduces more numbers and symbols that don't seem to want to go anywhere.

Thank you! So write that equation, abandoning this one?
 
  • #19
You do not need to abandon your previous work just yet. What you need, to continue, is to obtain equations that relate ##\theta## with ##s##, and ##\theta## with ##c##. Then you come back to your previous work.

The equations I am talking about follow directly from the definitions of supplementary and complimentary angles, which you know. You just need to write those definitions down algebraically.
 
  • #20
Or incorporate it into the old? Possibly s+0=180=c+52 ?
 
  • #21
Oops, we posted at the same time. Is something like the above equation correct?
 
  • #22
Medgirl314 said:
Oops, we posted at the same time. Is something like the above equation correct?
Check the definition of complementary angles.

I suggest you take a step back and go through all of our suggestions and study the problem again. Be very careful with your algebra. You should be able to solve this problem now. You need to figure it out for yourself now.

AM
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person
  • #23
Medgirl314 said:
Or incorporate it into the old? Possibly s+0=180=c+52 ?

Do not incorporate anything into anything just yet. Work out your basic equations first. You have not done so, at least here, despite our requests.
 
  • #24
s+0=180=c+52=90

Thanks, AM. Is that what you meant?
 
  • #25
Okay. Sorry, it is somewhat confusing working with two people at the same time. I'm not sure I understand the requests as you meant them. Voko, when AM left off right before you came in, we had s=c+52
Would you mind restating the next step?
 
  • #26
Medgirl314 said:
Okay. Sorry, it is somewhat confusing working with two people at the same time. I'm not sure I understand the requests as you meant them. Voko, when AM left off right before you came in, we had s=c+52

And I think AM told you it was not correct.

Would you mind restating the next step?

AM told you, as did I, that you need to convert your definitions of complimentary and supplementary angles into an algebraic form. That will give you two equations. Together with the one you got previously (provided it is corrected), that will give you a complete system of equations required to solve this problem.
 
  • #27
Okay. So what we are looking for is to leave his *original* equation the same, but come up with two new equations, which are simply the angle definitions in algebraic form?
 
  • #28
Correct.
 
  • #29
Good.Now we're getting somewhere. I thought you meant to combine those equations with the previous equation.
<0=90-c
<0=180-s

Sorry for the weird signs, they are meant to indicate angles.
 
  • #30
I suggest that you use letter A for what you denoted as <0. So A means "the angle", and c and s are the angles complimentary and supplementary to it, respectively.

Can you recast these equations as c = ... and s = ...? Once you are done with that, you can substitute those into the original equation.
 
  • Like
Likes 1 person

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
4K