Math Problem Statement
ABCD is a rhombus. M and N are the midpoints of BC and CD respectively. Find ∠MAN, if ∠ADC = 120° and AB = 12.
Solution
Given a rhombus , where and are the midpoints of and , and with side , we are tasked with finding .
Step-by-step solution:
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Properties of a Rhombus:
- All sides of a rhombus are equal, so .
- The diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other at right angles (90°), and they bisect the angles at the vertices.
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Angle Calculation:
- Since , and the diagonals bisect the interior angles of the rhombus, each half of is . Therefore, and .
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Vector Approach to Find :
- Let's place the rhombus in a coordinate plane with at the origin, i.e., , and position , , and based on the geometry of the rhombus and the given angles.
- Since the diagonals bisect the angles, we can determine the coordinates of points , , , , and , and use the dot product to find the angle .
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Midpoints and :
- is the midpoint of , and is the midpoint of .
- Using the midpoint formula, we can calculate the coordinates of and .
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Using the Dot Product:
- The dot product of vectors and gives us:
- We can use this to solve for .
After going through the calculations using geometry and vectors, we find that:
Summary:
The measure of is .
Would you like more details on the vector approach or another method to solve this problem?
Here are 5 related questions to expand your understanding:
- How do the diagonals of a rhombus interact with its interior angles?
- How would the solution change if were 90° instead of 120°?
- Can we solve this problem using trigonometry without vectors?
- What are the properties of a rhombus that make this solution possible?
- How would you calculate using only geometric principles?
Tip: In problems involving rhombuses, remember that the diagonals always bisect the angles and intersect at right angles.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Geometry
Rhombus Properties
Vectors
Angle Calculation
Formulas
Midpoint formula: M = [(x1 + x2)/2, (y1 + y2)/2]
Dot product formula: A · B = |A||B|cos(θ)
Theorems
Properties of Rhombus: All sides equal, diagonals bisect each other at 90°
Diagonals bisect interior angles theorem
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 9-12