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GCSE Maths · EdexcelChapter 17 · Angles, polygons and symmetry
GCSE Maths · Angles, Polygons and Symmetry · Higher · Lesson 17.3

GCSE Maths: Angles in triangles (Higher)

Part of the GCSE Maths angles, polygons and symmetry chapter (Higher). Chapter overview · Foundation version of this lesson · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)

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17.3

Angles in triangles

Edexcel 1MA1: G3, G6
Grade 2-5

The three angles of any triangle add up to 180°. You can see why with a piece of paper: draw any triangle, tear off its three corners, and place them side by side with the points touching. They always fit together to make a straight line, and a straight line is 180°. (Section 17.9 explains a proper proof.)

abcabc
The three angles of a triangle (a, b, c) fit together to make a straight line: a + b + c = 180°.

To find a missing angle, add the two you know and subtract the total from 180°.

Isosceles triangles. An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The angles opposite the equal sides are also equal. These are called the base angles. The ticks on the diagram show which sides are equal. If you know the angle at the top (the apex), subtract it from 180° and share the rest equally between the two base angles. If you know a base angle, the other base angle is the same, and the apex is 180° minus the two base angles.

xx50°ABC
AC = BC (one tick each), so the base angles at A and B are equal.

Equilateral triangles. An equilateral triangle has three equal sides and three equal angles. Each angle is 180° ÷ 3 = 60°.

Right-angled triangles have one angle of 90°, so the other two angles add up to 90°. A triangle with all angles less than 90° is acute-angled, and one with an angle bigger than 90° is obtuse-angled. A scalene triangle has no equal sides.

Exterior angles. If you extend one side of a triangle, you make an exterior angle outside the triangle. The exterior angle and the interior angle next to it are on a straight line, so they add up to 180°. This leads to a very useful shortcut: an exterior angle of a triangle equals the sum of the two opposite interior angles (the two corners it is not next to).

50°60°xABC
The exterior angle x = 50° + 60° = 110°.

Key ideas

  • Angles in a triangle add up to 180°.
  • Isosceles: two equal sides, and the base angles (opposite the equal sides) are equal.
  • Equilateral: three equal sides and three angles of 60°.
  • Right-angled: one angle is 90°, so the other two add to 90°.
  • Exterior angle of a triangle = the sum of the two opposite interior angles.
  • Exterior angle + its interior angle = 180° (straight line).
Worked example 17.3.1
The diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
52°71°xABC

Key words. An angle measures a turn and is written in degrees (°). A reason is the angle fact you used, written in words, for example “angles on a straight line add up to 180°”. In an exam you gain a mark for the reason as well as for the number.

Method. The angles in the triangle must add up to 180°. Add the angles we know and subtract from 180°.

  1. Choose the angle fact. If you tear off the three corners of any triangle and place them side by side they form a straight line, so the three angles make 180°.
    Angles in a triangle add up to 180°.
  2. Add up the angles we already know. We need their total, so we can see how much of the 180° is left.
    52 + 71 = 123°
  3. Subtract that total from 180°. All the angles together must make 180°, so the missing angle is whatever is left over.
    180 − 123 = 57°
    x = 57°

Check. Add all the angles: 52 + 71 + 57 = 180°, which is 180°. ✓

Watch out. Subtract from the correct total: 180° for a straight line or a triangle, 360° for a full turn or a quadrilateral.

Worked example 17.3.2
The diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
48°xABC

Key words. An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The base angles are the two angles opposite the equal sides. The apex is the angle between the equal sides.

Method. The two base angles are equal. Take the apex angle away from 180° and share what is left between the two base angles.

  1. Say which angles are equal. In an isosceles triangle the two sides marked with ticks are equal. The angles opposite them (the base angles) are also equal.
    The two base angles are both x.
    Reason: Base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal.
  2. Use the angle sum of a triangle. If you tear off the three corners of any triangle and place them side by side they form a straight line, so the three angles make 180°.
    48° + x + x = 180°
  3. Subtract the apex angle. This leaves the total of the two base angles.
    2x = 180 − 48 = 132°
  4. Divide by 2. The two base angles are equal, so each is half of the total.
    x = 132 ÷ 2 = 66°

Check. Add all three angles: 48 + 66 + 66 = 180°, which is 180°. ✓

Watch out. Share the remaining angle equally: divide by 2. Do not give each base angle the whole remainder.

Worked example 17.3.3
The diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
38°xABC

Key words. An isosceles triangle has two equal sides. The base angles are the two angles opposite the equal sides. The apex is the angle between the equal sides.

Method. The two base angles are equal. Add them, then take the total away from 180°.

  1. Say which angles are equal. The ticks show two equal sides, so the base angles are equal. We are given one base angle, so the other one is the same.
    Other base angle = 38°
    Reason: Base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal.
  2. Add the two base angles. We need their total to take away from 180°.
    38 + 38 = 76°
  3. Use the angle sum of a triangle. If you tear off the three corners of any triangle and place them side by side they form a straight line, so the three angles make 180°.
    180 − 76 = 104°
    x = 104°

Check. Add all three angles: 38 + 38 + 104 = 180°, which is 180°. ✓

Watch out. Do not forget the second base angle: there are two equal angles, so subtract twice the base angle.

Worked example 17.3.4
The side BC of triangle ABC is extended. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
47°68°xABC

Key words. An exterior angle is formed outside a shape by extending one of its sides. The opposite interior angles are the two corners of the triangle that do not touch it.

Method. The exterior angle of a triangle equals the sum of the two opposite interior angles.

  1. Spot the exterior angle. An exterior angle is made when one side of the triangle is extended. The angle x is outside the triangle.
    x is an exterior angle.
  2. Use the exterior angle fact. The exterior angle equals the sum of the two interior angles that are not next to it (the opposite interior angles).
    The exterior angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of the two opposite interior angles.
  3. Add the two opposite angles. The two angles not next to x are 47° and 68°.
    x = 47 + 68 = 115°

Check. Another way: the third angle of the triangle is 180 − 47 − 68 = 65°, and on a straight line 65 + x = 180, so x = 115°. ✓

Watch out. Use the two angles opposite the exterior angle, not the angle next to it.

Worked example 17.3.5
The diagram shows a triangle. Work out the value of x. Work out the size of the largest angle.
2x + 10°3x°x + 20°ABC

Key words. An angle measures a turn and is written in degrees (°). A reason is the angle fact you used, written in words, for example “angles on a straight line add up to 180°”. In an exam you gain a mark for the reason as well as for the number.

Method. Add the expressions and put them equal to 180°. Solve the equation, then substitute to find the angles.

  1. Choose the angle fact. If you tear off the three corners of any triangle and place them side by side they form a straight line, so the three angles make 180°.
    Angles in a triangle add up to 180°.
  2. Write an equation. The angles must add up to 180°, so we add all the expressions and put the answer equal to 180.
    (2x + 10°) + 3x° + (x + 20°) = 180°
  3. Collect like terms. Add all the x terms together, and add all the plain numbers together.
    6x + 30 = 180
  4. Get the number on the other side. Subtract 30 from both sides.
    6x = 150
  5. Divide both sides by 6. 6x means 6 × x, so dividing by 6 leaves x on its own.
    x = 150 ÷ 6 = 25
  6. Substitute x = 25 to find each angle (if the question needs them). The question may ask for the size of an angle, not just for x.
    2x + 10° = 2 × 25 + 10 = 60°
    3x° = 3 × 25 = 75°
    x + 20° = 1 × 25 + 20 = 45°

Check. Add the angles: 60 + 75 + 45 = 180°, which is 180°. ✓

Watch out. The value of x is not the size of the angle. Substitute x into each expression to find the angles, and check that they add to the right total.

Watch out

The base angles of an isosceles triangle are the angles opposite the equal sides, which are at the ends of the third side (the base). Students often assume that the two angles next to the 50° are equal even when the ticks are on different sides. Always read the ticks.

Exercise 17C  Angles in triangles

Non-calculator
1
FThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
50°65°xABC
2
FThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of angle x.
x38°72°PQR
3
FThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
24°x105°XYZ
4
FThe diagram shows a right-angled triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
34°xABC
5
FThe diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
40°xABC
6
FThe diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
65°xABC
7
FThe diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
100°xPQR
8
FThe diagram shows an isosceles triangle. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
35°xDEF
9
FTriangle ABC is equilateral. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason.
xABC
10
FThe side BC of triangle ABC is extended. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
50°60°xABC
11
FThe side BC of triangle ABC is extended. Work out the size of angle x. Give a reason for your answer.
35°78°xPQR
12
FTriangle ABC has angle A = 70° and angle B = 45°. Write down the type of triangle (acute-angled, right-angled or obtuse-angled). Show your working.
13
PSA roof truss is an isosceles triangle. The angle at the top is 110°. Work out the size of each of the other two angles.
14
PSThe three angles of a triangle are in the ratio 1 : 2 : 3. Work out the size of each angle and say what type of triangle it is.
15
FThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of each angle.
x°2x°3x°ABC
16
PSThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the value of x.
2x + 10°3x°x + 20°PQR
17
RExplain why a triangle cannot have two right angles.
18
RSam says: “The angles in my triangle are 70°, 60° and 60°.” Is Sam correct? Give a reason.
19
RIn triangle ABC, AC = BC and the exterior angle at C is 130°. Work out the size of angle CAB.
130°ABC
20
RThe diagram shows a triangle with one side extended. Work out the value of x.
2xx + 305x − 10ABC
21
PSThe diagram shows a triangle. Work out the size of the angle marked 4x°.
2x + 10°2x + 10°4x°ABC
22
RThe angle at the top of an isosceles triangle is x. Find an expression for a base angle in terms of x. Hence show that a base angle of an isosceles triangle is always less than 90°.

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