Maths Olympiad Prep

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Geometry Difficulty 2.4 Junior Find the answer Canada

In the diagram, pentagon TPSRQTPSRQ is constructed from equilateral PTQ\triangle PTQ and square PQRSPQRS.

The measure of STR\angle STR is equal to

Pick one

Solution

Join SS to TT and RR to TT.

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Since PQRSPQRS is a square, SPQ=90\angle SPQ = 90^\circ.

Since PTQ\triangle PTQ is equilateral, TPQ=60\angle TPQ = 60^\circ.

Therefore, SPT=SPQ+TPQ=90+60\angle SPT = \angle SPQ + \angle TPQ = 90^\circ + 60^\circ.

Since PQRSPQRS is a square, SP=PQSP= PQ.

Since PTQ\triangle PTQ is equilateral, TP=PQTP = PQ.

Since SP=PQSP = PQ and TP=PQTP = PQ, then SP=TPSP = TP which means that SPT\triangle SPT is isosceles.

Thus, PTS=12(180SPT)=12(180150)=15\angle PTS = \frac{1}{2}(180^\circ - \angle SPT) = \frac{1}{2}(180^\circ - 150^\circ) = 15^\circ.

Using a similar argument, we can show that QTR=15\angle QTR = 15^\circ.

This means that STR=PTQPTSQTR=601515=30\angle STR = \angle PTQ - \angle PTS - \angle QTR = 60^\circ - 15^\circ - 15^\circ = 30^\circ.

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Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.