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Geometry Difficulty 2.8 Junior Find the answer

What is the measure of XZY\angle X Z Y if MM is the midpoint of YZY Z, XMZ=30\angle X M Z=30^{\circ}, and XYZ=15\angle X Y Z=15^{\circ}?

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Since XMZ=30\angle X M Z=30^{\circ}, then XMY=180XMZ=18030=150\angle X M Y=180^{\circ}-\angle X M Z=180^{\circ}-30^{\circ}=150^{\circ}.
Since the angles in XMY\triangle X M Y add to 180180^{\circ}, then
YXM=180XYZXMY=18015150=15 \angle Y X M=180^{\circ}-\angle X Y Z-\angle X M Y=180^{\circ}-15^{\circ}-150^{\circ}=15^{\circ}
(Alternatively, since XMZ\angle X M Z is an exterior angle of XMY\triangle X M Y, then XMZ=YXM+XYM\angle X M Z=\angle Y X M+\angle X Y M which also gives YXM=15\angle Y X M=15^{\circ}.)
Since XYM=YXM\angle X Y M=\angle Y X M, then XMY\triangle X M Y is isosceles with MX=MYM X=M Y.
But MM is the midpoint of YZY Z, and so MY=MZM Y=M Z.
Since MX=MYM X=M Y and MY=MZM Y=M Z, then MX=MZM X=M Z.
This means that XMZ\triangle X M Z is isosceles with XZM=ZXM\angle X Z M=\angle Z X M.
Therefore, XZY=XZM=12(180XMZ)=12(18030)=75\angle X Z Y=\angle X Z M=\frac{1}{2}\left(180^{\circ}-\angle X M Z\right)=\frac{1}{2}\left(180^{\circ}-30^{\circ}\right)=75^{\circ}.

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