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CEMC Pascal

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. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Since ∠XMZ=30∘\angle X M Z=30^{\circ}, then ∠XMY=180∘−∠XMZ=180∘−30∘=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 180∘180^{\circ}, then
∠YXM=180∘−∠XYZ−∠XMY=180∘−15∘−150∘=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(180∘−∠XMZ)=12(180∘−30∘)=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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