www.VirtualNerd.com

How Do You Use Complementary Angles to Find a Missing Angle?

In the diagram below, angles LGM and MGH are complementary. Find x.

Summary

  1. Complementary angles add to form right angles
  2. This means they add up to 90 degrees
  3. Since angles LGM and MGH are complementary, they should add up to 90 degrees

Notes

    1. So since they are complementary, if we add angles LGM and MGH they should equal 90 degrees
    1. Angle MGH measures 64.9 degrees
    2. Angle LGM is our unknown
    3. Its measure is the variable 'x', which is what we're trying to find
    1. We can plug x in for the measure of angle LGM and 64.9 degrees in for the measure of angle MGH
    2. Then we'll have an equation we can solve for x
    1. Subtract 64.9 degrees from both sides to solve for x