SOLUTION: A regular pentadecagon is a polygon with 15 congruent sides. A regular icosagon is a polygon with 20 congruent sides. Using these definitions, determine the smallest positive

Algebra ->  Polygons -> SOLUTION: A regular pentadecagon is a polygon with 15 congruent sides. A regular icosagon is a polygon with 20 congruent sides. Using these definitions, determine the smallest positive       Log On


   



Question 1071601: A regular pentadecagon is a polygon with 15 congruent sides. A regular icosagon is a polygon with 20 congruent sides.
Using these definitions, determine the smallest positive angle of rotation about their centers that carries both a regular pentadecagon onto itself and a regular icosagon onto itself.

Answer by Edwin McCravy(20059) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Any rotation of a regular polygon with n sides about its center 
through an angle which is a positive integer multiple of the 
central angle of the regular polygon carries the regular polygon 
onto itself.  The central angle of a regular polygon with n sides 
is 360°/n.  

For a regular pentadecagon, the central angle is 360°/15 = 24°
For a regular icosagon, the central angle is 360°/20 = 18°

The smallest positive angle of rotation about their centers that 
carries both a regular pentadecagon onto itself and a regular 
icosagon onto itself is therefore the least common multiple of 
24° and 18°, which is 72°.

Edwin