Question 653319: Two angles are complementary. One angel is 4 less than three times the other angle. Find the measure of the angles.
Answer by Shana-D77(132)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Here we set up two equations and then put them together.
First, we need to remember that complementary angles add to 90.
So,
Let x = one angle
Let y = the other angle
x + y = 90 (the complementary angles add to 90). This is our first equation.
Now we literally translate word-for-word "One angel is 4 less than three times the other angle":
one angle(x) IS(=) four less than(-4) three times the other angle(3y)
let's clean that up a bit:
x = 3y - 4
((remember "less than" is always a subtraction at the end)
our two equations are:
x = 3y - 4
x + y = 90
Since we know x = 3y - 4, we plug this into the other equation:
x + y = 80
(3y - 4) + y = 90 (This is the hardest part to get. Study this part until you get it and then these problems will be easy from now on. If you can't get this part, email me and I will explain further.)
4y - 4 = 90 (combined like terms)
4y = 94 (added 4 to both sides)
y = 23.5 degrees
Since one angle is 23.5 degrees, the other complementary angle is 90 - 23.5 = 66.5 degrees.
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