Triangle is similar to triangle , where angle corresponds to angle and angle corresponds to angle . Angles and are right angles. If , what is the value of ?
Correct answer: .14 or 7/50
Explanation
The correct answer is . It's given that triangle is similar to triangle , where angle corresponds to angle and angle corresponds to angle . In similar triangles, the tangents of corresponding angles are equal. Since angle and angle are corresponding angles, if , then . It's also given that angles and are right angles. It follows that triangle is a right triangle with acute angles and . The tangent of one acute angle in a right triangle is the inverse of the tangent of the other acute angle in the triangle. Therefore, . Substituting for in this equation yields , or . Thus, if , the value of is . Note that 7/50 and .14 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
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