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The 180 Rule

Part of the Angles section of Coddy's Geometry journey. Lesson 42 of 62.

The three interior angles of any triangle add to 180°. Here is why. Draw a line through the top corner, the apex, parallel to the base. The two base angles copy themselves up to the apex as alternate angles (the Z pairs, marked with matching arcs), and there the three angles sit side by side on a straight line: 180°.

A 60-50-70 triangle with a line through the apex parallel to the base, the base angles copied up as alternate angles

At the apex, the copied angles of 60° and 50° lie on either side of the 70° angle. Together they form a straight angle: 60 + 70 + 50 = 180. These are the same measures as the triangle's three interior angles, so those also add to 180°.

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Challenge

Easy

Two angles of the triangle measure 65° and 70°; the third is x°.

A triangle with angles 70, 65 and x degrees

Find x.

Try it yourself

x + (65 + 70) = 180

Solve for x

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