Question 68 of 480
In a regular polygon, each interior angle doubles its corresponding exterior angle. Find the number of sides of the polygon.
Correct Answer:
B
Explanation
To solve the problem of finding the number of sides of a regular polygon where each interior angle doubles its corresponding exterior angle, we need to understand the relationship between interior and exterior angles in polygons.
### Step-by-Step Explanation
1. **Understanding Interior and Exterior Angles**:
- In any polygon, the sum of the exterior angles is always \(360^\circ\).
- The measure of each exterior angle of a regular polygon (where all sides and angles are equal) can be calculated using the formula:
\[
\text{Exterior Angle} = \frac{360^\circ}{n}
\]
where \(n\) is the number of sides of the polygon.
2. **Relationship Between Interior and Exterior Angles**:
- The interior angle of a polygon is related to its exterior angle by the formula:
\[
\text{Interior Angle} = 180^\circ - \text{Exterior Angle}
\]
- Given the problem states that each interior angle doubles its corresponding exterior angle, we can express this relationship mathematically:
\[
\text{Interior Angle} = 2 \times \text{Exterior Angle}
\]
3. **Setting Up the Equation**:
- Substituting the expression for the interior angle into the equation gives:
\[
180^\circ - \text{Exterior Angle} = 2 \times \text{Exterior Angle}
\]
- Letβs denote the exterior angle as \(E\):
\[
180^\circ - E = 2E
\]
- Rearranging this equation:
\[
180^\circ = 3E
\]
- Solving for \(E\):
\[
E = \frac{180^\circ}{3} = 60^\circ
\]
4. **Finding the Number of Sides**:
- Now that we have the exterior angle, we can find the number of sides \(n\) using the exterior angle formula:
\[
E = \frac{360^\circ}{n}
\]
- Substituting \(E = 60^\circ\) into the equation:
\[
60^\circ = \frac{360^\circ}{n}
\]
- Rearranging to solve for \(n\):
\[
n = \frac{360^\circ}{60^\circ} = 6
\]
### Conclusion
The number of sides of the polygon is **6**.
### Explanation of Other Options
- **Option A (8)**: If the polygon had 8 sides, the exterior angle would be \( \frac{360^\circ}{8} = 45^\circ\). The corresponding interior angle would be \(180^\circ - 45^\circ = 135^\circ\), which does not satisfy the condition of the interior angle being double the exterior angle.
- **Option C (4)**: For a polygon with 4 sides (a square), the exterior angle is \( \frac{360^\circ}{4} = 90^\circ\). The interior angle would be \(180^\circ - 90^\circ = 90^\circ\), which again does not satisfy the condition.
- **Option D (3)**: For a triangle, the exterior angle is \( \frac{360^\circ}{3} = 120^\circ\). The interior angle would be \(180^\circ - 120^\circ = 60^\circ\), which does not satisfy the condition either.
### Revision Summary
- The relationship between interior and exterior angles is crucial in polygon problems.
- The exterior angle can be calculated as \( \frac{360^\circ}{n} \).
- The interior angle is \( 180^\circ - \text{Exterior Angle} \).
- For this problem, the correct number of sides of the polygon is **6**.