Sign In
Substitute the number of sides for n into the given expressions. Then compare the results with the given angle measures.
C
We want to determine the expression that best represents the degree measure of an interior angle of a regular polygon with n sides. To do so, we will use the given table.
| Polygon | Number of Sides | Angle Measure |
|---|---|---|
| triangle | 3 | 60 |
| quadrilateral | 4 | 90 |
| pentagon | 5 | 108 |
| hexagon | 6 | 120 |
| heptagon | 7 | 128.5 |
| octagon | 8 | 135 |
| Answer | Expression | Substitute | Evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | (180+n)÷ n | (180+ 3)÷ 3 | 70 |
| B | 180/n | 180/3 | 60 |
| C | [180(n-2)]÷ n | [180( 3-2)]÷ 3 | 60 |
| D | 30(n-1) | 30( 3-1) | 60 |
In case of triangles, when evaluating these expressions, we are supposed to obtain an angle measure of 60 degrees. Since the result in option A is not equal to 60, answer A is not correct. Now we can consider only three options: B, C, and D. Let's substitute 4 for n into these expressions.
| Answer | Expression | Substitute | Evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | 180/n | 180/4 | 45 |
| C | [180(n-2)]÷ n | [180(4-2)]÷ 4 | 90 |
| D | 30(n-1) | 30(4-1) | 90 |
For quadrilaterals, we are supposed to obtain an angle measure of 90 degrees after evaluating these expressions. Since the result in option B is not equal to 90, answer B is not correct. Therefore, we can consider only two options: C and D. Next, we will substitute 5 for n into these expressions.
| Answer | Expression | Substitute | Evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | [180(n-2)]÷ n | [180( 5-2)]÷ 5 | 108 |
| D | 30(n-1) | 30( 5-1) | 120 |
For pentagons, we are supposed to get 108 degrees after evaluating these expressions. Since the angle measure in option D is not equal to 108, answer D is not correct. We can see that C is the only answer that can be correct. Let's check whether the expression from option C accurately finds the degree measure for hexagons, heptagons, and octagons.
| Answer | Expression | Substitute | Evaluate |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | [180(n-2)]÷ n | ||
| [180( 6-2)]÷ 6 | 120 | ||
| [180( 7-2)]÷ 7 | 128.5 | ||
| [180( 8-2)]÷ 8 | 135 |
After substituting 6, 7, and 8 into this expression, we obtained the correct values of angle measures. Since this expression best represents the degree measure of an interior angle of a regular polygon with n sides, the correct answer is C.