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Investigating Quadrilaterals Inscribed in a Circle

Consider a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle. Move its vertices and analyze how the measures of the interior angles change.
What relationship between the angle measures can be observed?

Example

Using the Inscribed Quadrilateral Theorem

The Inscribed Quadrilateral Theorem can be used to identify whether a quadrilateral is cyclic.

Tiffaniqua is given a quadrilateral She wants to draw a circle that passes through all the vertices, but she does not know if it is possible. For that reason, she decided to measure the angles of

A quadrilateral with the given angle measures
Help Tiffaniqua determine whether it is possible to inscribe into a circle.

Hint

Compare the sums of the opposite angles' measures.

Solution

The Inscribed Quadrilateral Theorem can be used to determine whether is cyclic. According this theorem, the opposite angles of the quadrilateral need to be supplementary. Calculate the sum of opposite angles' measures and see if it is true.

Pair Pair
Opposite Angles and and
Sum

The sum of the angle measures in each pair is not equal to Therefore, neither and nor and are supplementary. This finding implies that is not a cyclic quadrilateral.

Not cyclic quadrilateral

Pop Quiz

Practice Using the Inscribed Quadrilateral Theorem

Find the measure of Write your answer without the degree symbol.

Quadrilateral ABCD inscribed in a circle with the given measure of angle B

Example

Using the Cyclic Quadrilateral Exterior Angle Theorem

Davontay wants to go to a concert, but his parents say that he has to finish his homework first. In the last math exercise, he is asked to find the values of all variables.

A quadrilateral inscribed in a circle with two extended sides

Help Davontay solve the last exercise so that he can go to the concert.

Hint

Identify the exterior angles to the inscribed quadrilateral and the opposite interior angles. Then use the property that states these angles are congruent.

Solution

By observing the diagram, and can be recognized to form a linear pair, so they are supplementary angles.
By substituting for and for into the equation, the value of can be calculated.
The value of is Next, notice that is the exterior angle of while is the opposite interior angle.
A quadrilateral inscribed in a circle with two extended sides
Therefore, these angles are congruent.
The measure of is and the measure of is By substituting these values and solving the equation, the value of can be found.
Therefore, the value of is Similarly, and are the exterior angle and the opposite interior angle, respectively.
A quadrilateral inscribed in a circle with two extended sides
By the property mentioned earlier, these angles are congruent.
The measure of is and the measure of is which is equal to This information can be used to determine the value of
The value of is

Discussion

Properties of Inscribed Quadrilaterals in a Circle

Consider an inscribed quadrilateral Draw a perpendicular bisector to each side of the polygon.
circle
As can be observed, all the perpendicular bisectors intersect at the center of the circle. This property is true for all cyclic quadrilaterals.