Questions: If the angle ABD is 60 degrees, what is angle BAC? Show all your work.
Transcript text: If the $\angle A B D$ is 60 degrees, what is $\angle B A C$ ? Show all your work.
Solution
If $\angle ABD$ is 60 degrees, what is $\angle BAC$?
Given
$\angle ABD = 60^{\circ}$
Since B, D, and C are collinear,
$\angle ABC = 180^{\circ}$.
Thus,
$\angle DBC = 180^{\circ} - \angle ABD = 180^{\circ} - 60^{\circ} = 120^{\circ}$
In $\triangle ABC$, AD is the altitude, and D is the midpoint of BC, therefore
AD is also the median, angle bisector, and perpendicular bisector of BC.
Since AD is the median,
BD = CD.
Since AD is an altitude,
AD is perpendicular to BC. Therefore $\angle ADB = \angle ADC = 90^{\circ}$.
Since AD is the angle bisector,
$\angle BAD = \angle CAD$. Let $\angle BAC = x$. Then $\angle BAD = \angle CAD = \frac{x}{2}$.
Consider $\triangle ABD$. We know $\angle ABD = 60^{\circ}$ and $\angle ADB = 90^{\circ}$. Therefore
$\angle BAD + \angle ABD + \angle ADB = 180^{\circ}$
$\frac{x}{2} + 60^{\circ} + 90^{\circ} = 180^{\circ}$
$\frac{x}{2} + 150^{\circ} = 180^{\circ}$
$\frac{x}{2} = 30^{\circ}$
$x = 60^{\circ}$