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Bendy Quad

Age 14 to 16
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Secondary curriculum
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Suppose one angle is 60 degrees as shown in the diagram.

Suppose the angle $s$ is $60$ degrees, then it is easy to calculate the length of the diagonal and from that to calculatethe opposite angle in the diagram.

You might like to check your answer by drawing the quadrilateral accurately, using ruler and compasses only, and then measuring the angles.

Calculate the other angles of the quadrilateral.


Now calculate the angles of the cyclic quadrilateral formed by keeping the lengths of the sides the same and changing the angles so that opposite angles add up to 180 degrees. You might wish to use a spreadsheet.

quad
The question states that the quadrilateral is convex; this means that the angles $s$ and $q$ are at most $180$ degrees.

Imagine moving the rods to make the angle $s$ as large or as small as possible. Find the largest and smallest values of $s$ and $q$.


To calculate the angles of the cyclic quadrilateral formed by keeping the lengths of the sides the same and changing the angles so that opposite angles add up to $180$ degrees you simply need to use the fact that, in this case, $\cos s = - \cos q$.


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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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