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Supplementary angles

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A pair of supplementary angles

Supplementary angles are pairs of angles that add up to 180 degrees. Thus the supplement of an angle of x degrees is an angle of (180 − x) degrees.

If the two supplementary angles are adjacent (i.e. have a common vertex and share just one side), their non-shared sides form a straight line. However, supplementary angles do not have to be on the same line, and can be separated in space. For example, adjacent angles of a parallelogram are supplementary, and opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral (one whose vertices all fall on a single circle) are supplementary.

If a point P is exterior to a circle with center O, and if the tangent lines from P touch the circle at points T and Q, then ∠TPQ and ∠TOQ are supplementary.

Trigonometric ratios

The sines of supplementary angles are equal. Their cosines and tangents (unless undefined) are equal in magnitude but have opposite signs.

See also

  • Animated demonstration - Interactive applet and explanation of the characteristics of supplementary angles.
  • Angle definition pages with interactive applets that are also useful in a classroom setting. Math Open Reference