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Adjacent Angles And Common Vertex Explained Clearly

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What Are Adjacent Angles With Common Vertex Definition Properties And Solved Examples

There are numerous examples of adjacent angles in regular activities. The most typical real-world example of adjacent angles is two pizza slices next to one another. The hour, minute, and second hands on a clock, which, when all three are separated from one another, form adjacent angles. The steering wheel of a car has three adjacent angles that we can locate. When two angles are next to each other, the angle created by two non-common arms and one common arm constitutes their sum. Angles that are always placed next to one another, sharing a common vertex and common side but not overlapping, are said to be adjacent angles.


Common Vertex

A vertex that is shared by two angles is known as a common vertex. In other words, the intersection of any two linear structures (like line, line segment, ray) is known as a vertex. Vertices are found at the points where parallel lines and transversals cross, in the corners of polygons, and as the central angles of circles.


Common Side

Two angles having the same vertex can have a common side, which can be a line, ray, or line segment. The common side and one other side are used by both angles.


Common vertex and Common side


Common vertex and Common side


What are Adjacent Angles?

Angles that are always placed next to one another, sharing a common vertex and common side but not overlapping, are said to be adjacent angles. So, we can say that a common vertex point is required for making an adjacent angle. In its simplest form, we can say that angles that have a common vertex and side but not overlapping are termed adjacent angles.


Adjacent angles can be distinguished by these characteristics:

  1. The common vertex exists.

  2. The common side exists.


Adjacent Angles


Adjacent Angles


In the above image angles, ABC and CBD are adjacent angles because:

There is a common side that is line CB.

There is a common vertex B.


Examples of Adjacent Angles

Linear Pair

You must try to imagine a cross to fully understand the look of a linear pair. So, four angles are formed when two lines cross. Below image showing two opposite rays with a common vertex.


Linear Pair


Linear Pair


The image above shows four angles with the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 written next to them. The linear angles in this cross are 1 and 3, 3 and 2, 2 and 4, 4 and 1.


If two angles add up to 180 degrees is a second way to confirm that they are a linear pair. Each pair of supplementary linear angles always sums to 180 degrees.


Vertically Opposite Angles

Even though they are technically not adjacent angles, vertically opposite angles are usually present where adjacent angles are.


Vertical opposite angles


Vertical opposite angles


Although they have already been discussed, vertical angles only have one vertex in common and no common sides. If we look at the image above, the angles 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 are viewed as being vertically opposite. The fact that they measure the same is a significant necessity for vertically opposite angles. As an illustration, if angle 1 measures 60 degrees, angle 2 would also be 60 degrees.


Solved Examples

Example 1: Identify all the adjacent angles in the given figure.


Adjacent angles


Adjacent angles


Ans: Here adjacent angles are:

$\angle \mathrm{AOE}$ and $\angle \mathrm{EOC}$

$\angle \mathrm{E O C}$ and $\angle \mathrm{C O B}$

$\angle \mathrm{C O B}$ and $\angle \mathrm{B O D}$

$\angle \mathrm{B O D}$ and $\angle \mathrm{A O D}$

$\angle \mathrm{A O D}$ and $\angle \mathrm{A O E}$


Example 2: Find the values of $x$ and $y$ since $AOC$ and $BOC$ form a linear pair if $x-y=$ $60^{\circ}$.

Ans: We have given that $x-y=60^{\circ} \ldots$ (i)

We are aware that $x+y=180^{\circ} \ldots$..(ii)

By multiplying (i) and (ii), we get

$2 \mathrm{x}=240^{\circ}$

$\left(240^{\circ} / 2\right)$

$x=120^{\circ} \text {. }$

Therefore,

$120^{\circ}-y=60^{\circ}$

$-y=60^{\circ}-120^{\circ}$

$-y=-60^{\circ}$

$y=60^{\circ}$


Example 3: Identify all the adjacent angles in the given figure.


Adjacent angles


Adjacent angles


Ans: Here we have the following adjacent angles:

$\angle \mathrm{CHI}$ and $\angle \mathrm{PHI}$

$\angle \mathrm{CHI}$ and $\angle \mathrm{CHU}$

$\angle \mathrm{PHI}$ and $\angle \mathrm{PHU}$

$\angle \mathrm{C H U}$ and $\angle \mathrm{P H U}$

$\angle \mathrm{M U K}$ and $\angle \mathrm{NUK}$

$\angle \mathrm{MUH}$ and $\angle \mathrm{NUH}$

$\angle \mathrm{MUH}$ and $\angle \mathrm{MUK}$

$\angle \mathrm{NUH}$ and $\angle \mathrm{NUK}$


Practice Problem

Q. Are the angles shown below adjacent? Give justifications.


Practice Question


Practice Question


Answer:

1.

(a) No.

(b) No.

(c) No.

(d) Yes.


Summary

In this article we learned that Angles that are always placed next to one another, sharing a common vertex and common side but not overlapping, are said to be adjacent angles. The sum of the adjacent angles formed when a ray is in a straight line is 180°. A linear pair of angles is defined as two adjacent angles whose sum is 180 degrees. Due to the fact that supplementary angles add up to 180°, all linear pairs are supplementary. The supplementary angles do not all have to be linear pairs, though. The lines must cross each other and form adjacent angles in order to form a linear pair. The non-common arms form a line if the product of any two adjacent angles is a straight line.

FAQs on Adjacent Angles And Common Vertex Explained Clearly

1. What are adjacent angles?

Adjacent angles are two angles that share a common vertex and a common side without overlapping.

  • They have the same vertex (corner point).
  • They share one common arm (side).
  • Their interiors do not overlap.
For example, if angles ∠ABC and ∠CBD share vertex B and side BC, they are adjacent angles.

2. What is a common vertex in geometry?

A common vertex is the shared endpoint where two or more angles meet.

  • It is the point where the arms of angles join.
  • In adjacent angles, this vertex is the same for both angles.
For example, in ∠ABC and ∠ABD, point B is the common vertex.

3. What is the difference between adjacent angles and vertical angles?

Adjacent angles share a common side and vertex, while vertical angles are opposite angles formed by two intersecting lines and are equal.

  • Adjacent angles: share a side and vertex, do not overlap.
  • Vertical angles: opposite each other, share only the vertex, and are always equal.
So, adjacent angles are next to each other, while vertical angles are across from each other.

4. Do adjacent angles always add up to 180 degrees?

Adjacent angles add up to 180° only when they form a linear pair.

  • If two adjacent angles lie on a straight line, their sum is 180°.
  • If they do not form a straight line, their sum can be any value.
For example, if one angle is 70° in a linear pair, the other is 110°.

5. What is a linear pair of angles?

A linear pair is a pair of adjacent angles whose non-common arms form a straight line.

  • They share a common vertex and side.
  • Their measures add up to 180°.
Example: If one angle is 95°, the other angle in the linear pair is 85°.

6. Can adjacent angles be equal?

Yes, adjacent angles can be equal if they have the same measure.

  • They must still share a common vertex and common side.
  • Their measures may be equal or different.
For example, two adjacent angles measuring 45° and 45° are equal adjacent angles.

7. How do you identify adjacent angles in a figure?

You identify adjacent angles by checking if they share a common vertex and one common side without overlapping.

  • Step 1: Locate angles with the same vertex.
  • Step 2: Check if they share one arm.
  • Step 3: Ensure their interiors do not overlap.
If all three conditions are satisfied, the angles are adjacent.

8. What is the formula for the sum of adjacent angles?

The sum of adjacent angles is found by adding their measures directly.

  • If ∠1 = a° and ∠2 = b°, then total = a + b.
  • If they form a linear pair, then a + b = 180°.
Example: If angles measure 40° and 60°, their sum is 100°.

9. Can adjacent angles overlap?

No, adjacent angles cannot overlap because their interiors must remain separate.

  • They share only one common side.
  • They meet at a common vertex.
  • Their inner regions do not cover the same area.
If angles overlap, they are not considered adjacent angles.

10. Can you give an example of adjacent angles with calculation?

Yes, if two adjacent angles form a linear pair and one angle measures 65°, the other measures 115°.

  • Since they form a linear pair, their sum is 180°.
  • Let the unknown angle be x.
  • 65° + x = 180°
  • x = 180° − 65° = 115°
This shows how adjacent angles with a common vertex can be calculated.