Question

The angles of triangle abc are in the ratio of 8:3:4. what is the measure the smallest angle?

Answer 1

All angles in a triangle always equal 180 degrees, so to solve this problem you must set 8,3,4 equal to 180. 8x + 3x + 4x = 180. 15x = 180. 180/15 = 12. x = 12. Now you take the value of x and multiply it by the angle you are trying to find. 3(12) = 36. 
The measure of the smallest angle is 36. 
To check this problem, multiply all the angle ratios by the x value and if it equals 180, it is correct. 8(12) + 3(12) + 4(12) = 180.