Calculate Angle CDB in an Isosceles Right Triangle with Median

Question

ABC is an isosceles right triangle.

BD is the median.
How large is angle CDB ∢\text{CDB} ?

AAABBBCCCDDD

Video Solution

Solution Steps

00:08 Let's find angle C D B.
00:12 We have an isosceles triangle in the diagram.
00:16 In isosceles triangles, the base angles are equal.
00:22 Angles in triangle A B C add up to 180 degrees.
00:27 Since it's an isosceles triangle, the base angles are the same.
00:37 Let's focus on finding angle A.
00:42 This gives us the size for angles A and C.
00:51 Line B D is a median of the triangle.
00:55 In isosceles triangles, the median is also a height.
01:06 And that's how we solve this problem.

Step-by-Step Solution

To solve this problem, we must understand the properties of an isosceles right triangle. In ABC \triangle ABC , since it is an isosceles right triangle: ACB=CAB=45 \angle ACB = \angle CAB = 45^\circ and ABC=90 \angle ABC = 90^\circ .

The median BD will divide the triangle into two smaller triangles, ABD and CBD. In ABC \triangle ABC , since BD is a median from vertex B to side AC, and because AC is the hypotenuse of this right triangle, BD is equal in length to segments AD and DC. By the definition of the median and symmetry of the isosceles triangle, angles ADB\angle ADB and CDB\angle CDB are both right angles. Therefore, CDB\angle CDB is 90 90^\circ .

Consequently, the measure of angle CDB \angle CDB is clearly 90 90^\circ .

Therefore, the solution to the problem is CDB=90 \angle CDB = 90^\circ .

Answer

90