In the diagram below, AM = BM = CM and angle BMC + angle A = 201 degrees. Find angle B in degrees.
angle BMC + angle A = 201°
angle BMC = 201° - angle A (eq. 1)
angle BMC + angle AMC = 180° (straight line at point M)
angle AMC = 180° - angle BMC
angle AMC = 180° - (201° - angle A) (by substituting from eq. 1 above for angle BMC)
angle AMC = angle A - 21° (eq. 2)
If AM = CM, then angle A = angle ACM (eq. 3)
The three angles for triangle ACM add to 180°:
180° = angle A + angle ACM + angle AMC
180° = angle A + angle A + angle A - 21° (by substituting from eq. 2 and eq. 3 from above for angle AMC and angle ACM respectively)
180° = 3 angle A - 21°
201° = 3 angle A
angle A = 67°
If BM = CM, then angle B = angle BCM (eq. 4)
The three angles for triangle ABC add to 180°:
180° = angle A + angle ACM + angle BCM + angle B (where we have used the fact that angle C = angle ACM + angle BCM)
180° = angle A + angle A + angle B + angle B (by substituting from eq. 3 and eq. 4 for angle ACM and angle BCM respectively)
180° = 2 angle A + 2 angle B
90° = angle A + angle B
angle B = 90° - angle A
angle B = 90° - 67°
angle B = 23°