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O-Level E-Math · 2015 · P1 Q16 Angles & polygons · Interior angle sum of a polygon 3 marks · geometry & measurement (polygon angles) difficulty 2 of 5

O-Level E-Math 2015 Paper 1, Question 16: Interior angle sum of a polygon

The answer

\(x = 144\)

O-Level E-Math 2015 Paper 1 Question 16 · Verified worked solution by the Genius Plus Academy teaching team

What this question tests

This is Question 16 of the O-Level E-Math 2015 Paper 1. It tests interior angle sum of a polygon, in the Angles & polygons area. It is worth 3 marks. It is a worded / diagram-based question, so open your Ten-Year Series (TYS) or the official paper at this question, then follow our full worked solution below.

Step-by-step solution

The interior angles of a hexagon sum to \((6 - 2) \times 180^{\circ} = 720^{\circ}\). Three angles are \(96^{\circ}\) each and the remaining three are equal (each \(x^{\circ}\)): \[3 \times 96 + 3x = 720 \Rightarrow 288 + 3x = 720 \Rightarrow 3x = 432 \Rightarrow x = 144.\]

Answer: \(x = 144\)

Same structure, different numbers

A question is hard because of its structure, not its surface.

Swap the constants, dress a quadratic as a length, hide a derivative inside an integral, and a student sees a brand new problem. The structure underneath is the same, and so is the method. Once a student can name the structure, a whole row of questions that look different start to open the same way.

That is where marks really leak: in choosing the method, not in the algebra that follows. We call it Lock and Key, name the lock, then the key follows.

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Our O-Level E-Math tuition trains the same recognise-the-structure method these worked solutions show, taught by a team that has marked these papers for years. It runs within our weekly Secondary Math programme, Sec 1 to 4 and IP.

Questions students ask

What does O-Level E-Math 2015 Paper 1 Question 16 test?

It is a interior angle sum of a polygon question from Angles & polygons, worth 3 marks.

Is this the same as IP Math?

Yes. IP (Integrated Programme) schools teach the same O-Level Mathematics content; they just sequence it differently and set their own internal exams, so these worked solutions apply to IP students too.

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