Identify Adjacent Side to Angle Q in Right Triangle HNQ

Published on March 12, 2026

Geometry

Determine which line segment forms angle Q in the right triangle HNQ. The adjacent sides are the segments that meet to form the angle.

Question

Answer

Here is the step-by-step solution to the problem:
  1. Understand the request: The question asks to identify the segment adjacent to angle ( ) in the given right-angled triangle .
  2. Define “adjacent side” in a triangle: In any angle of a triangle, the sides that form that angle are called the adjacent sides (or legs, if it’s a right triangle). The side opposite the angle is called the opposite side, and the side opposite the right angle is the hypotenuse.
  3. Identify the angle of interest: We are focused on .
  4. Identify the sides connected to : The angle is formed by the intersection of two line segments:
    • Segment (or )
    • Segment (or )
  5. Determine the role of the sides relative to :
    • is one of the segments forming . It is an adjacent side.
    • is the other segment forming . It is also an adjacent side (specifically, it is the hypotenuse because it is opposite the right angle ).
    • (or ) is the side opposite .
  6. Analyze the options provided: The choices are:
    • (The side opposite )
    • (A side adjacent to )
    • (The hypotenuse, which is also adjacent to )
  7. Select the correct adjacent segment(s): Both and are adjacent to . In the context of trigonometric definitions (SOH CAH TOA) applied to acute angles in a right triangle, the term “adjacent side” usually refers to the leg adjacent to the angle, excluding the hypotenuse, unless the question intends to include the hypotenuse.
    • The legs of are and .
    • The hypotenuse is .
    If we consider the standard trigonometric roles relative to :
    • Opposite side:
    • Adjacent side (Leg):
    • Hypotenuse:
    Since is listed as an option and is unambiguously an adjacent leg, it is the intended answer, representing the side adjacent to that is not the hypotenuse.
  8. Conclusion: The segment forms and is one of the legs adjacent to it.
The correct answer is .