The measure of two complementary angles are in the ratio 7:11. What is the measure of the smaller angle?

let the angles be 7x and 11x

then 7x + 11x = 90

solve for x, sub into my definition.

To find the measure of the smaller angle, we first need to understand what complementary angles are. Complementary angles are two angles that add up to 90 degrees.

Let's assume the smaller angle is represented by 7x and the larger angle is represented by 11x, where x is a common multiplier. Since the angles are complementary, we can set up the following equation:

7x + 11x = 90

Combining like terms, we get:

18x = 90

Dividing both sides of the equation by 18, we find:

x = 5

Now we can substitute the value of x back into the expressions for the angles:

Smaller angle = 7x = 7 * 5 = 35 degrees

Therefore, the measure of the smaller angle is 35 degrees.