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A polygon has 20 diagonals. How many sides does it have? 
  • a)
    12 
  • b)
    11 
  • c)
    10 
  • d)
  • e)
    8
Correct answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
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A polygon has 20 diagonals. How many sides does it have?a)12b)11c)10d)...
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A polygon has 20 diagonals. How many sides does it have?a)12b)11c)10d)...
To determine the number of sides a polygon has given the number of diagonals, we can use a formula that relates the number of sides (n) and the number of diagonals (d). The formula is:

d = n(n-3)/2

where d is the number of diagonals and n is the number of sides.

Let's substitute the given information into the formula:

20 = n(n-3)/2

To solve this equation, we can multiply both sides by 2 to get rid of the fraction:

40 = n(n-3)

Expanding the equation:

40 = n^2 - 3n

Rearranging the equation:

n^2 - 3n - 40 = 0

Factoring the quadratic equation:

(n - 8)(n + 5) = 0

Setting each factor equal to zero:

n - 8 = 0 or n + 5 = 0

Solving for n:

n = 8 or n = -5

Since the number of sides cannot be negative, we discard n = -5 and conclude that the polygon has 8 sides. Therefore, the correct answer is option E) 8.
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A polygon has 20 diagonals. How many sides does it have?a)12b)11c)10d)9e)8Correct answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
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