Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between the acute angles in a right triangle according to the linear pair perpendicular theorem?

• A. The two acute angles in a right triangle are always equal, so $a=b$.
• B. The sum of the two acute angles in a right triangle is always $180°$.
• C. The two acute angles in a right triangle are supplementary, so $a+b=120°$.
• D. The two acute angles in a right triangle are complementary, meaning $a+b=90°$.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that in a right triangle, one angle is exactly 90 degrees by definition.
2. The sum of all interior angles in any triangle is always 180 degrees, so the sum of the other two angles must be 180° - 90°.
3. Calculate the sum of the two acute angles as \$180^{\circ} - 90^{\circ} = 90^{\circ}$.
4. Understand that two angles whose measures add up to 90 degrees are called complementary angles.
5. Therefore, the two acute angles in a right triangle are complementary, which means \(a + b = 90^{\circ}\).