When two angles are complementary, what is the total of their measures?

When two angles are described as complementary, it means that their measures add up to a specific total. By definition, complementary angles sum to 90 degrees. This fundamental property is crucial in various applications, including geometry and trigonometry, as it allows for the solving of problems involving angle relationships.

Understanding complementary angles helps in visualizing and calculating angle measures in geometric shapes, where certain pairs of angles often emerge, such as in right triangles. Here, one angle might be known, allowing for the immediate calculation of the other angle based on the requirement that their measures total 90 degrees. Hence, the correct answer reflects this core principle of angle measure relationships.