Notes
subdivided triangle iii solution

Solution to the Subdivided Triangle III Puzzle

Subdivided Triangle III

This isosceles triangle has been split into four smaller ones. What’s the missing angle?

Solution by Angles at a Point on a Straight Line, Angles in a Triangle, and Properties of Isosceles Triangles

Subdivided triangle iii annotated

Consider the points labelled as above. Let xx be the angle at the apex, namely CA^DC \hat{A} D. Then as triangle ADCA D C is isosceles, angles AD^EA \hat{D} E and DC^AD \hat{C} A are both 90 x290^\circ - \frac{x}{2}.

Since angles in a triangle add up to 180 180^\circ, and triangle AFBA F B is isosceles, angle AF^BA \hat{F} B is 180 2x180^\circ - 2 x. Then as angles at a point on a straight line also add up to 180 180^\circ, angle BF^EB \hat{F} E is 2x2 x.

Then angle EB^FE \hat{B} F is 180 4x180^\circ - 4 x, so as angle FB^AF \hat{B} A is xx, this leaves angle EB^CE \hat{B} C as 3x3 x. Therefore also angle EC^BE \hat{C} B is 3x3 x.

Triangle ECDE C D is isosceles, and shares angle ED^CE \hat{D} C with triangle DACD A C, so these triangles are similar, meaning that angle EC^DE \hat{C} D is the same as angle CA^DC \hat{A} D, namely xx. So angle DC^AD \hat{C} A is x+3x=4xx + 3 x = 4 x.

Therefore,

90 x2=4x 90^\circ - \frac{x}{2} = 4 x

meaning that x=20 x = 20^\circ.