Notes
angle formed by three squares solution

Angle Formed by Three Squares

Angle Formed by Three Squares

The squares are all the same size. What’s the angle?

Solution by Trigonometry

Angle formed by three squares labelled

With the points labelled as above, triangle ABCA B C is a right-angled triangle with ACA C twice the length of BCB C and so is half an equilateral triangle. This means that GFCG F C is also half an equilateral triangle, so if xx is the length of the side of one square, CFC F has length 12x\frac{1}{2} x and GFG F has length 32x\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} x. Then EBE B has length 32x\frac{3}{2} x and GEG E has length 32x+x\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} x + x. The tangent of angle GD^EG \hat{D} E is therefore:

32x+x32x=2+33 \frac{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}x + x}{\frac{3}{2} x} = \frac{2 + \sqrt{3}}{3}

So to 33 decimal places, angle IH^GI \hat{H} G is:

180 tan 1(2+33)=128.794 180^\circ - \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{2 + \sqrt{3}}{3}\right) = 128.794^\circ