Notes
two triangles in a square solution

Solution to the Two Triangles in a Square Puzzle

Two Triangles in a Square

The outer shape is a square. What’s the missing angle?

Solution by Symmetries of a Square, Angles in a Triangle, and Angles at a Point on a Straight Line

Two triangles in a square labelled

Label the points as above. Reflecting the square in the diagonal BFB F swaps AA and DD and leaves EE where it is. Therefore, angles BA^EB \hat{A} E and ED^BE \hat{D} B are equal. Let us write this angle as a a^\circ.

Then as angles in a triangle add up to 180 180^\circ, and angles at a point on a straight line also add up to 180 180^\circ, angle AC^BA \hat{C} B is equal to 2a 2 a^\circ.

As triangle ABCA B C is right angled, angles AC^BA \hat{C} B and BA^CB \hat{A} C add up to 90 90^\circ, so 3a =90 3 a^\circ = 90^\circ meaning that a =30 a^\circ = 30^\circ. Therefore, angle BA^C=30 B \hat{A} C = 30^\circ.