Double triangles

Geometry Level 3

Find the measure of angle A C B ACB in degrees.


The answer is 20.

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4 solutions

Tina Sobo
Nov 23, 2016

Note: The figure is confusing because A E B = 10 0 \angle AEB = 100^ \circ , but it looks acute.

The sum of the angles in a triangle = 180, therefore angle BEA = 100; angle AEC is supplementary and therefore = 80. Let angle c = x, then angle EAC = 180 - 80 - x = 100 - x.

Since EC and AB are equal in length, 'move' triangle ACE on top of triangle AEB, by constructing point F F such that F A B A C E \triangle FAB \cong \triangle ACE .
Extend Notice that F B E = F B A + A B E = A E C + A B E = 10 0 \angle FBE = \angle FBA + \angle ABE = \angle AEC + \angle ABE= 100^\circ , A E B = 10 0 \angle AEB = 100^ \circ . If we extend AE and BF to intersect at G, then E B G EBG is an isosceles triangle with G B = G E GB = GE since that have the same base angles 8 0 80 ^ \circ .

Notice that B F = A E BF = AE by the congruent triangles, so G F = G A GF = GA giving us another set of isosceles triangles. Hence 8 0 = B F A = E A C 80 ^ \circ = \angle BFA = \angle EAC and so A C B = 18 0 E A C A E C = 18 0 8 0 8 0 = 2 0 \angle ACB = 180 ^ \circ - \angle EAC - \angle AEC = 180 ^ \circ - 80^ \circ - 80^ \circ = 20^ \circ .

Nice observation! It would simplify reading your solution if you label the moved triangle as E C F ECF .

Calvin Lin Staff - 4 years, 6 months ago

Why is it a parallelogram if the two bottom angles are 100°, shouldn't those two bottom angles be supplementary, which isn't the case since they're both 100°. Am i just understanding the setup wrong?

Harvey Felipe - 1 year, 2 months ago

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Good point. I've edited the solution to finish it.
The figure is confusing, which makes it harder to visualize all of this.

Calvin Lin Staff - 1 year, 2 months ago
Kayson Hansen
Nov 20, 2016

Construct a triangle congruent to ABE underneath line segment CE. This forms an isosceles trapezoid when combined with triangle AEC, and from there, it is apparent what the remaining angles in the triangle are.

Can you elaborate further? Why is it an isosceles trapezoid? How do you know that the lines are parallel?

Calvin Lin Staff - 4 years, 6 months ago
Ron Gallagher
May 1, 2019

While it's not as elegant as the solutions below, this can also be solved via "brute force" with the Law of Sines and some algebra...

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