I have a scalene triangle inscribed in a circle, one of its sides $a$ is $2\sqrt3$ and the length $r$ from that side to the center is $1$. I need to find the angle $x$ opposite to the side given. Here's how it looks:
How to find $x$?
[Math] angle of an inscribed triangle
circlesgeometrytriangles
Best Answer
Draw in the radii from the center to the endpoints of $a$ to form two congruent right triangles, sharing a leg of length $r=1$ and each having another leg of length $\sqrt{3}$. From right triangle trigonometry, the angles in these right triangles at the center of the circle has measure $\arctan(\sqrt{3})=\frac{\pi}{3},$ so the measure of the entire central angle (angle at the center of the circle) that subtends the same arc as the chord $a$ is $2\arctan(\sqrt{3})=\frac{2\pi}{3},$ and the measure of the inscribed angle $x$ is half of that, $$\arctan(\sqrt{3})=\frac{\pi}{3}.$$