Question

How do you solve this problem?

Answer 1

Very nice problem. You should look up the history of this question. It has a very long one having to do with mirrors made between 50 BC and 50 AD.

Step One
Find AB, BC, AC
Before beginning this problem, I'm going to arbitrarily name
c = AB
a = BC
b = AC It just makes the calculations easier.

AB = radius of the large circle - radius of the medium circle = 20.62 - 8.04 = 12.58
BC = Radii of the two smaller circles added together = 8.04 + 7.35 = 15.39
AC = Radius of the large circle - Radius of the small circle = 20.62 - 7.35 = 13.27

So
a = 15.39
b = 13.27
c = 12.58

Step Two
Find Angle A or <BAC
a^2 = b^2 + c^2 - 2*b*c * Cos(A)
15.39^2 = 12.58^2 + 13.27^2 - 2 * 12.58 * 13.27 * Cos(A)
236.852 = 158.26 + 176.1 - 333.87 * Cos(A)
236.852 = 334.4 - 333.87*Cos(A)
-97.55 = - 333.87 * Cos(A)
-97.55 / -333.87 = Cos(A)
0.2922 = cos(A)
A = cos-1(0.2922)
A = 73.01 degrees

Step Three
Just to see if you understand what was done, I'll give you the givens for finding c, and the answer and you can work through the calculations to see if your answer agrees with mine. If it doesn't PM me.
c = 12.58
b = 13.27
a = 15.39

12.58^2 = 13.27^2 + 15.39^2 - 2*13.27*15.39*Cos(C)
C = 51.42

Step Four
Find <B
Every triangle has 180 degrees so
B = 180 - <A - C
B = 180 - 51.42 - 74.01
B = <54.57.
I have found a moderator who opened the question up so that I can show you why the Cos law is the only way to do this. If the circles are very disproportionate as in this diagram, then no simple assumption can be made. The cos law is all that will work. I would have posted this earlier, but I didn't think anyone would find another method. It's ingenious but not possible for the situation below.