Lesson

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L E S S O N

12.4
A ship in a port is safe,
but that is not what
ships are built for.
JOHN A. SHEDD

keymath.com/DG

The Law of Cosines

Youve solved a variety of problems with the Pythagorean Theorem. It is perhaps
your most important geometry conjecture. In Chapter 9, you found that the
distance formula is really just the Pythagorean Theorem. You even used the
Pythagorean Theorem to derive the equation of a circle.
The Pythagorean Theorem is very powerful, but its use is still limited to right
triangles. Recall from Chapter 9 that the Pythagorean Theorem does not work for
acute triangles or obtuse triangles. You might ask, What happens to the
Pythagorean equation for acute triangles or obtuse triangles?

For an interactive version of this sketch, see the Dynamic Geometry Exploration
The Law of Cosines at www.keymath.com/DG .

If the legs of a right triangle are brought closer together so that the right angle
becomes an acute angle, youll find that c2 < a2 + b2. In order to make this
inequality into an equality, you would have to subtract something from a2 + b2.
c2 = a2 + b2 something
If the legs are widened to form an obtuse angle, youll find that c2 > a2 + b2.
Here, youd have to add something to make an equality.
c2 = a2 + b2 + something
Mathematicians found that the something was 2ab cos C. The Pythagorean
Theorem generalizes to all triangles with a property called the Law of Cosines.
Law of Cosines
For any triangle with sides of lengths a, b,and c,and with C the angle
opposite the side with length c,
c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos C
For obtuse angles, the expression 2ab cos C is negative, so subtracting it adds a
positive quantity. Trigonometric ratios for angles larger than 90 are introduced in
the Exploration Trigonometric Ratios and the Unit Circle.
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To derive the Law of Cosines for an acute

triangle, consider acute ABC with
altitude AD , as shown at right. You can
define the lengths of the sides opposite
angles A, B,and C as a, b,and c,
respectively, the height as h, and the
length of CD as x. The length of BD is
the difference between the lengths of BC
and CD ,or a x.
Using the Pythagorean Theorem, you can write two equations. By algebra, you can
expand (a x)2.
x2 + h2 = b2

(a x)2 + h2 = c2
a2 2ax + x2 + h2 = c2

Notice that this new equation contains x2 + h2, which you know is equal to b2 from
the first equation. Substitute, rearrange the terms, and reverse the equation.
a2 2ax + b2 = c2
a2 + b2 2ax = c2
c2 = a2 + b2 2ax
Now you need to replace x with an expression containing the cosine of C. Using
ACD, you can write the following equation and then solve for x.
cos C
b cos C = x
Substituting this expression for x into the equation above results in the Law
of Cosines.
c2 = a2 + b2 2abcos C
While this derivation of the Law of Cosines is for an acute triangle, it also works
for obtuse triangles. Deriving the Law of Cosines for an obtuse triangle is left as a
Take Another Look activity.
You can use the Law of Cosines when you are given three side lengths or two side
lengths and the angle measure between them (SSS or SAS).

EXAMPLE A

Solution

Find the length of side CT in triangle CRT.

To find r, use the Law of Cosines:

c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos C

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The Law of Cosines.

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Using the variables in this problem, the Law of Cosines becomes

r2 = c2 + t2 2ct cos R

Substitute r for c, c for a, t for b,and R for C

r2 = 452 + 522 2(45)(52)(cos 36)

Substitute 45 for c,52 for t,and 36 for R .

r
r

Take the positive square root of both sides.

31

Evaluate.

The length of side CT is about 31 cm.

EXAMPLE B

Solution

Find the measure of

Q in triangle QED.

Use the Law of Cosines and solve for Q.

q2 = e2 + d2 2ed cos Q

The Law of Cosines with respect to

cos Q

Solve for cos Q.

cos Q

Substitute known values.

Q
Q

Q.

Take the inverse cosine of both sides.

76

The measure of

Evaluate.

Q is about 76.
You will need

EXERCISES
In Exercises 13, find each length to the nearest centimeter.
1. w

2. y

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3. x

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In Exercises 46, each triangle is an acute triangle. Find each angle measure to the
nearest degree.
4. m A

5. m B

6. m C

7. Two 24-centimeter radii of a circle form a central angle measuring 126. What is the
length of the chord connecting the two radii?
8. Find the measure of the smallest angle in a triangle whose side lengths are 4 m, 7 m,
and 8 m.
9. Two sides of a parallelogram measure 15 cm and 20 cm, and one of the diagonals
measures 19 cm. What are the measures of the angles of the parallelogram to the
nearest degree?
10. Application Captain Malloy is flying a
passenger jet. He is heading east at 720 km/h
when he sees an electrical storm straight
ahead. He turns the jet 20 to the north to
avoid the storm and continues in this direction
for 1 h. Then he makes a second turn, back
toward his original flight path. Eighty minutes
after his second turn, he makes a third turn
and is back on course. By avoiding the storm,
how much time did Captain Malloy lose from
his original flight plan?

Review
11. Application A cargo company loads truck
trailers into ship cargo containers. The trucks
drive up a ramp to a horizontal loading
platform 30 ft off the ground, but they have
difficulty driving up a ramp at an angle
steeper than 20. What is the minimum length
that the ramp needs to be?
12. Application Dakota Davis uncovers the remains
of a square-based Egyptian pyramid. The base
is intact and measures 130 meters on each side. The top of the pyramid has
eroded away, but what remains of each face of the pyramid forms a 65 angle
with the ground. What was the original height of the pyramid?
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13. Application A lighthouse 55 meters above sea level spots a distress signal from a
sailboat. The angle of depression to the sailboat measures 21. How far away is the
sailboat from the base of the lighthouse?
14. Application A painting company has a general safety rule to place ladders at an angle
measuring between 55 and 75 from the level ground. Regina places the foot of her
25 ft ladder 6 ft from the base of a wall. What is the angle of the ladder? Is the ladder
placed safely? If not, how far from the base of the wall should she place the ladder?
15. Show that

tan A.

16. TRAP is an isosceles trapezoid.

a. Find PR in terms of x.
b. Write a paragraph proof to show that
m TPR = 90.
17. As P moves to the right on line
happens to
a. m ABP
b. m PAB
c. m APB

, describe what

18. Which of these figures, the cone or the square

pyramid, has the greater
a. Base perimeter?
b. Volume?
c. Surface area?

19. What single transformation is equivalent to the composition of each pair of

functions? Write a rule for each.
a. A reflection over the line x = 2 followed by a reflection over the line x = 3
b. A reflection over the x-axis followed by a reflection over the y-axis
20. Construction Construct two rectangles that are not similar.
21. Construction Construct two isosceles trapezoids that are similar.
22. Technology Use geometry software to construct two
circles. Connect the circles with a segment and
construct the midpoint of the segment. Animate
the endpoints of the segment around the circles
and trace the midpoint of the segment. What shape
does the midpoint of the segment trace? Try
adjusting the relative size of the radii of the circles;
try changing the distance between the centers of
the circles; try starting the endpoints of the
segment in different positions; or try animating the
endpoints of the segment in different directions. Describe how these changes affect
the shape traced by the midpoint of the segment.

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JAPANESE TEMPLE TABLETS

For centuries it has been customary in Japan to hang colorful wooden tablets in Shinto

shrines to honor the gods of this native religion. During Japans historical period of
isolation (16391854), this tradition continued with a mathematical twist. Merchants,
farmers, and others who were dedicated to mathematical learning made tablets
containing mathematical problems,called sangaku, to inspire and challenge visitors.
See if you can answer this sangaku problem.
These circles are tangent to each other and to the line.
How are the radii of the three circles related?
Research other sangaku problems, then design your own
tablet. Your project should include
Your solution to the problem above.
Some problems you found during your research and your sources.
Your own decorated sangaku tablet with its solution on the back.

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