Maths

Stephanie Mulligan
Leaving Cert
Higher level
2021/22

Trigonometry – Practical Trig

STUDENT NAME:
 CONTENTS

Contents

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: ......................................................................................... 3

Trig Overview ......................................................................................................... 4

Practical Trig .......................................................................................................... 4

Exercise 1 (Right-Angled Triangles – JC Revision) ............................................ 14

Exercise 2 – Complete JC HL Trigonometry Revision ....................................... 18

Degree Measure and Radian Measure of Angles ................................................ 22

Exercise 3 – Converting between Degrees and Radians .................................. 23

Exercise 4 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (Area) .............................................. 24

Trig Exercise 4 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (Sine Rule and Cosine Rule) ..... 26

Trig Exercise 5 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (3D Problems) .......................... 29

Practical Trigonometry

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

After this unit of learning I will be able to:

• Find angles, sides and areas for right-angled triangles using:

▪ Trig Ratios: 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝜃, 𝐶𝑜𝑠 𝜃 and 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝜃

▪ Pythagoras Theorem

1
▪ Area = 𝑏ℎ
2

• Find angles, sides and areas for non-right-angled triangles using:

▪ Sine Rule

▪ Cosine Rule

1
▪ Area = 𝑎𝑏𝑆𝑖𝑛𝐶
2

• Work with angles in degree or radian measure. Convert from degrees to radians and
vice versa.

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Trig Overview

Practical Trig

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Non-Right-Angled Triangles Practice:

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Solutions to Questions 1-7 above:

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Exercise 1 (Right-Angled Triangles – JC Revision)

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8.

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Answers for Exercise 1

6. (i) 5 (ii) 39°

7. (i) 34 cm (ii) 64 cm (iii) 14°

8. 15.89 m

9. 426 m

10. (i) 84 m (ii) 19°

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Exercise 2 – Complete JC HL Trigonometry Revision

In questions 1 – 6, find the measure of the angle, correct to one decimal place.
2 1 3
1. 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 2. 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 3. 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝜃 =
5 3 √12

4. 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝐵 = 1.2 5. 5𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐶 = 3 6. 4𝑆𝑖𝑛𝜃 = 1

7. 𝑃𝑄𝑅 is a right-angled triangle, with |∠𝑃𝑅𝑄| = 90°.

(i) Complete the following:

(a) 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑃 = ________ (b) 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑃 = ________ (a) 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝑃 = ________

(ii) Verify that 𝑆𝑖𝑛2 𝑃 + 𝐶𝑜𝑠 2 𝑃 = 1

1
8. If 𝑇𝑎𝑛𝜃 = , where 0° ≤ 𝐴 ≤ 90°,
3
express 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝐴 and 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐴 as fractions.

9. It is considered dangerous to park cars on hills with an angle of elevation of 40° or more.

Is the car shown on the right parked safely?

Justify your answer with a calculation.

10. A pole, 8 𝑚 in height, casts a shadow of 12 𝑚 on horizontal ground.

Calculate the angle of elevation, 𝜃, of the sun, correct to one decimal place.

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11. In the diagram, |AB| = 5, |BD| = 12, and AB ⊥ BC .

Calculate:

(i) |AD| (ii) |BC|

(iii) |∠ACB| , correct to one decimal place.

(Hint: Daw two separate right-angled triangles)

12. The distance of the point P, the top of the wall, from the point Q , on level ground is 24 𝑚.

The angle of elevation of the point P from the point Q is 29°.

Calculate the height h of the wall, correct to two decimal places.

13. A girl is flying a kite. The length of the string from her hand to the top of the kite is 60 𝑚.

The string, which is being held 1 𝑚 above the ground, makes an angle of elevation of 50°

with the horizontal.

Calculate the height of the kite above the ground,

correct to the nearest metre.

14. A rectangular garden measuring 45 𝑚 by 24 𝑚 has a tree on one of it’s corners.

(i) Find the length of the diagonal [BC].

(ii) If the angle of elevation of the top of the tree

from C is 21°, find the height of the tree,

correct to the nearest metre.

(Hint: The diagram is a 3 dimensional representation)

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15. In the triangle 𝑃𝑄𝑅, |∠𝑃𝑄𝑅| = 90°. |PQ| = 5 and |∠𝑃𝑅𝑄| = 28°.

Calculate |PR|, correct to one decimal place.

16. A ladder is leaning against a wall as shown.

The wall is 4 𝑚 from the bottom of the ladder and the height

of the ladder reaches 5 𝑚 above the horizontal ground.

(i) Calculate the length of the ladder, in surd form.

(ii) The ladder makes an angle of A°, with the horizontal.

Calculate A, correct to one decimal place.

(iii) It is considered safe for a ladder to make an angle of

at least 65°. How much nearer, correct to two decimal
places, must the ladder be moved towards the wall
for safety.

17. A right-angled triangle has side lengths of 9 𝑐𝑚, 40 𝑎𝑚 and 41 𝑐𝑚.

Find the size of the smallest angle in this triangle.

Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

18. John needs to lay a piece of wood to act as a ramp. The height of the step is 39 𝑐𝑚
1
and the ramp needs to make an angle of 𝜃 = 𝑆𝑖𝑛−1 ( ) with the horizontal.
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Find the length of the piece of wood.

19. The diagram shows the triangle ABC,

with |AB| = |AC|.

Use trigonometry to find |AB| ,

correct to two decimal places.

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Answers for Exercise 2

1. 23.6° 2. 18.4° 3. 30.0°

4. 50.2° 5. 53.1° 6. 14.5°

5 12 5
7. (a) (b) (a)
13 13 12

20 21
8. 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝐴 = 𝐶𝑜𝑠𝐴 = 9. 37.87° < 40° 10. 33.7°
29 29

11. (i) 13 𝑐𝑚 (ii) 25 𝑐𝑚 (iii) 11°

12. 11.64 𝑚 13. 47 𝑚

14. (i) 51 𝑚 (ii) 20 𝑚

15. 21.3 𝑚

16. (i) √41 𝑚 (ii) 51.3° (iii) 1.29 𝑚

17. 12.7° 18. 234 𝑐𝑚 or 2.34 𝑚 19. 14.56 𝑐𝑚

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Degree Measure and Radian Measure of Angles

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Exercise 3 – Converting between Degrees and Radians

Answers for Exercise 3:

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Exercise 4 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (Area)

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Answers for Trig Exercise 3
1. 67.62 cm2 2. 18.13 cm2 3. 31.01 cm2 4. 16.67 cm2 5. 47.55 cm2

6. 21.46 cm2 7. 19.03 cm2 8. 18.39 cm2

9. (i) 3 cm (ii) 2.16 cm2 (iii) 4.98 cm2 10. 16 cm 11. 7 cm

3𝜋 (ii) 8(3𝜋 − 2√2)𝑐𝑚2

12. 4 cm2 13. (i)
4

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Trig Exercise 4 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (Sine Rule and Cosine Rule)

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Answers for Trig Exercise 4

1. 13.5 2. 4.9 3. 37.8° 4. 53.6° 5. 8.9

6. 27.4° 7. 9.2 8. 15.7 9. 57.1° 10. 94.8°

11.(i) 23° (ii) 103 m (iii) 93 m 12. 204 cm 13. 13°

14.(i) 46 m (ii) Clinometer (iii) Waffle 😊 15.(i) Tom (ii) 12.8 m2

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Trig Exercise 5 – Non-Right-Angled Triangles (3D Problems)

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Answers for Trig Exercise 5

1. (i) 4.5 m (ii) 51° 2. (i) 11 (ii) 39.5° (iii) 49.4°

3. (i) 219.8 m (ii) 138.6 m (iii) 326.6 m

4. (i) 6 m (ii) 15 m (iii) 22.5 m2 (iv) 20.42 m

5. (i) 18.75 cm (ii) 40.5° 6. (i) 74 seconds (ii) Yes. (iii) 4.3°

7. (i) 𝑝 = ℎ, 𝑞 = √3 ℎ (ii) 𝑞 2 = 𝑝2 + 2,500 (iii) 25√2

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