Big Picture in Focus:

ULO-j. Solve different applications of Trigonometry.

Metalanguage
The most essential terms below are operationally defined for you to have
a better understanding of this section in the course.

1. Oblique Triangles - triangles that has no right angles.

2. Sine - the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the side opposite
a given angle (in a right triangle) to the hypotenuse.
3. Cosine - the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the side
adjacent to an acute angle (in a right-angled triangle) to the hypotenuse.
4. Ambiguous Case - If you are given two sides and a non-included acute
angle and the side facing the given angle is less than the other side, you
would obtain two sets of answers

Essential Knowledge

Now that we have learned the techniques for solving right angles, in the next
section we will now solve oblique triangles.

Solving Oblique Triangles:

To solve an oblique triangle, you need to know the measure of:

A. At least one side and
B. Any two other parts of the triangle (either two sides, two angles, or
one angle and one side)

1. Law of Sines

This solution to an oblique triangle is used when the given are:

A. Two angles and one opposite side or
B. Two sides and an opposite angle
The following figure shows the Law of Sines for
the triangle ABC

The law of sines states that

We can also write the law of sines or sine rule as:

Example 1: Find all the unknown measures using the given triangle.

Solution:

Step 1: Find the third angle measure

Step2: Find the unknown side lengths. Set up proportions using the Law of
Sines and solve for the unknown.

Law of Sines: Given Two Angles and One Side

Example 2:
 Solve triangle PQR in which ∠ P = 63.5° and ∠ Q = 51.2° and r = 6.3
cm.

Solution:

First, calculate the third angle.

∠ R = 180° – 63.5° – 51.2° = 65.3°

Next, calculate the sides.

∠ R = 65.3°

p = 6.21

q = 5.40 cm

Law of Sines: Given Two Sides and An Obtuse Angle

Example:

Solve ∆ PQR in which ∠ P =116°, p = 8.3 cm and q = 5.4 cm.

Solution:

Q cannot be an obtuse angle because the sum

of angles in the triangle will exceed 180˚. The
only valid value for Q is 35.8˚.

∠ Q = 35.8°, ∠ R = 180° – 116° – 35.8° = 28.2°

The solution is ∠ Q = 35.8° , ∠ R = 28.2° and r = 4.36 cm

Law of Sines - Ambiguous Case

 We will now consider the situation when we are given two sides and one
angle of a triangle.

Ambiguous Case

If you are given two sides and a non-included acute angle and the side
facing the given angle is less than the other side, you would obtain two sets of
answers. The solution is said to be ambiguous.

Example:

Solve triangle PQR in which ∠ P = 56°, p = 10 cm and q = 12 cm

Solution: Notice that we can construct two different triangles from the
given information.

When ∠ Q = 95.8˚, ∠ R = 180˚ – 56˚ – 95.8˚ = 28.2˚

The two sets of solutions are:

∠ Q = 84.2°, ∠ R = 39.8°, r = 7.72 cm

∠ Q = 95.8°, ∠ R = 28.2°, r = 5.70 cm

Problem 1: A triangle ABC has angle A = 106 o, angle B = 31 o and side a = 10
cm. Solve the triangle ABC by finding angle C and sides b and c. (round answers
to 1 decimal place).

Solution:
• Use the fact that the sum of all three angles of a triangle is equal to
180 o to write an equation in C.
𝐴 + 𝐵 + 𝐶 = 180°

• Solve for C.
𝐶 = 180 𝑜 − (𝐴 + 𝐵) = 43 °

• Use sine law to write an equation in b.

𝑎 𝑏
=
sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵

• Solve for b.
𝑎 sin 𝐵
𝑏= ≈ 5.4 𝑐𝑚
sin 𝐴

• Use the sine law to write an equation in c.

𝑎 𝑐
=
sin 𝐴 sin 𝐶

• Solve for c.
𝑎 sin 𝐶
𝑐= ≈ 7.1 𝑐𝑚
sin 𝐴

Problem 2: The angle of elevation to the top C of a building from two points A
and B on level ground are 50 degrees and 60 degrees respectively. The
distance between points A and B is 30 meters. Points A, B and C are in the
same vertical plane. Find the height h of the building (round your answer to
the nearest unit).

Solution:

We consider triangle ABC. Angle B internal to

triangle ABC is equal to
𝐵 = 180° − 60° = 120°

In the same triangle, angle C is given by.

𝐶 = 180° − (50° + 120°) = 10°

𝑑 30
= Use sine law to find d.
sin 50 sin 10
 30 sin 50
𝑑 = Solve for d.
sin 10

𝑑 = 132.34

ℎ
𝑠𝑖𝑛 (60) = We now consider the right triangle.
𝑑

ℎ = 𝑑 𝑠𝑖𝑛(60) Solve for h.

Substitute d by the expression found above.

ℎ = 14 sin 60

Use calculator to approximate h.

𝒉 ≈ 𝟏𝟏𝟓 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔.

2. Law of Cosines
This solution to an oblique triangle is used when the given are:
A. Two sides and the included angle.
B. Three sides of the triangle

The Law of Cosines is expressed by the formula

a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc·cos A
where the angle’s letter corresponds to the side
across from the angle. The same is true for the
other angles and their sides.
b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac·cos B
c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab·cos C

Law of Cosines – How Does it Work?

It is easy to show how this law works. First, let’s take the triangle from above
and drop a vertical line to the side marked c. This divides the triangle into two
right triangles with one common side of length h.
For the yellow triangle,
x = b·cos A
h = b·sin A
The length of c was divided into two
parts of length x and y.
c=x+y

solved for y: y=c–x

Substitute the expression for x a2 = c2 – 2bc·cos A + b2·cos2A +
from above b2·sin2A
y = c – b·cos A Combine the terms containing b2
Using the Pythagorean theorem a2 = c2 – 2bc·cos A + b2(cos2A + sin2A)
for the red triangle:
Using the trig identity cos2A + sin2A =
a 2 = h 2 + y2 1, this equation becomes
Substitute the equations for h a2 = c2 – 2bc·cos A + b2(1)
and y from above to get:
a2 = c2 – 2bc·cos A + b2
a2 = (c – b·cos A)2 + (b·sin A)2
Rearrange the terms to get the Law of
Cosines
Expand to get a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc·cos A
The same technique can be used for the other sides to get the other
two forms of this equation.

Easier Version For Angles

We just saw how to find an angle when we know three sides. It took
quite a few steps, so it is easier to use the "direct" formula (which is just
a rearrangement of the c2 = a2 + b2 − 2ab cos(C) formula). It can be in
either of these forms:

cos(C) = a2 + b2 − c22ab

cos(A) = b2 + c2 − a22bc

cos(B) = c2 + a2 − b22ca

Example:

Find the length of the unknown side of this right triangle using the Law
of Cosines.

I chose a right triangle for this

example to make it easy to
check our work. To find c using
the Law of Cosines, use the
formula
c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab·cos C

On this triangle, b = 5 and

a = 12 C = 90°
 Plug in these values to get: Let’s check this using the Pythagorean
Theorem
c2 = (12)2 + (5)2 – 2(12)(5)·cos
90° a 2 + b 2 = c2
c2 = 144 + 25 – 120·cos 90° (12)2 + (5)2 = c2
c2 = 169 – 120·(0) 144 + 25 = c2
c2 = 169 – 0 169 = c2
c2 = 169 13 = c
c = 13 This agrees with the value we found
using the Law of Cosines.

Example: Use the Law of Cosines to find the missing two angles A and B on
the previous example’s triangle.

a = 12 b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac·cos B
b=5
c = 13 (5)2 = (12)2 + (13)2 – 2(12)(13)·cos B

Find A using 25 = 144 + 169 – 312·cos B

a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc·cos A 25 = 313 – 312·cos B

(12)2 = (5)2 + (13)2 – 2(5)(13)·cos 25 – 313 = – 312·cos B

A -288 = – 312·cos B
144 = 25 + 169 – 130·cos A 0.9231 = cos B
144 = 194 – 130·cos A 22.62° = B
144 -194 = – 130·cos A Check again using the definition of
-50 = -130·cos A cosine:

0.3846 = cos A cos B = 12/13 = 0.9231

67.38° = A B = 22.62°

Since this is a right triangle, we Another means of checking our work

can check our work using the would be to make sure all the angles
definition of cosine: add up to 180°.

cos θ = adjacent ⁄ hypotenuse A + B + C = 67.38° + 22.62° + 90° =

180°
cos A = 5/13 = 0.3846
A = 67.38°

Find B using
 Problem 1: An aircraft tracking station determines the distance from a common
point O to each aircraft and the angle between the aicrafts. If angle O between
the two aircrafts is equal to 49 o and the distances from point O to the two
aircrafts are 50 km and 72 km, find distance d between the two aircrafts. (Round
answers to 1 decimal place).

The cosine law may be used as follows

d 2 = 72 2 + 50 2 - 2 (72)(50) cos(49 o)

Solve for d and use calculator.

d = SQRT [72 2 + 50 2 - 2 (72)(50) cos(49 o)]
(approximately) = 54.4 km

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:

Catan, C. B., et al. (2008). Workbook in Plane Trigonometry: Mindfeed Inc.

Sterling, M.J., (2005). Trigonometry For Dummies. Belmont, California: Wiley

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