Solving Right Triangles

How do you solve right triangles?

The Trigonometric Functions
we will be looking at

SINE
COSINE
TANGENT
The Trigonometric Functions

SINE
COSINE
TANGENT
 SINE

Pronounced
“sign”
TANGENT

Pronounced
“tan-gent”
COSINE

Pronounced
“co-sign”
 Greek Letter 
Pronounced
“theta”
Represents an unknown angle
 What is Trigonometry?
 Trigonometry is the study of how
the sides and angles of a triangle
are related to each other.

 It's all about triangles!

 Right Triangle

Hypotenuse
Opposite


A
Adjacent
Same Right Triangle – Different
Angle
B


Hypotenuse
Adjacent

Opposite
 Trig Definitions:

 Sine = opposite/hypotenuse
 Cosine = adjacent/hypotenuse
 Tangent = opposite/adjacent
 Cosecant = hypotenuse/opposite
 Secant = hypotenuse/adjacent
 Cotangent = adjacent/opposite
 x,y

O
x

2 2 2
r = x +y
Definitions of Trig Functions

 Sin O = y/r
 Cos = x/r
O
 Tan = y/x
O
 Csc = r/y
O
 Sec = r/x
O
 Cot O = x/y
The Unit Circle

Radius = 1
30, 60, 90
Is a special y
kind of triangle.
x,y

1/2

30
x
√3/2

2 2 2
r = x +y
45, 45, 90
Is a special y
kind of triangle.
x,y

√/2/2

45
x
√2/2

2 2 2
r = x +y
Finding sin, cos, and
tan.
Just writing a ratio.
 Find the sine, the cosine, and the tangent of theta.
Give a fraction.

opp 35
37 sin   
35 hyp 37

 c o s 
adj 12

12 hyp 37
Shrink yourself down and
opp 35
stand where the angle is.
ta n   
adj 12
Now, figure out your ratios.
 Find the sine, the cosine, and the tangent of theta

24.5
8.2


23.1 opp 8.2

sin   
hyp 24.5
adj 23.1
c o s  
Shrink yourself down and hyp 24.5
stand where the angle is.

opp 8.2
ta n   
Now, figure out your ratios.
adj 23.1
Solving Right Triangles

For Angles (“Theta”)

 If you know the sine, cosine, or tangent of an acute
angle measure, you can use the inverse trigonometric
functions to find the measure of the angle.
 Calculating Angle Measures from
Trigonometric Ratios
Example 4

Use your calculator to find each angle measure to the

nearest tenth of a degree.

A. cos-1(0.87) B. sin-1(0.85) C. tan-1(0.71)

cos-1(0.87)  29.5° sin-1(0.85)  58.2° tan-1(0.71)  35.4°

Inverse trig functions:
Ex: Use a calculator to approximate the
measure of the acute angle. Round to the
nearest tenth.

1. tan A = 0.5 2. sin A = 0.35 3. cos A = 0.64

mA  tan1(0.5)  mA  sin1(0.35)  mA  cos1(0.64) 

26.6° 20.5° 50.2°

USING TRIG
RATIOS TO FIND
A MISSING SIDE
missing SIDE 1. Draw stick-man at the
given angle.
2. Identify the GIVEN sides
(Opposite, Adjacent, or
To find a

Hypotenuse).
3. Figure out which trig ratio
to use.
4. Set up the EQUATION.
5. Solve for the variable.
 1. H
Problems match the WS.

Where does
x reside?
A
x
If you see c
it up high
c o s 15 
then we 9
MULTIP 9  c o s 15  x
LY!
8.7  x
 2.
Problems match the WS.
H O
Where does x reside?

If X is down
below,
The X and 9
the angle
will switch…
sin 50 
x
SLIDE & 9
DIVIDE x 
sin 50 x  11.7
 3.
Problems match the WS.
H

10 A
c o s 51 
x
10
x
c o s 51 x  15.9
Solving Right Triangles

For All Six Parts

 Every right triangle has one right angle, two
acute angles, one hypotenuse, and two legs.
To SOLVE A RIGHT TRIANGLE means to
find all 6 parts.

To solve a right triangle you need…..

1 side length and 1 acute angle measure
-or-
2 side lengths
 Given one acute angle and one side:
•To find the missing acute angle, use the Triangle Sum
Theorem.
•The Triangle Sum Theorem states that the three
interior angles of any triangle add up to 180
degrees.
•To find one missing side length, write an equation using a trig
function.
•To find the other side, use another trig function or the
Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2.
Note:c is the longest side of the triangle
a and b are the other two sides
 Solve the right triangle. Round decimal answers to
GUIDED PRACTICE
the nearest tenth.
Example 1

A
Find m∠ B by using the
Triangle Sum Theorem.
42o
180 = 90 + 42 + m∠ B
o o o
70
48o = m∠ B

48o
Approximate BC by using a tangent ratio. C B
BC Approximate AB by using a cosine ratio.
tan 42 =
o
70
70 cos 42o =
AB ANSWER
70 tan 42o = BC
AB cos 42o = 70
70 0.9004 BC 70 The angle measures are
63.0 ≈ BC AB = cos 42 42o, 48o, and 90o. The
o

70 side lengths are 70 feet,

AB 0.7431 about 63.0 feet, and
AB 94.2 about 94.2 feet.
 Solve a right triangle that has a 40o angle and a 20
GUIDED PRACTICE
inch hypotenuse.

Example 2

Find m∠ X by using the X

Triangle Sum Theorem.
180o = 90o + 40o + m∠ X 50o
50o = m∠ X 20 in
Approximate YZ by using a sine ratio.
XY
sin 40o =
20
20 ● sin 40 = XY
o 40o
20 ● 0.6428 ≈ XY Y
Z
12.9 ≈ XY
Approximate YZ by using a cosine ratio.
YZ ANSWER
cos 40o =
20
20 ● cos 40 =
o
YZ The angle measures are 40o, 50o,
20 ● 0.7660 ≈ YZ and 90o. The side lengths are 12.9
15.3 ≈ YZ in., about 15.3 in., and 20 in.
 Solve the right triangle. Round to the nearest tenth.

Example 3

P° + R° + Q° = 180°
P° = 180-90-53
mQ  53
P° = 37
mR  90
mP  37°
PQ  30
PR  24.0
p q QR  18.1
cos53  sin53 
30 30
p  18.1 q  24.0
 Solve the right triangle. Round decimals
to the nearest tenth.
Example 5
Example 4

mP  90  37  53 mT  90  24  66

sin37 
PQ
cos37 
QR TR cos 24  33
22 tan 24  AT
22 33
PQ  13.2 QR  17.6 TR  14.7 AT  36.1
 Solving Right Triangles
Example 6

Find the unknown measures. Round

lengths to the nearest hundredth and
angle measures to the nearest degree.

Method 1: By the Pythagorean Theorem, Method 2:

RT2 = RS2 + ST2

(5.7)2 = 52 + ST2
Since the acute angles of a right
triangle are complementary, mT 
90° – 29°  61°.

, so ST = 5.7 sinR.
Since the acute angles of a right
triangle are complementary,
mT  90° – 29°  61°.
 Solve the right triangle. Round
decimals the nearest tenth.
Example 7

Use Pythagorean Theorem to find c…

c 2  22  3 3
c  3.6

Use an inverse trig function to AB  3.6

find a missing acute angle… BC  3
3
1 AC  2
mA  tan ( )  56.3
2 mA  56.3°
Use Triangle Sum Theorem to
mB  33.7°
find the other acute angle…
mC  90
mB  90  56.3  33.7
Example 8

Pythagorean
Theorem
A2 + b2 = c2
Where c is the
hypotenuse.
PN 2  112  182
PN  21.9
11
1
mN  tan ( )  31.4
18

mP  90  31.4  58.6

Example 9

232  TU 2  72
TU  21.9
7
1
mS  cos ( )  72.3
23
mU  90  72.3  17.7
Trig Application
Problems

MM2G2c: Solve application problems using the

trigonometric ratios.
Depression and Elevation

horizontal
angle of depression

gh t
si
of
line
angle of elevation
horizontal
9. Classify each angle as angle of
elevation or angle of depression.

Angle of Depression

Angle of Elevation

Angle of Depression

Angle of Elevation
Example 10

Over 2 miles (horizontal), a road

rises 300 feet (vertical). What is
the angle of elevation to the
nearest degree? 5280 feet – 1
mile
300
ta n  
10, 560
  2
Example 11
 The angle of depression from the top of a tower
to a boulder on the ground is 38º. If the tower is
25m high, how far from the base of the tower is
the boulder? Round to the nearest whole
number.

25
ta n 38 
x
x  32 m e te rs
Example 12
 Find the angle of elevation to the top of a
tree for an observer who is 31.4 meters from
the tree if the observer’s eye is 1.8 meters
above the ground and the tree is 23.2 meters
tall. Round to the nearest degree.

21.4
ta n  
31.4

  34 
 Example 13
 A 75 foot building casts an 82 foot
shadow. What is the angle that the sun
hits the building? Round to the nearest
degree.

82
ta n  
75

  48 
Example 14
 A boat is sailing and spots a shipwreck 650
feet below the water. A diver jumps from
the boat and swims 935 feet to reach the
wreck. What is the angle of depression
from the boat to the shipwreck, to the
nearest degree?

650
si n  
935   44 
Example 15
 A 5ft tall bird watcher is standing 50
feet from the base of a large tree.
The person measures the angle of
elevation to a bird on top of the tree
as 71.5°. How tall is the tree?
Round to the tenth. x
ta n 71.5 
50

x  154.4 fe e t
Example 16
 A block slides down a 45 slope for a total
of 2.8 meters. What is the change in the
height of the block? Round to the nearest
tenth.

x
si n 45 
2.8

  2m e te rs
Example 17
 A projectile has an initial horizontal
velocity of 5 meters/second and an initial
vertical velocity of 3 meters/second
upward. At what angle was the projectile
fired, to the nearest degree?
3
ta n  
5

  31 
Example 18
 A construction worker leans his ladder against a
building making a 60o angle with the ground. If his
ladder is 20 feet long, how far away is the base of the
ladder from the building? Round to the nearest tenth.

x
c o s60 
60
x  10 fe e t