AQA Core 2 Trigonometry

1 of 1 15/01/13 MEI
Section 1: The sine and cosine rules

Crucial points

1. Try geometry first when finding angles
Make sure that you check whether any missing angles can be found using
geometry first.

2. Learn the rules
You need to learn the sine rule and the formula for the area of a triangle,
as these are not given in your formula book. The cosine rule is given in the
formula book, but it is useful if you know it in any case.

3. When finding angles, check for equivalent values
Make sure when you use the sine rule to find a missing angle, , that you
check to see whether 180 is also a solution.

4. Check that all units are the same
Make sure you check that all the units are the same so you are not mixing,
say, kilometres and metres.

5. Check your calculator mode
Make sure your calculator is in degrees mode and not in radians mode.

6. Be careful not to lose accuracy through rounding
Make sure you never round a number until you reach your final answer.