Equations

1. SOH CAH TOA

A. sin=opposite/hypotenuse
- csc=hypotenuse/opposite
B. cos=adjacent/hypotenuse
- sec=hypotenuse/adjacent
C. tan=opposite/adjacent
- cot=adjacent/opposite

Steps and Examples

1. Easy (Find all 6 trig functions for this triangle.)

A. From the perspective of the theta (), solve
- When solving for sin, use the opposite side from the theta and the
hypotenuse (longest side) of the triangle
That will give you sin=7/13
- Repeat the same steps for other trigs, but remember that the equations
are different for each trig
B. Your answer you be this:
- sin=7/13

13
- csc=13/7
3
- cos=3/13
- sec=13/3
- tan=7/3
7
- cot=3/7
2. Medium (A cable from the top of a 200ft telephone tower makes a 50
angle with the floor. How long is the cable?)
A. Draw a picture
B. Mark with an x what you are solving for
C. Then, from the perspective of the angle given, determine what sides you
are using to solve
- In this problem, from the perspective of the 50 angle, the side that have
to be used are opposite and hypotenuse
- The opposite is used because we know it measures 200ft and the
hypotenuse is used because we are solving for that side

D. After you have determined what sides to use, look back at the equations
and match it to the problem
- In this case, it matches sin because it is opposite over hypotenuse
E. Now we have to set up an equation using what we know so far
- The equation should be: sin(50)=200/x
F. Now, cross-multiply to get sin(50)x=200
G. Then, divide both sides by sin(50)
- x=200/sin(50)
H. Plug into the calculator and remember to close parenthesis
I. The answer is 261.08 ft
- Dont forget units and round to the nearest hundredth

3. Medium (Erika drives 13km up a hill that is at a slope of 10. What

horizontal distance has she covered?)
A. Draw a picture
B. Mark with an x what you are solving for

C. Then, from the perspective of the angle given, determine what sides you
are using to solve
- In this problem, from the perspective of the 10 angle, the side that have
to be used are adjacent and hypotenuse
- The hypotenuse is used because we know it measures 13km and the
adjacent side is used because we are solving for that side
D. After you have determined what sides to use, look back at the equations
and match it to the problem
- In this case, it matches cos because it is adjacent over hypotenuse
E. Now we have to set up an equation using what we know so far
- The equation should be: cos(10)=x/13
F. Now, cross-multiply to get 13sin(10)=x
G. Plug into the calculator and remember to close parenthesis
H. The answer is 12.8 km
- Dont forget units and round to the nearest hundredth

Common Mistakes
1. A lot of students forget their units or theta.
2. Many also confuse the different trigs and get a different answer

Real World Application

Trig and right triangles can found be all over the infrastructure of a city.
Architects have to deal with these during their jobs, especially when
developing large infrastructure. The six different trigs are used to find the
length of one one or more sides of a shape. It is common to find them when
constructing blueprints for actual structures.