Geometry

Name___________________________________________________
Measuring Triangles
Date___________________________
Day 1
Your Assigned Angle of Elevation = ________________ =
1. Carefully draw a series of right triangles (at least 5) having
your angle of elevation, , on the grid on the next page. This
will work best if you have your paper turned as shown on the
right. Label the hypotenuse, base and altitude as shown.
Color code the altitude, base and hypotenuse(s) with three
different colors.
Question 1: What do you know about all the triangles in your
figure? Explain your answer.

2. Measure the base, altitude, and hypotenuse triangle round these measurements to the nearest
tenth. Record these lengths in the table below. Shade in the header name with the corresponding
color from your series of triangles.
Lengths of Sides (nearest 10th)
Ratios (nearest 1000th)

alt
base
alt
Base
Altitude
Hypotenuse
hypotenuse
hypotenuse
base
1
2
3
4
5
Estimated true value of each ratio
3. In the last three columns, color code the altitude, base and hypotenuse to match your lengths.
Calculate and record the specified ratios for each triangle. Use your calculator; round off to the
nearest thousandth.
4. While the three ratios will be different, the values in each column should be close.
Question 2: WHY?

Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios

5. Use your results to estimate the actual value of each ratio. Enter those estimates in the bottom
row of the last 3 columns.
6. Now, solve a problem! Romeo stands 20 meters from Juliets house to
serenade her as she stands on the balcony above. The angle of elevation
from Romeo to Juliet is your angle, .
a) How high off the ground is Juliet?

b) How far apart are these lovers?

Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios

Day 2
Estimated Ratios:
Angle

alt
base

alt
hypotenuse

base
hypotenuse

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios

80
85

Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios

Homework
Using the list of ratios you created in class, solve each of these problems.
Try coloring your sides to match your work on the first pages.
Give answers to the nearest tenth (or to the nearest angle).
1. When a child flying a kite has let out 75 m of string, the string
makes an angle of 55 with the ground. How high is the kite?

2. A ladder 12 m long makes an angle of 25 with the side of a

building. How far up the wall does the ladder reach?

3. When the angle of elevation of the sun is 35, a flagpole casts a

shadow 100' long. How tall is the flagpole?

4. A guy wire must be attached to a telephone pole 8 m above the ground, and should make an
angle of 50 with the ground. How long must the wire be?

5. Find the base angle of an isosceles triangle with sides 20, 29, 29.

6. An airplane flying at an altitude of 14,000 ft is sighted at an angle of elevation of 15. How

far away is it? (Line-of-sight distance)

7. How long is the diagonal of a rectangle if it makes an angle of

40 with a side 8 km long?

Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios

8. An isosceles trapezoid has a base of 30 cm, and altitude of 7 cm, and a base angle of 75.
Find the shorter base.

9. Find the area of a parallelogram with sides 8 cm and 10 cm and an angle of 60.

10. A regular 9-sided polygon is inscribed in a circle 20 mm in diameter. Find the area of the
polygon.

Unit 7 Trigonometry

Measuring Triangle Ratios