TRIGONOMETRY OF THE RIGHT

TRIANGLE
RIGHT TRIANGLE

hypotenuse
legs

Definition:
Right Triangle is a triangle with a right angle.

Hypotenuse – the longest side of a right triangle.

COMPLEMENTARY ANGLES
B

A C
Definition:
Complementary Angles – two angles whose sum is 90O.
A + B = 90O
PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM
B
c
a

A C
b
Definition:
Pythagorean Theorem – the square of the hypotenuse is equal
to the sum of the squares of the other two legs.
c2 = a2 + b2
c=  a2 + b2
a =  c2 - b2
b =  c2 - a2
Examples:
B F
c=? e=15
a=5 d=?

A b=7 C D f=8 E

c=  + a2 b2 d=  e2 - f2
c =  52 + d = (15) – (8)
2 2
72
c = 25 + 49 d =  225 – 64
c =  74 d= 161
c =8.60 d= 12.69
Exercises:
• In the exercises below, a and b are lengths of the legs of a right triangle,
and c stands for the lengths of the hypotenuse. Find the missing length for
each triangle
1. a = 6; b = 8
2. a = 36 ; c = 39
3. b = 8 ; c = 16
4. a = 10 ; b = 24
5. a = 10 ; b = 10
3.4. Functions of Complementary Angles

r hypotenuse opposite
y side
 
x adjacent side
 hypotenuse
opposite side


adjacent side

Sin  = opposite side Csc  = hypotenuse

hypotenuse opposite side

Cos  = adjacent side Sec  = hypotenuse

hypotenuse adjacent side

Tan  = opposite side Cot  = adjacent side

adjacent side opposite side
SOH CAH TOA
 SOH CAH TOA B

c
a

A b C
Sin A = a Sin B = b Sin A = Cos B = a
c c c
a
Cos A = cb Cos B = c Cos A = Sin B = b
c
Tan A = a Tan B = ba Tan A = Cot B = ab
b
Csc A = ca Csc B = c
b Csc A = Sec B = ca
Sec A = c Sec B = c Csc B = c
b a Sec A = b
Cot A = b
a
Cot B = a Cot A = Tan B = b a
b
Example1:
• In the figure determine the unknown side; then write
the six trigonometric function of both A and B.

A 13
B

C
Example2:
• In right MNP, if tan M = ½. Determine the other
functions of M.
P

1 n=?

N 2 M
Find the value of each function.
• Sin 35O 20’
sin 35 O’ ” 20 O’ ” = 0.5783

 Cos 49O 40’  0.647233...

Find the value of each function.
• Cot 50O 30’ 1.2130
tan 50 O’ ” 30 O’ ” = x-1 = 0.82433

 Sec 49O 05’12” =1.52691

 Find the value of each angle.
• Sin A = 0.5175
2nd F Sin 0.5175 = O’ ” 31O 9’52”
0.5175 2nd F Sin 2nd F O’ ” 31.0952

 Cot B = 0.8441 49O 49’56”

0.8441 x-1 = 2nd F tan = 2nd F O’ ”

DMS
0.8441 2nd F x-1 2nd F tan 2nd F
→DEG

49. 4956
Find the value of each function.
• 1. cos 25O30’
• 2. sin 75O10’
• 3. tan 7O20’5”
• 4. csc 20O30’
• 5. sin 74O
• 6. tan 27O40’
• 7. sec 45O35’
• 8. cot 75O
• 9. csc 17O25’12”
• 10. cos 25O30’40”
Find the value of each angle.
• 1. cos A=0.8936
• 2. tan B = 2.4342
• 3. sin C = 0.9964
• 4. cot D = 0.1169
• 5. sin E = 0.2840
• 6. tan F =0.9057
• 7. sin G = 0.3508
• 8. cos H = 0.3283
• 9. cot I = 3.5261
• 10. sec J = 1.4301
 • Completing the parts of the right triangle.
 There are two cases:
 Case 1 When two sides are given.
 1. Pythagorean Theorem
 2. Trigonometric Function (SOH CAH TOA)
 3. Subtraction (Definition of Complementary Angles)
 Case 2 When one angle and one side are given.
 1. Subtraction (Definition of Complementary Angles)
 2. Trigonometric Function (SOH CAH TOA)
 3. Pythagorean Theorem or Trigo Functions
 Solving Right Triangles
• Solve the following triangles:
 Case 1 When two sides are given.
A c =? ∠A =?
16m c c=  a2 + b2 Tan A= 10
c=  10 2 + 162 16
c =  100 + 256 Tan A=0.625
C 10m B
c =  356 ∠A=32O0’19”
∠B =?
c = 18.87 m
Tan B= 16 ∠B=?
10
Tan B= 1.6 ∠B=90 – 32O 0’ 19”
∠B=57O 59’ 41” ∠B=57O 59’ 41”
Solving Right Triangles
• Solve the following triangles:
 Case 2 when one angle and one side are given

D e =? d =?
e =  f2 +d2
25cm e Tan 55O= 25
e =  252 + (17.51)2 d
25
55O e =  625 +306.60 d= .

E d F Tan 55O
e =? e =  931.60
d=17.51 cm
Sin 55O= 25 e = 30.52 cm
e
25 ∠D=?
e= .

Sin 55O ∠D=90O – 55O

e =30.52 cm ∠D=35O
SOLVING RIGHT TRIANGLES
• Solve the following triangles:
 Case 2 when one angle and one side are given
G ∠G=? i =?
∠G=90O – 22O 55’ O55’= i
15in O 05’ Sin 22 .

i ∠G=67 15
O
22 55’
i= 15 Sin 22O55’
H g I g=? i=5.84 in
Cos 22O55’= g .

15
g = 15Cos 22O55’
g =13.82 in
 COMPOSITE FIGURES OF RIGHT TRIANGLE

B B

8m 8m

A C A 15m D
D
30m
Tan A = 8m
Solve for A. 15m
Tan A = 0.53333...
A = Tan-1 0.53333...
A = 28O04’
 Solve for x.
P P Tan 72O = 10
OR

10ft 10ft OR = 10
Tan 72O
72O 27O 72O OR =3.25 ft
O R S O R
x
P 10
Tan 27O = 3.25 + x
10 = Tan 27O(3.25 + x)
10ft
10=3.25Tan 27O + xTan27O
27O 10 = 1.65596 + 0.5095x
O S 8.34404 = 0.5095x
3.25 + x
0.5095 0.5095
x=16.38ft
 Compute the length of AB.
A B 15in
C B 15 C
15
Tan 25O=
BD
25O 25O 15
BD=
40O Tan 25O

D BD=32.17in
D
A B
Tan 40O= AB
32.17
32.17in AB =32.17Tan 40O
40O AB =26.99 in

D
Application:
1.A fire fighter’s ladder leans against a building. If the ladder is
12m long and makes an angle 37O with the ground,
a. How high up the building does the ladder reach?
b. How far away is the foot of the ladder from the base of the
building?
a) x = ?
O x
Sin 37 =
x 12m 12
x=12Sin 37 O
37O
y
x=7.22m
b) y = ?
Cos 37O= y
12
y=12Cos 37O
y=9.58m
2.A telephone pole is anchored to the ground by a long cable,
called a guy wire, at a point 5 m from the base of the pole.
The wire makes an angle of 72.5O with the horizontal.
a. What is the length of the guy wire?
b. What is the height of the point where the guy wire is
attached to the pole?
a) x = ?
O 5m
Cos 72.5 =
x
x 5m
y x=
Cos 72.5O
72.5O
x=16.63m
5m
b) y = ?
O
Tan 72.5 = y y = 5Tan72.5O

5m y = 15.86m
 Exercises:
• Find the remaining parts of the following triangles.

1. M F
2.
D
5
15
40O50’
N 12 P
E
Exercises:
• 3. Solve for the length of x.
I
60O
K
x
35O
J H
50
 4. Find the value of x. D
B

5 x
30O
A C 4 E
 Exercises:
5. A 20m high vertical cliff casts a shadow that reaches a
boat on the sea 15m from the base of the cliff. What is the
direct distance from the boat to the top of the cliff?

6.An 8m bamboo pole is leaning against a coconut tree.

The foot of the pole is 3m from the base of the tree.
What angle does the pole make with the tree if the pole
reaches up to the top of the tree?
ANGLE OF ELEVATION

 OF ELEVATION

HORIZONTAL LINE

OBSERVER
ANGLE OF DEPRESSION
HORIZONTAL LINE

 OF DEPRESSION
• 1.Tina Moran stands 15m away from the flagpole. The angle of
elevation from Tina where she stands to the top of the flagpole
is 27O. How high is the flagpole if Tina is 1.5m tall?

x
27O 27O
15m
1.5m

15m height of the flagpole

Tan 27O= x 7.64m + 1. 5m
15m =9.14m
x = 15 tan 27 O x = 7.64m
• 2.From the top of a mountain, a climber observed that the angle
of depression of the church in a town near the sea is 30O . If the
mountain is 3000m above the sea level, what is the direct
distance from the mountain top of the church?

30O 30O
3000m
x x
3000m

3000m
Sin 30O=
x
3000m
x=
Sin 30O
x = 6000m
• 3. From a hotel window 30 m above the ground. Pablo Jabb
finds that the angle of elevation of the top of the monument is
10O, and the angle of depression of the foot of the monument
is 20O . What is the height of the monument?

x
10O
10O 20O h
h 30m
20O
30m
 h = 14.53 m + 30 m
x
10O
h = 44.53 m
20O h
30m

x
Tan 10O=
x 82.42m
10O
y = 82.42 m x = 82.42 Tan 10O
x = 14.53 m
y
20O 30m 30m
30m Tan 20O= y=
y Tan 20O
y = 82.42 m
• 1. The top of a lighthouse has an angle of elevation equal to
47O30’ from where Malou Wang stands18m from the base of
the lighthouse. If she is 1.6 m tall. How high is the lighthouse?
• 2. Gina Cole observed that the length of the shadow cast by a
flagpole is 4m during a clear sunny day. If the angle of elevation
of the sun is 42O11’, how high is the flagpole?
• 3. A ladder leans against a wall. If the ladder is 12m long and
the angle it makes with the ground is 30O, how far is the foot of
the ladder from the wall?
• 4.Tiu Pablo finds that the angle of elevation of the top of a
building is 46O10’. He walks 56 meters nearer the building and
finds that its angle of elevation is 72O . What is the height of the
building?
• 5. From the top of 50m building Jack Hall observes the angle of
depression of the foot of a cable is far is the pole from the
building?
OBLIQUE TRIANGLE TRIGONOMETRY
 An oblique triangle is a triangle with no right angle.

Acute Triangle Obtuse Triangle

• An oblique triangle can be solved when any of the
following set of data is known:
1.three sides (SSS)
2.two sides and an angle (SAS) or (SSA)
3.two angles and a side (ASA)
 LAW OF SINES

• In any triangle, the lengths of the sides are proportional to

the sines of the angle measures opposite them.

a b c
= =
Sin A Sin B Sin C
Examples:
• 1.  ABC, A =25O , B = 72O , and a = 4. Solve for b using
the law of sines.
B

4 72O c

25O
C b A
• 2. Given DEF, E = 110O , DF = 10 and DE = 6. Find F to the
nearest minutes.

D 10 F

6
110O
E
 LAW OF COSINES
• The square of one side of a triangle is equal to the sum of
the squares of the other two sides minus twice the
product of these two sides and the cosine of their included
angle.
 a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A
 b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac cos B
 c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C

b 2 + c2 – a 2 a 2 + c 2 – b2
cos A = cos B =
2bc 2ac
a 2 + b2 – c2
cos C =
2ab
• 3. Given  ABC, with A = 120, b = 4 c = 5, solve for a.
A
b=4
120o
c=5
C

a
B
• 4.Given DEF with d = 7, e = 5 and f = 3, solve for F.
D
e=5 f=3

F d=7 E
• 5. Solve HIJ if h = 24, i = 30 and j = 45.

J
h = 24 i = 30

I H
j = 45
• 6. Solve EFG given E = 62O , g = 3 and f = 5.
F

g=3 e

62O
E G
f=5
• Solve MNP given M = 30O , P=38O and m = 70.

p m=70

30O 38O
M P
n