CHAPTER 9 SOLUTION OF TRIANGLES

9.1 SINE RULE

C
To find side:
b a
a b c
= =
sin A sin B sin C
A B
To find angle: c
sin A sin B sin C
= =
a b c
Sine rule can be used when
a) two angles and one side are known or
b) two sides and one non-included angle are known
1. Find the value of x for each of the following:
a)

x = 15.624 cm

b)

x = 10.664 cm

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c)

x = 13.475 cm

d)

x = 18.602 cm

2. Find the value of ϴ for each of the following:

a)

ϴ = 76.46o

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b)

ϴ = 28.86o

c)

ϴ = 32.03o

d)

ϴ = 45.42o

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AMBIGUOUS CASE

Ambiguous case exists if:

a) Given the lengths of two sides, a and c, and a non-included angle,  A is acute,
b) the side which is opposite the non-included angle, a is shorter than the other side,
c, but it is longer than the height, h of the triangle.
1. For each of the following triangles, determine whether ambiguous case exists or
not.
a)  ABC = 120o, b = 8 cm, c = 3 cm

b)  ABC = 25o, b = 8 cm, c = 5 cm

c)  BAC = 30o, a = 6 cm, c = 10 cm

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2. Sketch the triangle PQR and find the possible values of  R if the ambiguous
case exists.
a)  P = 32o, p = 9 cm, r = 14 cm
55,52o, 124.48o

b)  P = 24o, p = 4 cm, r = 9 cm
66.23o, 113.77o

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c)  Q = 43o, q = 7 cm, r = 9.5 cm
67.75o, 112.25o

SOLVING PROBLEMS RELATED TO TRIANGLES USING THE SINE RULE

1. In the diagram, BCD is a straight line. Calculate the length of
a) CD b) BC

a) 6.556 cm b) 2.982 cm

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2. In the diagram below, BCD is a straight line. Calculate the length of
a) CD b) BC

a) 12.93 cm b) 12.26 cm

3. In the diagram below, FGH is a straight line and  EGF is an acute angle.
Calculate
a)  EGH b) the length of EH

a) 107.97o b) 11.69 cm

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4. The diagram below shows a parallelogram ABCD. Find the length of
a) BC b) BD

a) 6.52 cm b) 10.32 cm

5. Diagram below shows a playground ABCD, in the shape of a quadrilateral, where

AC is a footpath along the diagonal.
Calculate
a) the length of AB
b)  CAD
a) 61.49 m b) 8.61o

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6. Diagram below shows five straight paths. The positions P, Q, R and S will be
planted with trees.
Calculate
a)  RQP
b) the distance between P and S
a) 124.9o b) 6.507 km

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9.2 COSINE RULE C
To find side (given two sides and an included angle) a
a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A b

b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac cos B
A
c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C c B

To find angle (given 3 sides of a triangle)

b2 + c 2 − a 2 a 2 + c 2 − b2 a 2 + b2 − c 2
cos A = cos B = cos C =
2bc 2ac 2ab
1. Find the value of x for each of the following:

a)

x = 11.15

b)

x = 12.864

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c)

x = 12.22

d)

x = 19.451

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2. Find the value of ϴ for each of the following:
a)

ϴ = 47.70o

b)

ϴ = 32.21o

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c)

ϴ = 112.02o

d)

ϴ = 112.440

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SOLVING PROBLEMS RELATED TO TRIANGLES USING THE COSINE RULE &
SINE RULE
1. The diagram shows a triangle EGH. EFG is a straight line.

Find
a) EH
b) FG
a) 14.526 cm b) 7.001cm

2. Diagram below shows a triangle KMN. KLM is a straight line.

Find
a)  NKL
b) NM
a) 58.32o b) 13.18 cm

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3. Diagram below shows a triangle PRT. PQR is a straight line.

Find
a) ϴ
b) PT
a) 143.66o b) 10.248 cm

4. A surveyor at point P has obtained measurements of PD, PE and  DPE by

method of survey.
DE involves part of a lake which the surveyor is
unable to measure. How can the distance of DE
be obtained?

DE = 142.343 cm

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5. In the diagram below, AB represents the length of a slanting tower. Two points, C
and D, are marked on the horizontal ground such that BCD is collinear.

Calculate the length of the slanting

tower.
63.386 m

C
9.3 AREA OF A TRIANGLE

1 a
Area of triangle = ab sin C b
2
1
= ac sin B A
2 B
c
1
= bc sin A
2
1. Find the area of each of the following triangles:
a)

Area = 31.95 cm2

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b)

Area = 49.28 cm2

c)

Area = 58.94 cm2

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AREA OF A TRIANGLE USING HERON’S FORMULA

Area = s ( s − a ) ( s − b ) ( s − c ) ........a, b, c arethe sidesof a triangleand

a +b+c
s=
2
1. Find the area of each of the following triangles.
a)

Area = 127.3 cm2

b)

Area = 97.98 cm2

c)

Area = 220.9 cm2

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2. Encik Kamal has a triangular piece of land as shown in the diagram below.

The area of his land is 53.97 m2.

Find the value of x.
x = 82o

APPLICATION OF SINE RULE, COSINE RULE AND AREA OF A TRIANGLE

1. In the diagram below, ABCDEFGH is a cuboid with a horizontal rectangular base
EFGH. The plane ADEH is a rectangle which is parallel to the plane BCFG and
perpendicular to the base. The plane ABCD is parallel to the base. Find the area, in
cm2 of the triangle BFH.

Area = 20.84 20.88 cm2

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2. The diagram shows a pyramid with a horizontal rectangular base ABCD.

The vertex V is 6 cm vertically above D. It is given

that AB = 15 cm and BC = 8 cm. Find the area, in
cm2, of the triangular plane VBC.
Area = 64.64 64.75 cm2

3. The diagram shows a crane on a horizontal ground. AB is vertical. Find  ABC.

Area = 117.28o

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4. Diagram below shows a right prism placed on a horizontal surface.

Triangle AED is the uniform cross section of the

prism where angle E is a right angle. The
rectangular plane ABFE is perpendicular to the
horizontal rectangular plane CDEF and the
rectangular surface ABCD is an inclined plane.
Given the area of the triangle BCE is 65.77 cm2,
calculate the  BEC
42.40o 42.42o

5. The diagram shows a building. C is vertically above D.

A surveyor measures the angle of

elevation of the top of the building from
two points, A and B. The distance
between A and B is 50 m. The angle of
elevation obtained is shown in the
diagram. Calculate
i) the distance between B and C
ii) the height of the building

i) 263.72 ii) 192.87

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