Digital Lesson

Law of Sines
and
Law of Cosines
 An oblique triangle is a triangle that has no right angles.

b a

A c B

To solve an oblique triangle, you need to know the

measure of at least one side and the measures of any
other two parts of the triangle – two sides, two angles,
or one angle and one side.

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 The following cases are considered when solving oblique triangles.
1. Two angles and any side (AAS or ASA)
A A
c c
C B

2. Two sides and an angle opposite one of them (SSA)

c
C a
3. Three sides (SSS)
b c

a c
4. Two sides and their included angle (SAS) B
a
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 The first two cases can be solved using the Law of Sines. (The last
two cases can be solved using the Law of Cosines.)
Law of Sines
If ABC is an oblique triangle with sides a, b, and c, then

C C

b a a
h h b
A B B
c A c
Acute Triangle Obtuse Triangle

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 Example (ASA):
Find the remaining angle and sides of the triangle.
C
The third angle in the triangle is 10
A = 180 – C – B a = 4.5 ft
= 180 – 10 – 60 b
= 110. 60

c B
A
Use the Law of Sines to find side b and c.
a = b a = c
sin A sin B sin A sin C
4.5 = b 4.5 = c
sin 110� sin 60� sin 110� sin 10�
b �4.15 feet c �0.83 feet

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 The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Law of Sines
• In earlier examples, you saw that two angles and
one side determine a unique triangle.
• However, if two sides and one opposite angle are
given, then three possible situations can occur:
(1) no such triangle exists,
(2) one such triangle exists, or
(3) two distinct triangles satisfy the
conditions.
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
 Example 3 – Single-Solution Case—SSA
• For the triangle in Figure 6.5, a = 22 inches,
b = 12 inches, and A = 42 . Find the
remaining side and angles.

One solution: a  b

Figure 6.5
 Example 3 – Solution cont’d
• Multiply each side by b

Substitute for A, a, and b.

• Check for the other “potential angle”

B is acute.
• C  180  – 21.41  = 158.59
(158.59 + 42 = 200.59 which is more than 180  so there
is only one triangle.)
Now you can determine that
• C  180  – 42  – 21.41  = 116.59 
 cont’d
Example 3 – Solution
• Then the remaining side is given by
Law of Sines

Multiply each side by sin C.

Substitute for a, A, and C.

Simplify.
 Example (SSA):
Use the Law of Sines to solve the triangle.
A = 110, a = 125 inches, b = 100 inches C
a = 125 in
a = b b = 100 in
sin A sin B 110
125 = 100 c B
A
sin 110� sin B
a = c
B �48.74� sin A sin C
125 = c
C  180 – 110 – 48.74
sin 110� sin 21.26�
= 21.26 c �48.23 inches
Since the “given angle is already obtuse, there will only be one
triangle.
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 Example (SSA):
Use the Law of Sines to solve the triangle.
A = 76, a = 18 inches, b = 20 inches

a = b C
sin A sin B
b = 20 in
18 = 20 a = 18 in
sin 76� sin B
76
sin B �1.078 A
B
There is no angle whose sine is 1.078.

There is no triangle satisfying the given conditions.

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 Example (SSA): C
Use the Law of Sines to solve the triangle.
A = 58, a = 11.4 cm, b = 12.8 cm
a = b a = 11.4 cm b = 12.8 cm
sin A sin B
11.4 = 12.8 58
sin 58� sin B B1 c A
B1 �72.2�
C  180 – 58 – 72.2 = 49.8 c = b
sin C sin B

Check for the other “potential angle” c = 12.8

sin 49.8� sin 72.2�
C  180  – 72.2  = 107.8 
(107.8  + 58  = 165.8  which is less than 180 c �10.3
 so there are two triangles.)
Example continues.
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 Example (SSA) continued:
Use the Law of Sines to solve the second triangle. C
A = 58, a = 11.4 cm, b = 12.8 cm 49.8

a = 11.4 cm b = 12.8 cm
B2  180 – 72.2 = 107.8 

72.2 58
C  180 – 58 – 107.8 = 14.2 B1 c A
10.3 cm
c = b C
sin C sin B
c = 12.8 b = 12.8 cm
sin 14.2� sin 72.2� a = 11.4 cm
58
c �3.3 A
B2 c

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 Law of Cosines
(SSS and SAS) can be solved using the Law of Cosines.
(The first two cases can be solved using the Law of Sines.)
Law of Cosines
Standard Form Alternative Form

a = b + c - 2bc cos A
2 2 2
cos A = b 2
+ c 2
- a 2

2bc

b = a + c - 2ac cos B
2 2 2
cos B = a 2
+ c 2
- b 2

2ac

c = a + b - 2ab cos C
2 2 2

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 Example:
Find the three angles of the triangle.
C

6 8

A B
12
Find the angle
opposite the longest
side first.

C �117.3�
12
Law of Sines: sin 117. = 6 B �26.4�
3� sin B

A �180�- 117.3�- 26.4�= 36.3�

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 Example: C
Solve the triangle.
6.2

Law of Cosines: 75

A B
b 2 = a 2 + c 2 - 2ac cos B 9.5

= (6.2) 2 + (9.5) 2 - 2(6.2)(9.5) cos 75�

�38.44 + 90.25 - (117.8)(0.25882)
�98.20
b �9.9
Law of Sines: sin9.9 = 6.2
75� sin A
A �37.2�

C �180�- 75�- 37.2�= 67.8�

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 • 52. Which of the following MIGHT result
in two possible triangles?
• Sol.

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 • 53. Clint is building a swing set for his
children. Each supporting end of the swing
set is to be an A frame constructed with two
10-foot-long 4 by 4’s joined at a 45° angle.
To prevent the swing set from tipping over,
Clint wants to secure the base of each A-
frame in concrete footings. How far apart
should the footings for each A-frame be?
• Sol.

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 • 55. Island A is 150 miles from island B. A
ship captain travels 250 miles from island A
and then finds that he is off course and 160
miles from island B. What angle, in
degrees, must he turn through to head
straight for island B? Round the answer to
two decimal places. (Hint: Be careful to
properly identify which angle is the turning
angle.)
• Sol.

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 • 51. If a triangle does NOT have any right
angles, then the triangle is called
• Sol.

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