How will you solve for all the missing angles and sides?

Z
5
3

Y
x
What formulas did you use to
solve the triangle?
• Pythagorean theorem
• SOHCAHTOA
• All angles add up to 180o in a triangle
Could you use those formulas on this
triangle?
Solve for all missing angles and sides:
This is an oblique triangle.
An oblique triangle is any
non-right triangle.

z 5
3

35o y
x
There are formulas to solve oblique triangles just like
there are for right triangles!
Solving Oblique Triangle
•Laws of Sines
•Law of Cosines
•Triangle Area
 What we already know
• The interior angles total 180.
• We can’t use the Pythagorean C
Theorem. Why not? a
b
• For later, area = ½ bh
B
• Larger angles are across from A c

longer sides and vice versa.

• The sum of two smaller sides
must be greater than the third.
In this section, you will solve oblique
triangles—triangles that have no right
angles.

As standard notation, the angles of a triangle are

labeled A, B, and C, and their opposite sides are
labeled a, b, and c, as shown at the right.
To solve an oblique triangle, we need to know the
measure of at least one side and any two other
measures of the triangle—either two sides, two
angles, or one angle and one side.
This breaks down into the following four cases.
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

4. Two sides and their included angle (SAS)

c

B
a

The first two cases can be solved using the

Law of Sines, whereas the last two cases
require the Law of Cosines.
Law of Sines
The Law of Sines
In any triangle ABC, the sides are proportional
to the sines of the opposite angles.

a b c
or  
Sin A Sin B Sin C
 General Process for Law Of Sines
1. Except for the ASA triangle, you will
always have enough information for 1 full
fraction and half of another. Start with that
to find a fourth piece of data.
2. Once you know 2 angles, you can subtract
from 180 to find the 3rd.
3. To avoid rounding error, use given data
instead of computed data whenever
possible.
 Example 1 – Given Two Angles and One Side—AAS

For the triangle in the figure below, C = 102,

B = 29, and b = 28 feet. Find the
remaining angle and sides.
 Example 1 – Solution
The third angle of the triangle is
A = 180 – B – C
= 180 – 29 – 102
= 49.
By the Law of Sines, you have

.
 Example 1 – Solution cont’d

Using b = 28 produces

and
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
 The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
In Example 1, we 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 may satisfy the conditions.
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Example 2 – Single-Solution Case—SSA
For the triangle in Figure 6.4, a = 22 inches, b
= 12 inches, and A = 42. Find the
remaining side and angles.

One solution: a  b
 Example 2 – Solution
By the Law of Sines, you have
Reciprocal form

Multiply each side by b.

Substitute for A, a, and b.

 Example 2 – Solution cont’d

Now, you can determine that

C  180 – 42 – 21.41
= 116.59.
Then, the remaining side is
 Example 3
Solve this triangle: The angles in a ∆ total 180°,
B
so solve for angle C.
80° Set up the Law of Sines to
12
c find side b:

A
70° C
b

12 b 12 c
  Angle C = 30°
sin 70 sin 80 sin 70 sin 30
12 sin 80  b sin 70 12 sin 30  c  sin 70 Side b = 12.6 cm
12 sin 80 12 sin 30
b 12.6cm c  6.4cm Side c = 6.4 cm
sin 70 sin 70
 Example 4: Solve this triangle
C You’re given both pieces for sinA/a
85
and part of sinB/b, so we start
b a =30 there. sin 45 sin 50

30 b
45 50 b sin 45  30sin 50
B
A c 30sin 50
b
sin A sin C sin 45

a c
sin 45 sin 85 Using a calculator, b  32.5

30 c Using a calculator c  42.3
c sin 45  30sin85
30sin85
c
sin 45
 Example 5: Solve this triangle
C
Since we can’t start one of the
fractions, we’ll start by finding C. 135 a 36.5
11.1 b
C = 180 – 35 – 10 = 135 35 10
B
Since the angles were exact, this A c 45

isn’t a rounded value. We use sin135 sin 35 sin135 sin10

 
sinC/c as our starting fraction. 45 a 45 b
sin C sin A sin C sin B
 and 
c a c b a sin135  45sin 35 b sin135  45sin10
45sin 35
a b
45sin10
sin135 sin135
Using your calculator
a  36.5 b  11.1
 You try! Solve this triangle
B

30°
c

a = 30

115°
C A
b
 The Law of Cosines
When solving an oblique triangle, using one of
three available equations utilizing the cosine of
an angle is handy. The equations are as
follows:

a  b  c  2bc cos(A)
2 2 2

b  a  c  2ac cos(B)
2 2 2

c  a  b  2ab cos(C)
2 2 2
 General Strategies for Using
the Law of Cosines
The formula for the Law of Cosines makes use
of three sides and the angle opposite one of
those sides. We can use the Law of Cosines:

• SAS - two sides and the included angle

• SSS - all three sides

 Example 1: Solve this triangle
Now, since we know the
87.0°
measure of one angle and
17.0 15.0
the length of the side
opposite it, we can use
A B the Law of Sines.
c sin 87.0 sin A
Use the relationship: 
22.1 15.0
c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C
c2 = 152 + 172 – 2(15)(17)cos(87°) sin 87.0 sin B

22.1 17.0
c2 = 487.309…
c = 22.1   42.7   50.2
 Example 2: Solve this triangle
C
23.2 sin B sin 36.9

31.4

31.4 23.2
 
38.6
sin C sin 36.9
We start by finding cos A. 
a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos A 38.6 23.2
cos A  0.7993
A  36.9   54.4 C  87.3
Solve the following triangles. Give answers to two decimal
places. Note that all figures are not drawn to scale.
 You TRY:
1. Solve a triangle with a = 8, b =10, and c = 12.
A = 41.4o a= 8
B = 55.8o b = 10
C = 82.8o c = 12

2. Solve a triangle with A = 88o, B =16o, and c = 14.

A = 88o a = 12.4
B = 16o b = 3.4
C = 76o c = 14
 IMPORTANT
• IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO USE LAW OF SINES
FOR SIDES AND LAW OF COSINES FOR
ANGLES
• Sometimes, however, it is just not possible – you
may have to switch it up