OBLIQUE TRIANGLE,

LAW OF SIN AND LAW OF

COSINE
OBJECTIVES:
1. Define an oblique triangle
2. States the:
(a) Law of Sine’s
(b) Law of Cosines
3. Solve for unknown parts when the given parts are
the two angles and a side opposite one of them.
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, c
 Four Cases in Solving Oblique
Triangles
Case 1 One side and two angles are known
(SAA or ASA).
 Case 2 Two sides and one angle not included
between the two sides are known (SSA). This
case may lead to more than one triangle.
 Case 3 Two sides and the angle included
between the two sides are known (SAS).
 Case 4 Three sides are known (SSS).
Law of Sines
 Law of Sines
The Law of Sines can also be written in the reciprocal form. This is the form I
usually use, but either is fine. Make sure you only use two fractions at a time, not
all three.
•Example
  1 – Given Two Angles and One Side—AAS
1. For the triangle ABC, C = 102.3  , B = 28.7  and b = 27.4 feet. Find the
remaining angle and sides.

SOL’N:
Solving Angle A:

= 180 = 49
•   for side a: (By the Law of Sines)
Solving

a = 27.4

a=

a= 43.1 ft.
•Solving
  for side c: (By the Law of Sines)

c
 
=

C = 27.4 sin 102.3

= 55.7 ft.
•Example
  2:
A + B + C = 180°
C = 180° – A – B
C = 180° – 32.0° – 81.8°
C= 66.2°

Use the Law of Sines to find c.

=
C =
C=
C = 74.1 cm.
•Solving
  for side b: (By the Law of Sines)

b=

b=

b=

b = 80.1 cm.
•Example
  3 – Single-Solution Case—SSA
For the triangle, a = 22 inches, b = 12 inches, and A = 42 . Find the remaining side and
angles.
Sol’n:

22 = 12
sin B =
sin B = 21.4

Angle C = 180 21.4

Angle C = 116.6
•Solving
  for side c: (By the Law of Sines)
c
   
= =

c = 22

c=

c= 29.4 in.
•APPLYING
  THE LAW OF SINES (ASA)
1. Kurt Daniels wishes to measure the distance across the Gasconde River. He determines
that C = 112.90°, A = 31.10°, and b = 347.6 ft. Find the distance a across the river.

• B = 180° – A – C
• B = 180° – 31.10° – 112.90°
B= 36°

=
a = 347.6
A= 305.5 ft.
PRACTICE
Law of Cosine
Law of Cosine
 In any triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must
be greater than the length of the remaining side.
 Use for the non- triangle when given two sides and an
included angle or all the 3 sides (SAS or SSS)
Use to find the angle opposite largest side since it may be
obtuse.
Law of Cosine for sides
Law of Cosine for angles
•Examples:
 

1. a = 6 ; b= 7 ; C= 49; Find side c , angle A and B

C
 
49
c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C
  2
7 6 c = (7)2 + (6)2 – 2(7)(6) cos 49
  2
c = 49 + 36 – 84 cos 49
A B c2 = 29.9
 
=
c= 5.5
Examples:
Solving for Angle B:  
Cos B =
C
 
49  
Cos B =
7 6  
Cos B =
A B  
Cos B =
c= 5.5
Cos B= 0.261
 
B= (0.261)
B= 74.9
Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SAS)
Example Solve triangle ABC if ; A = 42.3°, b = 12.9 meters, and c = 15.4 meters.

a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos A
a 2  12.9 2  15.4 2  2(12.9)(15.4) cos 42.3
a 2  109.7
a  10.47 meters
 Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SAS)
B must be the smaller of the two remaining angles since it is opposite the
shorter of the two sides b and c. Therefore, it cannot be obtuse. We use the
Law of Sines to find B.
sin 42.3 sin B

10.47 12.9
12.9 sin 42.3
sin B 
10.47
B  56.0

C  180  A  B  81.7 
 Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SAS)

1. Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SAS)

2: Use the Law of Sines to find the angle opposite the shorter of the two given sides. This angle
is always acute.

3: Find the third angle. Subtract the measure of the given angle and the angle found in step 2
from 180°.
 Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SSS)
Example Solve triangle ABC if a = 9.47 ft, b =15.9 ft, and c = 21.1 ft.
C
a b c
2 2 2

109.9°
  cos C 
𝑎=9.47
  𝑏=15.9
  2ab
(9.47)  (15.9)  (21.1)
2 2 2

B
 𝑐= 21.1
A
2(9.47)(15.9)
 .34109402
C  109.9 
 Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle
(SSS)
We will use the Law of Sines to find B.
  sin 𝐵 sin 109.9
=
15.9 21.1

  15.9 ∙ sin 109.9

sin 𝐵=
21.1

 sin 𝐵=.7085583516
 sin − 1 .7085583516 =45.1 °
C

 𝑎=9.47 109.9°
  𝑏=15.9
 

 𝐴=180 °−109.9 ° − 45.1° ≈ 25.0 °

B
45.1°
  25.0°
 
A
 𝑐= 21.1
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. Slide 10-27
 Using the Law of Cosines to Solve a Triangle (SSS)

1. Use the Law of Cosines to find the angle opposite the longest side.

2. Use the Law of Sines to find either of the two remaining acute angles.

3. Find the third angle by subtracting the measures of the angles found in steps 1 and 2 from
180°.
USING THE LAW OF COSINES IN AN APPLICATION (SAS)
• A surveyor wishes to find the
distance between two inaccessible
points A and B on opposite sides of
a lake. While standing at point C,
she finds that
AC = 259 m, BC = 423 m, and angle
ACB measures 132°40′. Find the
distance AB.
 USING THE LAW OF COSINES IN AN
Example 1
APPLICATION (SAS)

• Use the law of cosines because

we know the lengths of two
sides of the triangle and the
measure of the included angle.

2 2 2
 ( 𝐴𝐵 ) =( 𝐴𝐶 ) + ( 𝐵𝐶 ) − 2 ( 𝐴𝐶 )( 𝐵𝐶 ) cos 𝐶
2 𝟐 𝟐
 ( 𝐴𝐵 ) =( 𝟐𝟓𝟗 ) + ( 𝟒𝟐𝟑 ) −2 ( 𝟐𝟓𝟗 ) ( 𝟒𝟐𝟑 ) cos 𝟏𝟑𝟐 ° 𝟒𝟎 ′

The distance between the two points is about 628 m.