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Sec4 Law of Sines & Cosines
Sec4 Law of Sines & Cosines
and COSINES
The Law of SINES
For any triangle (right, acute or obtuse), you may
use the following formula to solve for missing
sides or angles:
a b c
sin A sin B sin C
Use Law of SINES when
given ...
AAS
ASA
SSA (the ambiguous case)
Example 1
Side c = 6.4 cm
c=
Note:
A 70° 30° C We used the given values of A
b = 12.6
and a in both calculations since
your answer is more accurate if
you do not use rounded values
in calculations.
Example 2
30 b
30°
c sin35 sin 30
a = 30 30 sin 30 b sin 35
115° 35° 30 sin 30
C A b 26.2
b sin 35
Example 2 (con’t)
B Set up the Law of Sines to find side c:
30 c
30°
c sin35 sin115
a = 30 30 sin115 c sin 35
30 sin115
115° 35° c 47.4
C b = 26.2 A
sin 35
Example 2 (solution)
B
Angle A = 35°
30° Side b = 26.2 cm
c = 47.4
Side c = 47.4 cm
a = 30
A B?
c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse
If angle A is obtuse there are TWO possibilities.
a a
b b
A B? A B?
c=? c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse - EXAMPLE
Given a triangle with angle A = 120°, side a = 22 cm and side
b = 15 cm, find the other dimensions.
C Since a > b, these dimensions are possible.
To find the missing dimensions, use the Law
of Sines:
a = 22 22 15
b = 15
sin120 sin B
120° 15sin120 22sin B
A B
c 15sin120
B sin 1 36.2
22
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse - EXAMPLE
Angle C = 180° - 120° - 36.2° = 23.8°
C
Use Law of Sines to find side c:
a = 22 22 c
b = 15
sin120 sin 23.8
120° c sin120 22sin 23.8
A B
c
22sin 23.8
36.2° c 10.3
sin120
Solution: angle B = 36.2°, angle C = 23.8°, side c = 10.3
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
If angle A is acute there are SEVERAL possibilities.
Side ‘a’ may or may not be long
enough to reach side ‘c’. We
C=? calculate the height of the
altitude from angle C to side c to
b a compare it with side a.
A B?
c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
C=?
a
b
h
A B?
c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
If h < a < b, then TWO triangles exist with these dimensions.
C C
b b
a a h
h
A B A c
c B
If we open side ‘a’ to the If we open side ‘a’ to the
outside of h, angle B is acute. inside of h, angle B is obtuse.
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
If h < b < a, then ONE triangle exists with these dimensions.
C
If a = h, then angle B must
b be a right angle and there is
a=h only one possible triangle
with these dimensions.
A c B
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
if angle A is if a < b no solution
obtuse
if a > b one solution
if a < h no solution
if angle A is acute if h < a < b 2 solutions
one with angle B acute,
find the height, one with angle B obtuse
h = b*sinA if a > b > h 1 solution
If a = h 1 solution
angle B is a right angle
The Law of COSINES
2 2 2
a b c 2bc cos A
2 2 2
b a c 2accos B
c a b 2abcos C
2 2 2
Use Law of COSINES when given ...
SAS
SSS (start with the
largest angle!)