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The Laws of SINES

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

You are given a triangle, ABC, with


angle A = 70°, angle B = 80° and side a
= 12 cm. Find the measures of angle C
and sides b and c.

* In this section, angles are named with capital


letters and the side opposite an angle is named
with the same lower case letter. *
Example 1 (con’t)
B The angles in a ∆ total 180°,
so angle C = 30°.
80°
c a = 12 Set up the Law of Sines to
find side b:
12 b

A 70° C sin 70 sin 80
b
12  sin 80  b  sin 70
12  sin 80
b  12.6
sin 70
Example 1 (con’t)
B Set up the Law of Sines to
find side c:
80°
a = 12
c 12 c

sin 70 sin 30
A 70° 30° C
12  sin 30  c  sin 70
b = 12.6
12  sin 30
c  6.4
sin 70
Example 1 (solution)
B Angle C = 30°
80° Side b = 12.6 cm
a = 12
6 .4

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

You are given a triangle ABC, with


angle C = 115°, angle B = 30° and side
a = 30 cm. Find the measures of angle
A and sides b and c.
Example 2 (con’t)
B To solve for the missing
sides/angles, we must have an
30° angle/side opposite pair to set up
the first equation.
c
a = 30 We MUST find angle A because the
only side given is side a.
115°
C b A
The angles in a ∆ total 180°, so
angle A = 35°.
Example 2 (con’t)
B Set up the Law of Sines to find side b:

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

115° 35° Note: Use the Law of Sines


C b = 26.2 A whenever you are given 2
angles and one side!
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)

When given SSA (two sides and an


angle that is NOT the included angle) ,
the situation is ambiguous. The
dimensions may not form a triangle, or
there may be 1 or 2 triangles with
those dimensions. We first go through
a series of tests to determine how
many (if any) solutions exist.
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)

In the following examples, the given angle will always


be angle A and the given sides will be sides a and b. If
you are given a different set of variables, feel free to
change them to simulate the steps provided here.
C=?
‘a’ - we don’t know what
angle C is so we can’t draw
b
side ‘a’ in the right position

A B?
c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse
If angle A is obtuse there are TWO possibilities.

If a ≤ b, then a is too short


to reach side c - a triangle If a > b, then there is
with these dimensions is ONE triangle with
C = ? impossible. C=? these dimensions.

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

First, use SOH-CAH-TOA to find h:


C=?
h
sin A 
b a b
h
A B?
h  bsin A
c=?
Then, compare ‘h’ to sides a and b . . .
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
If a < h, then NO triangle exists with these dimensions.

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 Since side a is greater


than side b, side a
b a cannot open to the
h inside of h, it can only
open to the outside, so
A c B there is only 1 triangle
possible!
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation II: Angle A is acute
If h = 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!)

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