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  • 10 Solving Triangles by Reflection

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    The document describes how to use reflection to solve triangle problems involving finding angles and lengths. It shows that reflecting a triangle over a line of reflection forms an equilateral triangle, where all angles are 60 degrees. This allows one to determine that the angle between a ladder and wall is 30 degrees, or that the height of a tree measured at a 30 degree angle from a distance of 42m must be half of 42m, which is 21m.

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    10 solving triangles by reflection

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    The document describes how to use reflection to solve triangle problems involving finding angles and lengths. It shows that reflecting a triangle over a line of reflection forms an equilateral triangle, where all angles are 60 degrees. This allows one to determine that the angle between a ladder and wall is 30 degrees, or that the height of a tree measured at a 30 degree angle from a distance of 42m must be half of 42m, which is 21m.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    34 views2 pages

    10 Solving Triangles by Reflection

    Uploaded by

    api-299265916
    The document describes how to use reflection to solve triangle problems involving finding angles and lengths. It shows that reflecting a triangle over a line of reflection forms an equilateral triangle, where all angles are 60 degrees. This allows one to determine that the angle between a ladder and wall is 30 degrees, or that the height of a tree measured at a 30 degree angle from a distance of 42m must be half of 42m, which is 21m.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    Solving Triangles by Reflection

    A 5ft ladder leans against a wall as shown.


    What is the angle between the ladder and the wall?

    This is surprisingly easy to solve by using Reflection:

    Here is the triangle with its reflection


    Together they make an equilateral triangle (all sides
    equal).

    The angles in an
    equilateral triangle
    are all 60

    So the angle between the ladder and the wall is half of


    60

    = 30

    Finding Length

    We can use the same idea to find an unknown length.

    Alex has a laser that measures distance.


    By standing some distance from the tree Alex measures

    42mto the top of the tree at an

    angle of 30.
    What is the height of the tree?
    Here is the triangle and its reflection:

    Once again the triangle and its reflection make an


    equilateral triangle.
    So, we know the height of the tree must be half of 42m

    = 21m

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