Exercise 6A

1 a Using a2  b2  c2  2bc cos A

d BC 2  62  52  2  6  5  cos 45
 18.573...
BC  18.573...  4.31 cm  3 s.f.

e
Using c2  a 2  b2  2ab cos C
AB 2  6.52  8.42  2  6.5  8.4  cos 20
AB 2  10.1955...
AB  10.1955...  3.19 cm  3 s.f.

b
(This is an isosceles triangle so you
could use right-angled triangle trigonometry.)
Using b2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B
AC 2  102  102  2 10 10  cos 40
 46.791...
AC  46.791...  6.84cm  3 s.f.
Using a2  b2  c2  2bc cos A
BC 2  12  22  2 1 2  cos 60
f
BC 2  3
BC  3  1.73 cm  3 s.f.

Using c2  a 2  b2  2ab cos C

AB 2  6.52  5.62  2  6.5  5.6  cos108
 96.106...
AB  96.106...  9.80 cm  3 s.f.
Using b2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B
AC 2  5.52  4.52  2  5.5  4.5  cos160
2 a
AC 2  97.014...
AC  97.014...3  9.85 cm  3 s.f.

a 2  c2  b2
Using cos B 
2 ac
8  4  10 2
2 2
cos B 
28 4

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2 a cos B   64
20
7 2  102  82
d cos C   0.6071
  165 2  7 10
C  cos 1 (0.6071...)  52.6° (3 s.f.)
  165   108.2...
1
B  cos
 108  3 s.f. e
We can use a calculator to find directly an
obtuse angle with a negative cosine value.

a 2  b2  c2
Using cos C 
2ab
9  6  142
2 2
cos C   0.7314...
296
a 2  b2  c2 C  cos 1 (0.7314...)  137° (3 s.f.)
Using cos C 
2ab
7  24  252
2 2
f
cos C 
2  7  24
0
C  cos 1 (0)  90

(This is an isosceles triangle so you could

use right-angled triangle trigonometry.)
a 2  c2  b2
Using cos B 
2 ac
b2  c2  a 2 6.2  3.8  6.22
2 2

Using cos A  cos B   0.3064...

2bc 2  6.2  3.8
4  2.5  3.52
2 2 B  cos 1 (0.3064...)  72.2° (3 s.f.)
cos A 
2  4  2.5
3 Use alternate angles to find angle of 40˚
21
and 180˚−130˚ = 50˚. Adding, this gives
 12   60 A
1
A  cos 90˚. At this point, you can use Pythagoras’
theorem or the cosine rule.
d c 2  a 2  b2  2ab cos C
c2  1202  1502  2 120 150cos90
= 14 400 + 22 500 − 0
= 36 900
So c = 192.0937...
The distance of the plane from the airport
is 192 km (3 s.f.).
a 2  b2  c2
Using cos C 
2ab

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4 6 SF 2  2202  4942  2  220  494cos 22
 90 903.317
SF  90 903.317...  301.5... yards
 302 yards  3 s.f.
b2  c2  a 2
7 cos A 
2bc
5  42  62
2

2(5)(4)
Using the cosine rule:
b2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B 25  16  36

AC 2  102  7 2  2 10  7  cos 80 40
5
 124.689 
40
AC  124.689...  11.2 km  3 s.f. 1

8
5
q2  r 2  p2
8 cos P 
2qr
3  22  42
2

2(3)(2)
9  4  16

12
3

12
1

4
The bearing of C from B is not given so
there are two possibilities for C, using 9
known information.
The angle A will be the same in each ∆ABC.
b2  c2  a 2
Using cos A 
2bc
80  50  602
2 2
cos A   0.6625 The smallest angle is C as this
2  80  50
 A  48.5 is opposite AB, the shortest side.

The bearing of C from A is a 2  b2  c2

Using cos C 
80  48.5  128.5 or 031.5 2ab
6  10  52
2 2

6 cos C 
2  6 10
 0.925
C  22.3  3 s.f.

Using the cosine rule:

t 2  f 2  s2  2 fs cos T

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10 12 6 x  6 x  8 x  64  24
20 x  88
x 88
20

 4.4 cm

13

The largest angle is B as it is opposite AC.

a 2  c2  b2
Using cos B 
2 ac
6.2  9.3  12.7 2
2 2
cos B   0.3152...
2  6.2  9.3 Using a2  b2  c2  2bc cos A
B  108.37...  108  3 s.f.  x  4
2
 102  x 2  2 10  x cos 60
x 2  8 x  16  100  x 2  10 x
11
10 x  8 x  100  16
2 x  84
x  42 cm

14 a

The largest angle will be opposite the side

of length 4k cm, the longest side.

a 2  c2  b2
Using cos B 
2 ac Using b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac cos B
9k  4k 2  16k 2
2
y2 = (4 + x)2 + (5 − x)2
cos B 
2  3k  2k – 2(4 + x)(5 − x) cos 120°
 0.25 y = 16 + 8x + x2 + 25 – 10x + x2
2

B  104 (3 s.f.) + (4 + x)(5 − x)

(Note : 2 cos 120° = −1)
y2 = 16 + 8x + x2 + 25 – 10x + x2
12 + 20 + x − x2
= x2 − x + 61

b Completing the square:

y 2   x  12   61  14
2

 y 2   x  12   60 34
2

The minimum value of y 2 occurs when

Using a2  b2  c2  2bc cos A
 x  12 
2
( x  3)  ( x  3)  8  2  8  ( x  3) cos 60
2 2 2  0, i.e. when x  12 .
So the minimum value of y2 is 60.75.
x 2  6 x  9  x 2  6 x  9  64  8( x  3)
x 2  6 x  9  x 2  6 x  9  64  8 x  24

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15 a 16 To find the angle between fences
BC and CD:
a 2  b2  c 2
cos C 
2ab
135  602  122.733 562
2

2(135)(60)
52  x 2  10  x 
2
18 225  3600  15 063.5276
cos B  
2 5 x 16 200
25  x 2  100  20 x  x 2   0.417 37...
 C = cos−1 (0.417 37...)
10 x
= 65.33...°
25  x  100  20 x  x 2
2
 So the angle between fences
10 x BC and CD is 65.3° (3 s.f.).
20 x  75

10 x 17 a a2  b2  c2  2bc cos A
4 x  15  702  502  2  70  50cos 20

2x  4900  2500  6577.848...
 822.151 65...
b As cos B   17
So a = 28.673...
4 x  15 1 The distance between ships B and C is

2x 7 28.7 km (3 s.f.).
7  4 x  15   2 x
28 x  105  2 x a 2  c2  b2
b cos B 
2ac
30 x  105
28.6732  502  702
105 cos B 
x 2(28.673)(50)
30
822.151 65  2500  4900
 3 12 
2867.3187
16 First find the length of the diagonal BD.  0.550 28...
a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos A B = cos−1 (0.550 28...)
 1202  752  2 120  75cos 74 = 123.3867...°
 14 400  5625  4961.4724 The bearing is 180° − 123.3867° = 56.6°.
 15 063.5276 The bearing of ship C from ship B is 056.6°.
So a = 122.733 56...

So the length of the diagonal BD is

122.733 56... m.

Note that in this question you do not have

to find the value of a since you only need
a 2 in the next part of the calculation.

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