CHAPTER 5: SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

Spherical Triangle – is that part of the B

surface of the sphere bounded by three arcs
of great circles. a
co – B
c a
C co – c
b
b co – A
A

The Napier’s Rule

1. The sine of any middle part is equal to
the product of the tangents of the
adjacent parts. ( TAN – AD RULE )
The six parts are the 3 sides a, b, and c, and
the 3 angles A, B, and C. 2. The sine of any middle part is equal to
the product of the cosines of the
B opposite parts. ( CO – OP RULE )

B a Example 1:
 If a is the middle part , then b and
O c c C ( co – B ) are the adjacent parts.

Center of b Then by TAN – AD Rule:

the sphere sina = tanbtan( co – B )
A
o
Note: a + b + c < 360 tan b
or written as ---- sina = .
180o < A + B + C < 540o tan B

RIGHT SPHERICAL TRIANGLE  If a is the middle part, then ( co – c )

Right Spherical Triangle – a spherical
triangle with at least one right angle.
 Solutions to Right Spherical Triangle
Right spherical triangle can be solved
by using the Napier’s rule. Draw a
Napier’s circle divided by 5 parts. Each
part represents the parts of the triangle
excluding the right angle C. Note that
the angles A and B, and the sides c are
replaced by their complements written
as ( co – A ), ( co – B ), and ( co – c )
respectively.
and ( co – A ) are the opposite parts.
Then by CO – OP Rule:
sina = cos( co – c )cos( co – A )
or written as --- sina = sincsinA
Example 2:
 If ( co – A ) is the middle part, then b
and ( co – c ) are the adjacent parts.
Then by TAN – AD Rule:
sin( co – A ) = tanbtan( co – c )
tanb
or written as ---- cosa = .
tan c

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 If ( co – A ) is the middle part, then a Solution:
and ( co – B ) are the opposite parts.
Step 1: Construct the Napier’s Circle.
Then by CO – OP Rule:

sin( co – A ) = cosacos( co – B ) co – B
a
or written as --- cosA = cosasinB
co – c
b
Theorems
co – A
1. Any side and opposite angle terminate
in the same quadrant.

Note: 1st quadrant --- acute and 2nd

Step 2: Find a relation from the Napier’s
quadrant ------ obtuse
circle to solve for the requirement.
Examples:
1. By CO – OP Rule:
a. If a is acute---A is acute, and if a is sin( co – c ) = cosacosb
obtuse----- A is obtuse. cosc = cosacosb
cosc = cos70ocos62o
b. If b is acute---B is acute, and if b is c = 80.76o
obtuse-----B is obtuse
2. By TAN – AD Rule:
Note: C = 90o ------- c either acute or
obtuse
sina = tanbtan( co – B )
2. If any two of the three parts a, b, c, tan b
terminate in the same quadrant, the sina =
tan B
third terminates in the first quadrant; if
any two terminate in different tan 62 o
sin70o =
quadrants, the third terminates in the tan B
second quadrant.
B = 63.45o
Examples:
3. The area of the spherical triangle is given
a. a – acute and b – acute ( same
πr 2E
quadrants ) ---- c is acute by the formula, Area = , where
180 o
r = radius of the sphere
b. a – obtuse and b – obtuse ( same E = A + B + C – 180o ( E is called the
quadrants )---- c is acute spherical excess )

c. a – acute and b – obtuse ( different Solving for A, by TAN – AD Rule:

quadrants ) ---- c – obtuse
sinb = tanatan( co – A )
Problem 1: Given a right spherical triangle tana
ABC with a = 70o, b = 62o, and C = 90o. sinb =
tan A
1. Find side c. tan 70 o
sin62o =
tan A
2. Find angle B.
3. Find the area of the triangle if the A = 72.18o
radius of the sphere is 100 m.

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E = A + B + C – 180o Example 2: Given the parts of a spherical
E = 72.18o + 63.45o + 90o – 180o triangle ABC with A = 93o, C = 71o, and
E = 45.63o b = 112o.

1. Find angle B
πr 2E
Area = 2. Find side a.
180 o

Area =
2

π  100  45.63 o  3. Find side c.

180 o Solution:
Area = 7,963.94 m2
B

a
OBLIQUE SPHERICAL TRIANGLE
c C = 71o
Oblique Spherical Triangle – is a
spherical triangle having no right angle.
b = 112o
 Solutions to Oblique Triangle
A = 93o
Use the Law of Sines, cosine aw for
sides, and cosine for angles to solve
oblique triangles. 1. By cosine law for angles
cosB = – cosAcosC + sinAsinCcosb
B
cosB = – cos93ocos71o
a + sin93osin71ocos112o
B = 109.67o
c C
2. By cosine law for angles
b cosA = – cosBcosC + sinBsinCcosa
A cos93o = – cos109.67ocos71o
+ sin109.67osin71ocosa
The Law of Sines
a = 100.48o
sina sinb sinc
  .
sin A sinB sinC
3. By sine law

The Law of Cosines for sides sinc sinb


sinC sinB
cos a = cos b cos c + sin b sin c cos A
cos b = cos a cos c + sin a sin c cos B sinc sin112 o

cos c = cos a cos b + sin a sin b cos C sin71 sin109.67 o
c = 68.59o
The Law of Cosines for angles
cosA = – cosBcosC + sinBsinCcosa
cosB = – cosAcosC + sinAsinCcosb
cosC = – cosAcosB + sinAsinBcosc

Note: if A > B > C, then a > b > c.

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TERRESTRIAL SPHERE( EARTH ) Example 3: A ship sails from a place
( 20o N, 150o W ). After 6 days it crosses
NORTH the equator at longitude 170o W.

latitude Greenwich 1. Find the speed of the ship in nautical

England miles per hour( knots ).
2. What is the course of the ship?

WEST EAST Solution:

longitude
N
Prime Meridian

SOUTH
A
Equator Prime Meridian
( latitude 0o ) ( reference meridian) c
( longitude 0o ) W
b
20o
E
20o o
150
B a ( 0, 0 )
Equator – is the great circle whose plane is C = 90o
perpendicular to the axis of the north and
south planes.

Meridian – is half of a great circle,

terminated by the north and south planes. S
Prime Meridian – is the reference meridian.
In 1884, it was agreed upon that the Note: Triangle ABC is right with C = 90o,
reference meridian is the one that passes b = 20o ( the latitude of A ), and a = 20o
through the Royal Greenwich Observatory,
( difference in longitudes between A and B )
at Greenwich England. It is sometimes
called the Greenwich Meridian.

The latitude of a point is the angular

distance of the point from the equator. The co - B
angular measurement ranges from 0o at the a
equator to 90o at the north or south poles.
co - c
The longitude of a point is the angular b
distance between the prime meridian and
the meridian through the point. The angular co - A
measurement ranges from 0o at the Prime
Meridian to 180o eastward or westward.

Important Constants for a Terrestrial 1. By CO – OP Rule, solve for c:

Sphere:
sin( co – c ) = cosacosb
1’ arc of the great circle = 1 nautical mile
1o arc of the great circle = 60 nautical miles cosc = cosacosb
Radius of the Earth = 6,370 km or 3,959 cosc = cos20ocos20o
miles
1 nautical mile = 6,080 ft or 1.852 km c = 28o
1 statute mile = 5,280 ft  60 NM 
 
distance c = 28o  1 o  = 1,680 NM

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 dis tan ce h = 90o – 14o36’ = 75o24’
speed =
time N = 121o05’ – 114o10’ = 6o55’
1,680 NM
speed =
6  24  By cosine law for sides:

speed = 11.67 NM/hr cosn = cosmcos h + sinmsinhcosN

cosn = cos67o42’ cos75o24’
2. By TAN – AD Rule, solve for A: + sin67o42’sin75o24’ cos6o55’

sinb = tanatan( co – A ) n = 10.11o

tana  60 NM 
sinb =
tan A distance n = 10.11o  1 o  = 606.70 NM
tan 20o
sin20o =
tan A
 1.852 km 
 
distance n = 606.7 NM  1 NM 
A = 46.78 o
 

N distance n = 1,123.61 km

W Therefore the distance from Manila to

A
E Hongkong is 1,123.61 km.

 Difference in Time
S
Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT ) – is the
The course of the ship is S 46.78o W. mean solar time at the Royal Greenwich
Observatory, in Greenwich England. It
became the world’s time used by navigators
Example 4: Compute the distance of during the 19th century.
Manila( 14o36’N, 121o05’ E ) from Hongkong
( 22o18’ N, 114o10’ E ). Express your  The earth rotates 360o in 24 hrs or 15o
answer in kilometers. every hour, thus every 15o interval of
the longitude has a time difference of
Solution: 1 hour.
N
 The time in places located east
Prime Meridian
longitude is ahead of GMT, likewise
m
h time in places located West longitude is
H n behind of GMT.
M
difference in time difference in longitude
o
22 18’ 14 36’
o

W E 24 hours 360 o
o
121 05’
( 0, 0 )
114o10’
Example 5: The longitude of Osaka is 139o
E and that of Manila is 121o E. What is the
time difference between Osaka and Manila?

S
Consider oblique triangle HMN.

m = 90o – 22o18’ = 67o42’

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Solution:

difference in time difference in longitude


24 hours 360 o

difference in time 139 o  121o


24 hours 360o

Difference in time = 1.2 hrs or 1 hr and 12

min.

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