Laws of sines and cosines

Suppose we have a triangle that is not a

What information is sufficient

right triangle recall
to determine a
triangle you may
SAS A A S ASA
SSS 2angles 3
3 sides 2 sides and and side
The adjacent
angle
SSA
2 sides and
an angle 6A
is not sufficient same
are the
A ab
for 2 triangles
If A i as a measure 3900
then there is only one
possibility

So we should be able to find x

y
for this triangle
800 5
400 600

Ty
In general

t.by
ia
3f I
Here sin A b
C b Sint
and sin D
cz c as in B
 So bsin A a sin B
05
dividingboth sides by ab
LAW OF Sinai sinB
SINES b

where A and a are opposite

and B and b are opposite
So if we have o inquire about
2 angles and 2 sides with only
one unknown we can use this fact

Going back to our problem

Exampleji Find Y
we have
5
4800 sing Singh
600
40
Ty b sin 600 x sin 40
X 5sin6 6.74
Sin400
Also 5s in 80 400
ysin
Sing sing
5sin 7 66
y sin 400

Note It is best not to use X 6.74

in the search for since it is an
y
approximation
 Exanple Find Q This is SSA whichhas
the potential to have
More than one solution
950 g
S 9
je singe 10
10 Sino
59in sina.IS

Note sin 950 So there is one

70
2
acute solution and one
4900
obtuse C 900 to this equation

The obtuse solution must be rejected in

this case since we already have a 950
Angle and the sum of inferior angles
of is 1800
a
triangle
So Sino sins
solving 2

E Arcsin sins
to 29.870

What about SSS sides

a ii b we see
AC 2
Ty
e
is he aZ d2
 1 b2 e2
So ar d E e
99 a2 Ft cf et
b Cdt et 2E 2de
tf T 2e etd
tf tf 2ce

Buctos A
e
b
e bcosA
so
writing
LAWNS aZ 5 cZ 2bccosA
OF C

91 bTA
i

COSINES

This is close to thePythagorean

theorm playing the role
with A
the and a the
of right angle
length of the hypotenuse
We can use this when the
information we have and
want are 3 sides and an
we have
angle provided
Unknown
only one

5 3
Example
6
Find 0 3 is opposite so

32 52 62 2.5 G cos 0

3 32 52 62 2.5 6 cos 0

52 2 5 6 cos 0

52 COS Ct corresp
to
of a
A
I cos o
IS
o
Arc 31
cos
29.9