Lesson 4

SOLUTIONS OF RIGHT
TRIANGLE
 SOLUTION OF RIGHT TRIANGLE
Solving a triangle means determining the measures of
all sides and angles of the triangles. In solving problems
involving right triangle, the following steps may be
considered:
• Sketch the required triangle as accurate as
possible based on the given data.
• Identify the given and the required parts of the
triangle.
• Solve for the unknown parts of the triangle using
any of the following:
a) The definitions of the trigonometric functions.
b) The Pythagorean relations.
c) The relation of complimentary angles.
 ANGLES OF ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION
If an observer sights an object, the angle formed
between a horizontal line and his line of sight is
called the angle of elevation if the line of sight is
above the horizontal and the angle of depression if
the line of sight is below the horizontal.
Object

Angle of Elevation

Observer Horizontal Line

Angle of Depression

Object
 EXAMPLE
1. If the angle of elevation of the top of the tower is
52031’. Find the height of the tower if the
observer is 41.5 m. from its base.
2. Find the angle of elevation of the sun if the
shadow of the pole 60 ft. tall and reaches 90 ft.
from the pole.
3. From the top of a lighthouse 30 m. high, the
angle of depression of a boat in the sea was
28045’. How far was the boat from the top and
base of lighthouse?
 EXAMPLE
4. From a window Carlo observes the lamp post. He
noted that the angle of elevation of its top is
43020’ while the angle of depression of its base is
20015’. If the top of the lamp post is 30 m. away
from the window and its base is 25 m., what is
the height of the lamp post?
5. From where he stands 75 ft. away from the tree,
a mountaineer 6 ft. tall, found that the angle of
elevation of the top of the tree was 37025’. Find
the total height of the tree.
 DIRECTION OF ANGLES
There are two ways in which the direction of an
angle can be determined. They are bearing and
course.
Bearing is an acute angle measured from due north
or due south. The North-South line is the basis of
the acute angle measurement.
Course is the angle measured clockwise from north
to the line of travel.
 EXAMPLE
Course readings of 750, 1500 and 3150 are illustrated
below with their corresponding bearing readings:
N N

750
N
3150

1500
S S
N750E S300E N450W

S
 EXAMPLE
1. Towers A and B are on east-west line 125 m. apart. Jojo,
on the south of that line finds that the direction of
towers A and B are N50030’W and N39030’E respectively.
How far is Jojo from each tower?
2. From a boat sailing due north at 16 km/hr, a wrecked
ship A and an observation tower B are observed in a line
due east. One hour later the wrecked ship and the tower
have bearings S350E and S650E. Find the distance
between the wrecked ship and the tower.
3. A car travels 125 km. on a course of 38015’ then make a
turn on a course of 128015’ at a distance of 315 km. Find
the distance from the starting point to the end of the
trip.