`Lesson Objective

 How to Find sides and angles of non-right angled triangles using Cosine rule
Subtopic: Cosine rule
If a triangle is right-angled, trigonometric ratios and the theorem of Pythagoras may be used for its solutions. However, for a non-right-angled
triangle, trigonometric ratios and Pythagoras’ theorem cannot be used. Instead, two rules, called the sine rule and the cosine rule, are used.
Cosine rule
The cosine rule applies to any triangle and states that in any triangle ABC:

 a , b∧c are sides

 A , B and C are angles
 sides a faces angle A
 sides b faces angle B
 sides c faces angle C

FINDING SIDES FINDING ANGLES

2 2 2 2 2
a =b +c −2 b cc osA b +c
cosA =¿
2 bc
b 2=a2 +c 2−2 accosB a +c 2
2
cosB=
2 ac
c 2=a2+ b2−2 abcosC a2+ b2
cosA =
2 ba
Prove the cosine rule using the triangle below

When to use the cosine rule?

The cosine rule is only used when:

CASE 1: 2 sides and the included angle are initially given, or

CASE 2: 3 sides are initially given.
FINDING A SIDE
CASE 1
1. Find AB in the triangle ABC in which AC = 3 cm, and BC = 5 cm and < ACB = 132°.

SOLUTION
1. AB 2=a2 +b 2−2 abcosC AB = √ 54.07 = 7.353 cm

CASE 2
2. A triangle ABC has sides a=9.0 cm , b=7.5 cm∧c=6.5 cm . Determine its three angles.
 SOLUTION
b2 +c 2
cosA = =0.1795 , A=cos−1 0.1795=79.67 °
2 bc
9.0 7.5
Applying sine rule, = →< B=55.07 °
sin 79.67° sinB
Finally, C=180 °−79.67 °−55.07 °=45.26 °

Exercise
1. In the triangle ABC below, determine its three angles.
2. For the triangle XYZ, find the length of XZ and < Z. Given that <Y = 128°, XY = 7.2 cm and YZ = 4.5 cm.