Grade 10: SINE AND COSINE NOTES

Department of Mathematics: Term 1: Year 2023/2024

SAS: Two sides and the included angle

If you know two sides of a triangle and the enclosed angle, use the cosine rule in the form a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A to find
the third side.

1. Use the cosine rule to find the third side.

2. Use the sine rule to find either of the other angles
3. Use the sum of angles in a triangle to find the third angle.

ASA: Two angles and a side

If you know two angles of a triangle and one side, use the sine rule in the form

= =
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
to find the other sides.
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐴 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐵 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑐

1. Use the sum of angles in a triangle to find the third angle.

2. Use the sine rule to find the other two sides.

SSS: Three sides

2 2 2
𝑏 +𝑐 −𝑎
If you know all the three sides of a triangle, use the cosine rule in the form cos A = to find the
2𝑏𝑐
angle.

1. Use the cosine rule to find one angle

2. Use the sine rule to find another angle
3. Use the sum of the angles in a triangle to find the third angle.

SSA: Two sides and an angle not included

= =
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐴 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐵 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐶
If you know two sides of a triangle and an angle not included, use the sine rule in the form
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
to find the other angles.
 Grade 10: SINE AND COSINE NOTES
Department of Mathematics: Term 1: Year 2023/2024

Note:

Another tip to help you use the correct rule is this: if you know a side and the opposite angle, use the sine rule.
Otherwise, use the cosine rule.

Sometimes it is necessary to use the rules more than once.

Example 1

In triangle ABC, AB = 6 cm, AC = 7 cm and angle CAB = 580. Find angle ABC.

Solution

Here we have two sides and an included angle of the triangle (SAS). Use the cosine rule to find the third side, BC.
BC2 = 62 + 72 - 2 × 6 × 7 × cos 58°
BC2 = 40.487
BC = 40. 487
Hence, BC = 6. 363 cm
Now we know all the sides of the triangle and an angle. Use the sine rule to find the angle ABC.

=
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐵 𝑠𝑖𝑛 58°
7 6.363
Sin B =
7 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛 58°
6.363
sin B = 0.9330
B = sin-1 (0.9330)
B = 68.9° (to the nearest 0.1)
Therefore, angle ABC = 68.9°

Example 2

Find the value of the angle in the following diagram.

Solution
 Grade 10: SINE AND COSINE NOTES
Department of Mathematics: Term 1: Year 2023/2024

Observe that the diagram above is made up of two different triangles (ABD and BCD). Triangle ABD has one known side, AB
and triangle BCD has two known sides, BC and CD.

To find the angle x, we need to find the side DB in triangle BCD.

The length of DB and the angle opposite DB are not known, so we first find angle DBC since its opposite side CD is known.

Using the sine rule,

=
𝑠𝑖𝑛 40 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝐵
15 18
18 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛 40
sin B =
15
Sin B = 0.7713
B = sin-1 (0.7713)
B = 50.47°

Therefore, angle DBC = 50.47°

Using the sine rule to find angle x,

=
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 𝑠𝑖𝑛 30
23.34 14
sin x =
23.34 × 𝑠𝑖𝑛 30
14
sin x = 0.8334
x = sin-1 (0.8334)
x = 56.45°