Solutions of Oblique Triangles

 Law – An oblique triangle is a triangle that

has no right angle. An oblique triangle is also
defined as a triangle whose angles are all
acute, or a triangle having one obtuse angle.
 A triangle has three angles and three sides.
 Given three principal parts, at least one of
which is a side, we can possibly find the
measures of the other three.
 Adequate methods for solving oblique
triangles can be used such as the law of sines
and the law of cosines.
 Any type of problem involving the solution of
triangles is covered by one of these methods.
Conditions That Determine a Triangle
 A triangle is said to be determined when the
measure of three parts are given.
 Three angles do not serve to determine a
triangle.
 A triangle is determined in any of the
following four cases.
1. Case 1: Law of sines. Given two angles and
one side. Obtain the third angle, and then
use the sine law.
2. Case 2: Ambiguous Case. Given two sides and
the angle opposite one of them. Use the sine
law. Examine the possibility of no solution,
one or two solutions.
Case 3: Law of Cosines. Angle. Given two sides
and the included angle. Use the cosine law for
the third side and then the sine law for the
angles. Find the smaller angle first to avoid the
possibility of an obtuse angle.
Case 4: Given three sides, use the cosine law for
each angle in turn.
Case 1: Given two Angles and Any Side
The Law of Sine: The sides of a triangle are
proportional to the sines of the opposite angles.
Acute Triangle: a/sin A = b/sin B /= c/sin C
Proof:
Consider the acute Triangle ABC. It is clear that
from the two right triangles ACO and BCO
b sin A = h, and a sin B = h
 Therefore a sin B = b sin A, dividing through by
sin A sin B, we obtain,
a/sin A = b/sin B
 Since a and b are any two sides of the right
triangle, then B and b can be replaced by C
and c, respectively. So the preceding equation
becomes.
a/sin A = c/sin C
 The last two equations give us the Law of
Sines
Obtuse Triangle: