I.G.C.S.E.

Trigonometry Index: Please click on the question number you want Question 1 Question 3 Question 5 Question 2 Question 4 Question 6

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Question 1 1. For the triangles below calculate the missing lengths. a.

x

b.

y 12 m 9m

3 cm

5 cm

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Solution to question 1 a.
x

Using Pythagoras theorem we have

x 2 = 3 2 + 52 x = 32 + 52
5 cm

3 cm

= 9 + 25 = 34 = 5.83cm

b.
y 12 m 9m

Using Pythagoras theorem, remembering that 12 m is the hypotenuse. 122 = y 2 + 92

y 2 = 122 92 y = 144 81 = 63 = 7.94m

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Question 2 For the triangles below find the missing letters. a. b.

22! 7.5 cm
b

a
34!

1.2 cm

c.
4.6 cm

d.
d

7.3 cm
c

17.5

3.45 cm

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Solution to question 2 First label the sides of each triangle, adjacent, opposite and hypotenuse. a.
hyp
34!

opp

The missing side is the opposite side and we have the adjacent and angle hence opp a tan = tan34! = adj 1.2 a = 1.2 tan 34! = 0.809 cm

1.2 cm adj

b.
22! 7.5 cm hyp opp
b

adj

The missing side is the adjacent side and we have the hypotenuse and angle hence adj b cos = cos 22! = hyp 7.5 b = 7.5 cos 22! = 6.95 cm

c.

opp 4.6 cm hyp 7.3 cm adj

c

The angle is and we know the opposite side and hypotenuse hence 4.6 opp sin c = sin = 7.3 hyp
4.6 ! c = sin1 = 39.1 7.3

d.
17.5!

hyp

The missing side is the hypotenuse side and we have the adjacent side and angle hence adj 3.45 cos = cos17.5! = d hyp
opp

3.45 cm adj

d =

3.45 = 3.62cm cos17.5!

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Question 3 In the diagram below find the following lengths a. AC b. AD c. CD.

A

! 27! 32

5.6 cm

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Solution to question 3
A

! 27! 32

5.6 cm

C A

a.

First draw out triangle ABC separately adj 5.6 cos = cos 27! = hyp AC 5.6 AC = = 6.29 cm cos 27!
27! adj 5.6 cm hyp

b.

First draw out triangle ACD separately

B A

opp

cos =

adj cos32! = hyp

!

AD 5.6 cos27!

AD =
c.

5.6 cos32 = 5.33 cm cos 27!

32!

adj

hyp

Considering triangle ACD. sin = opp sin32! = hyp CD 5.6 cos 27!

5.6 cos 27!

opp
C

AD =

5.6 sin32! = 3.33 cm cos 27!

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Question 4

A ship sails from Porthampton on a bearing of 120! towards a buoy marker for 60 km and then changes course to a bearing of 150! for another 80 km until it reaches Littlehampton.
a.

Draw a scale diagram using a scale of 1 cm to 10 km and find the distance and bearing of Littlehampton from Porthampton. Using trigonometry, calculate how far east and how far south the ship has travelled. Calculate the distance and bearing of Littlehampton from Porthampton.

b.

c.

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Solution to question 4 a.

Scale drawing scale 1 cm to 10 km.

N

120!

Bearing to be measured Distance to be measured

60 km

N
150!

Distance = 135 km, measured with a ruler. Bearing is 137! measured with a protractor.

80 km

b.

Drawing out triangles PAB and BDL separately we have

P

adj
30!

B
60
!

adj

hyp 60 km

opp hyp
B

opp 80 km

cos =

PA adj cos30! = hyp 60

cos =

PA adj cos 60! = hyp 80

PA = 60 cos30! (East) opp AB sin = sin30! = hyp 60 AB = 60 sin30! (South)

PA = 80 cos60! (East) opp AB sin = sin60! = hyp 80 AB = 80 sin 60! (South)

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The total distance east is = 60 cos30! + 80 cos 60! = 91.961 = 92.0km The total distance south is = 60 sin30! + 80 sin60! = 99.282 = 99.3km
c.

The distance PL is found by Pythagoras theorem

PL =

( 60cos30

+ 80 cos 60!

) + ( 60 sin30
2

+ 80 sin60!

= 135.328 = 135 km

We need to find angle CPL so we use triangle CPL

N

adj
60 cos 30! + 80 sin 60!

opp
60 sin30! + 80 sin60!

hyp

tan =

60 sin30! + 80 sin60! opp CPL = tan1 ! ! adj 60 cos30 + 80cos 60 = 47.2!

But we need to find the bearing of Littlehampton from Portshampton, which is given by
90! + 47.2! = 137.2!

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Question 5

The height of an eye of a man is 175 cm. He is standing 20 m from a building, which has a flagpole on it. He looks up at an angle of elevation 23! and sees the top of the building. He then looks up at the top of the flagpole, which has an angle of elevation of 28! .
a. b.

Calculate the height of the building. Calculate the height of the flagpole.

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Solution to question 5

First draw a diagram

28!

23!

1.75 m 20 m

a.

Consider triangle ABC

C

tan =

opp BC tan23! = adj 20

hyp opp
A
23!

BC = 20 tan 23! = 8.49m The height of the wall is = 1.75 + 8.49 = 10.239 = 10.2m

20 m adj

b.

Consider triangle ABD

D

tan =

opp BC tan28! = adj 20

hyp opp

BC = 20 tan 28! = 10.63m The height of the flagpole from the ground is = 1.75 + 10.63 = 12.384m Height of flagpole is CD = 12.38 10.24 = 2.14 m

28!

20 m adj

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Question 6

A rectangular box ABCDEFGH has AB = 5 cm , BC = 6 cm and AE = 3cm Calculate

a. b. c.
H E F G

AC, AG, The angle CAG .

3 cm

5 cm

6 cm

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Solution to question 6
H E F G

3 cm

5 cm

6 cm

a.

Consider triangle ABC

C

By Pythagoras theorem AC = 52 + 62
= 61 = 7.81cm

6 cm

5 cm

b.

Consider triangle ACG. By Pythagoras theorem

hyp

AG = 61 + 32 Note
= 70 = 8.37 cm

61

opp 3 cm

= 61

61 m
adj

c.

Consider triangle ACG. tan =

opp 3 ! CAG = tan1 = 21.0 adj 61

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