Warm UP!

Solve for all missing angles and sides:

Z

3
x

What formulas did you use to

solve the triangle?
Pythagorean theorem
SOHCAHTOA
All angles add up to 180o in a triangle

Could you use those formulas on this

triangle?
Solve for all missing angles and sides:
This is an oblique triangle.
An oblique triangle is any
non-rightztriangle.

35o
x

There are formulas to solve oblique triangles just like

there are for right triangles!

Solving Oblique Triangles

Laws of Sines and Cosines
& Triangle Area

oblique triangles
(non-right triangles).
Note: Angles are Capital letters
and the side opposite is the
same letter in lower case.

b
A

C
a

b
A

What we already know

The interior angles total 180.
We cant use the Pythagorean
Theorem. Why not?
For later, area = bh
Larger angles are across from
longer sides and vice versa.
The sum of two smaller sides
must be greater than the third.

C
a

b
A

The Law of Sines helps you solve for sides or

angles in an oblique triangle.
sin A sin B sin C

a
b
c
(You can also use it upside-down)

a
b
c

sin A sin B sin C

Use Law of SINES when ...

youhave3partsofatriangleandyouneedtofindtheother
3parts.
TheycannotbejustANY3dimensionsthough,oryouwont
haveenoughinfotosolvetheLawofSinesequation.
UsetheLawofSinesifyouaregiven:

AAS - 2 angles and 1 adjacent side

ASA - 2 angles and their included side
ASS (SOMETIMES) 2 sides and their adjacent angle

General Process for Law Of Sines

1. Except for the ASA triangle, you will always have
enough information for 1 full fraction and half of
another. Start with that to find a fourth piece of
data.
2. Once you know 2 angles, you can subtract from 180
to find the 3rd.
3. To avoid rounding error, use given data instead of
computed data whenever possible.

Example 1
Solve this triangle:

Theanglesinatotal180,
sosolveforangleC.

80
c

70

SetuptheLawofSinesto
findsideb:

12

12
b

sin 70 sin 80
12 sin 80 b sin 70
12 sin80
b
12.6cm
sin 70

12
c

sin 70 sin 30
12 sin 30 c sin70
12 sin 30
c
6.4cm
sin70

AngleC=30
Sideb=12.6cm
Sidec=6.4cm

Example 2: Solve this triangle

C
85

b
A

45

Youre given both pieces for sinA/a

and part of sinB/b, so we start
there. sin 45 sin 50

a =30
50

sin A sin C

a
c
sin 45 sin 85

30
c

c sin 45 30sin85
30sin85
c
sin 45

30
b
b sin 45 30sin 50
30sin 50
b
sin 45

Using a calculator, b 32.5

Using a calculator c 42.3

Example 3: Solve this triangle

C
Since we cant start one of the
fractions, well start by finding C.

11.1

C = 180 35 10 = 135
Since the angles were exact, this
isnt a rounded value. We use
sinC/c as our starting fraction.
sin C sin A
sin C sin B

and

c
a
c
b

135

35

A
sin135 sin 35

45
a
a sin135 45sin 35
45sin 35
a
sin135

10

45

sin135 sin10

45
b
b sin135 45sin10
45sin10
b
sin135

Using your calculator

a 36.5

36.5

b 11.1

You try! Solve this triangle

B

30
c
a=30

115
b

The Law of Cosines

When solving an oblique triangle, using one of
three available equations utilizing the cosine of
an angle is handy. The equations are as
follows:

a b c 2bc cos(A)
2

b a c 2ac cos(B)
2

c a b 2ab cos(C)
2

General Strategies for Using

the Law of Cosines
The formula for the Law of Cosines makes use
of three sides and the angle opposite one of
those sides. We can use the Law of Cosines:

SAS -

two sides and the included angle

SSS - all three sides

Example 1: Solve this triangle

87.0
17.0

15.0

Now, since we know the

measure of one angle and
the length of the side
opposite it, we can use
the Law of Sines.

sin 87.0o sin A

22.1
15.0

Use the relationship:

c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos C
c2 = 152 + 172 2(15)(17)cos(87)
c2 = 487.309
c = 22.1

42.7

sin 87.0o sin B

22.1
17.0
o

50.2

Example 2: Solve this triangle

C

sin B sin 36.9

31.4
23.2

23.2

31.4

38.6

We start by finding cos A.

a 2 b 2 c 2 2bc cos A

sin C sin 36.9

38.6
23.2

cos A 0.7993

A 36.9

54.4

C 87.3

You TRY:
1. Solve a triangle with a = 8, b =10, and c = 12.
A = 41.4o
B = 55.8o
C = 82.8o

a= 8
b = 10
c = 12

2. Solve a triangle with A = 88o, B =16o, and c = 14.

A = 88o

a = 12.4

B = 16o
C = 76o

b = 3.4
c = 14

IMPORTANT
IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO USE LAW OF SINES
FOR SIDES AND LAW OF COSINES FOR
ANGLES
Sometimes, however, it is just not possible you
may have to switch it up

1. Rachel and Bianca are on opposite

sides of the school quadrangle. Rachel is
10 ft away from the flagpole, while
Bianca is 12 ft away from it. How far
apart are the two girls, if the angle
between Rachels position to the flagpole
is 40?

2. Three groups of the mountain climbers

agreed to set up camps at three different sites
at the base of Mt. Apo, Davao City. Group A
sets up its camp 1.5 km from group C, while
group B sets up its camp 2 km from group C.
If the angle between the line of sight from
group A to group B and the line of sight from
group A and group C is 75, how far is group
A from group B?

3. The diagonals of a
parallelogram are 56 inches and
34 inches and intersect at an
angle of 120. Find the length of
a shorter side and longer side?

4. A surveyor needs to find the distance

between two inaccessible points A and B
on opposite sides of a lake. From a third
point C where the surveyor is standing,
the angle between his line of sight to A
and B is 146.3. If the distance between
A and C is 350 meters, and the distance
between B and C is 286 meters long,
what is the distance between A and B?

5. Isabel needs to cut a triangle with

sides 23cm, 20cm and 17cm
respectively from a rectangular
illustration board. What should the
angles between each pair of consecutive
sides be to get the exact measurement of
the sides?