In a right triangle, one leg measures units, the other leg measures units, and the hypotenuse is labeled . What is the value of ?
Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 43m
- 1. Measuring Angles40m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles
Solving Right Triangles
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
A right triangle with an angle of 31° has a hypotenuse of 10. Calculate the side of the triangle opposite to the 31° angle (y), and the side adjacent to the 31° angle (x). Round your answer to 3 decimal places.
A
x=5.150,y=8.572
B
x=8.572,y=5.150
C
y=5.000,x=8.660
D
y=8.660,x=5.000
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the trigonometric functions that relate the angles and sides of a right triangle. For a given angle θ, the sine function relates the opposite side to the hypotenuse, and the cosine function relates the adjacent side to the hypotenuse.
Use the sine function to find the side opposite the 31° angle. The formula is: \( \sin(31°) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \). Substitute the known values: \( \sin(31°) = \frac{y}{10} \). Solve for y by multiplying both sides by 10.
Use the cosine function to find the side adjacent to the 31° angle. The formula is: \( \cos(31°) = \frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \). Substitute the known values: \( \cos(31°) = \frac{x}{10} \). Solve for x by multiplying both sides by 10.
Calculate the values of \( \sin(31°) \) and \( \cos(31°) \) using a calculator or trigonometric tables to find the approximate decimal values.
Substitute the calculated values of \( \sin(31°) \) and \( \cos(31°) \) into the equations for y and x, respectively, and round the results to three decimal places to find the lengths of the sides.
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