Goopy17 said:Homework Statement
Solve the following right triangle.
b=17.8m and theta = 65 degrees. (Right angle is at bottom left, C is hypotenuse, A is bottom leg, B is left leg, theta is opposite of B).
Solve for a & c
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
a= 8.3m
c= 42.118m
But wouldn't that make the triangle not work?
Goopy17 said:ion[/b]
a= 8.3m
c= 42.118m
But wouldn't that make the triangle not work?
Goopy17 said:I got 19.64m for my new c
The formula for solving a triangle with given side length and angle is the Law of Cosines: c² = a² + b² - 2ab cosθ, where c is the side opposite the given angle, a and b are the other two sides, and θ is the given angle in radians.
To find the values of a and c, we can substitute the given values into the Law of Cosines formula: c² = a² + (17.8m)² - 2(a)(17.8m)cos(65°). Solving for a and c, we get a ≈ 9.2m and c ≈ 13.8m.
The unit of measurement for the side length in this problem is meters (m). This is because b (17.8m) is given in meters and the Law of Cosines formula requires all side lengths to be in the same unit of measurement.
No, we cannot use the Law of Sines to solve this triangle because we only have one known angle and one known side length. The Law of Sines requires at least two known angles and one known side length to solve a triangle.
The sum of the interior angles in any triangle is always 180°. In this triangle, we know one angle is 65°, so the sum of the other two angles must be 180° - 65° = 115°.