Non-right-angled triangles and trigonometry

a) find the trigonometric ratios of obtuse angles either from redefinition of the
trigonometric relationships using the circle (usually the unit circle) or by use of a

calculator

b) find the possible acute and/or obtuse angles, given a trigonometric ratio
c) establish and use the following relationships for obtuse angles (0° ≤ A ≤ 90°): 
sin (180° – A) = sin A
cos (180° – A) = – cos A
tan (180° – A) = – tan A
d) draw graphs of the sine and cosine curves for 0° ≤ A ≤ 180°

a) solve angle and length problems using the sine rule in acute- and obtuse-
angled triangles SineRule : a = b = c
Sin A Sin B Sin C

a) solve angle and length problems using the cosine rule in acute- and obtuse angled
a 2 + b2 − c 2
triangles Cosine rule: c = a + b – 2ab cos C,2aband
2 2 2 Cos C =

g) use the area formula to find the area of a triangle Area =½ab sin C

a) select and use appropriate trigonometric ratios and formulae to solve

problems involving trigonometry that require the use of more than one
triangle (two dimensions), where the diagram is provided.
 Finding the length of sides and size of angles in
non right-angled triangles
So far in your trig work, you have only used acute angles,
because the triangles you have been working with have been
only right-angled. 25
28
m
°
What do you do in these triangles? 110° x m

Why can’t you use normal Sin, Cos 35°

12 m
θ

or Tan Trigonometry? Find x. 15

Find θ.
m

There is no Hypotenuse because they aren’t right-angled triangles!

So how do you find the side marked x or the angle marked θ?

A new rule is needed! 

 Let’s investigate these types of triangles!
A
First of all, we need This side
to be able to name And, this
is b
the sides of the side is c
triangle. C

We could use two letters,

So, this
e.g. AB, but it would be B side is a
quicker if it was only one
letter!

The convention used is that the side opposite an

angle(which is ALWAYS named with an upper case letter)
is named by a lower case of the same letter.
 C In this ∆ ABC, to develop the new
rule, first draw a perpendicular from
C to AB. Name the intersecting
point D and the line h. Do it now on
b a your diagram
h
Now, ∆ ABC is broken up into
2 triangles, ∆BCD & ∆ACD,
(and they are both right angled).

We now have 2
A D B statements which are
c both equal to h.
In ∆ ACD And in ∆ BCD
So, we can make them
h h equal to each other….
Sin A = Sin B =
b a
And, by manipulating, And, by manipulating, b Sin A = a Sin B
And, by manipulating,
h = b × Sin A h = a × Sin B a b
=
Sin A Sin B
 So, we have derived a rule which uses C
2 sides and their opposite angles.

a b b a
=
Sin A Sin B h

If we changed the perpendicular so

A D B
that it came from A and went to CB, c
we would come up with this rule:

b c Both parts of the two

C = rules can be combined to
Sin B Sin C
D develop what is known as
the Sine rule:
b a
h
a b c
= =
Sin A Sin B Sin C

A B
c
 a b c B
= =
Sin A Sin B Sin C
Find x to 2
When the rule is in this form, we 40°
decimal
shall first use it to find a side: places.
c
But we will only ever need 4 of 9 cm a
the six parts of the rule in any
one use of the formula.
First,because the vertices of the triangle
have not been named, name each corner.
It doesn’t matter where you put each of 80°
the vertex letters, but it DOES matter A x cm C
where you put the side letters!
b
a b c
= =
Sin A Sin B Sin C As we don’t know a, we won’t be
Having placed the letters, substitute into the
able to use it OR angle A.
relevant parts of the formula correctly. x ≈ 5.87 cm (to 2 d.p.)
x 9
=
Sin 40° Sin 80° This is a reasonable answer as it opposite
And, by manipulating, the 40°, and the 9cm is opposite the 80°

x = 9 × Sin 40°
Sin 80°
( Don’t presume that just because 40° is half
80° that the answer must be half 9cm! )
 a b c
= =
Sin A Sin B Sin C Find θ to the nearest minute.
C
It will make our work much easier to
θ°
find an angle if we turn the Sine 6 cm
b a
rule upside down, so that the angles
are on the top. After all when we
found the sides they were on top! A 10°
B
18 cm
Sin A Sin B Sin C c
a = =
b c This time, we don’t know b, so we
Once again we will only ever need 4 of the six won’t be able to use it OR angle B.
parts of the rule in any one use of the formula.
It doesn’t matter which pair of the
Having placed the letters, substitute into the information is written first, as long as the
relevant parts of the formula correctly. information in each fraction is opposite
each other in the triangle. Here C and c
Sin θ° Sin 10°
= have been written first.
18 6 θ ≈ 31° 24′ Using the INV key on your calculator

And, by manipulating, This is a reasonable answer as it opposite

the 19cm, and the 6cm is opposite the 10°
18 × Sin 10°
( )
Sin θ Don’t presume that just because 6cm is one third
≈ 6 18cm that the answer must be 3 times 10°!
Sin θ ≈ 0.52094….
Your turn, Exercise 9F, page 344 Year 10 Text