TRIANGLES

Solutions of Oblique Triangles

Conditions that Determine a Triangle

A triangle is said to be determined when the measures of three parts are given. Three angles do not serve to determine a triangle. A triangle is determined in any of the following cases:

Cases:

Case 1. Law of Sines. Given two angles and one side. Obtain the third angle, and then use the sine law. Case 2. Ambiguous Case. Given two sides and the angle opposite one of them. Use the sine law. Examine the possibility of no solution, one or two solutions. Case 3. Given two sides and the included angle. Use the cosine law for the third side and the sine law for the angles. Find the smaller angle first to avoid the possibility of an obtuse angle. Case 4. Given three sides, Use the cosine law for each angle in turn.

Oblique Triangles
1. C b
0

a
0

30 c = 20

65

2.
C

b = 24

a = 24

C = 18

Oblique Triangles

An oblique triangle is a triangle which does not contain a right angle of 900. It contains either three acute angles, or two acute angles and one obtuse angle.

All acute angles

One obtuse angle

A triangle is uniquely determined when three parts, not angles are known. Thus any triangle problem may fall under any one of the following cases:

Cases
Case I. Given one side and two

angles

Case II. Given two sides and an angle opposite one of them Case III. Given two sides and the

included angle. Case IV. Given the three sides

Law of Sines
In any triangle, the sides are proportional to the sines of the opposite angles, that is,

a sin

b sin

c sin

-------- = -------- = --------

Note:
We say,
sin a ------ =----; sin b sin b sin c -------- =----; ------- =---sin c sin a

Proof

( The given angle is acute )

Let ABC be any oblique triangle, In the figure angles and are acute. Let CD AB and denote h = CD.
C b h

A D

In the right triangle ACD above, h = b sin

Proof ( The given angle is obtuse )

Let ABC be any oblique triangle,In the figure angle is obtuse. Let CD AB and denote h = CD.
C

A B

h D

In the right triangle ACD above, h = a sin <DBC

h = a sin ( ) h = a sin

Thus,
h b sin
sin
---------sin =

= h = a sin
a
---------b

Similarly,
we obtain
a c b c ------- = -------- or --------- = --------

sin

sin

sin

sin

Therefore,
a
sin

b
sin

c
------------sin

---------- = ----------- =

Cont.

Solutions of Oblique Triangles

Case I
Given one side and two angles Let a, , be given.
sin
To find b, use
c

To find , use = 1800 ( + ).

b
or

a sin
b = --------

------- = -------

sin sin
To find c, use

a c a

sin
a sin
c = -------

------- = ------- or sin

sin

Example 1
Solve ABC, given c = 20, = 300, = 650

= 1800 - ( 300 + 650 ) =

c sin a = -----------c sin b = ------------

850

300

sin
20 sin 300 = ---------------sin 850 = 10.4 =

sin
20 sin 650 = ------------

c = 20

650 B

sin 850
18.20

Example 2
A and B are two points on opposite bank of a river. From A a line AC = 270 ft. is laid off and the angles CAB = 1200 and ACB = 450 are measured. Find the length of AB.
B 450 C

c=?

1200 A

b = 270 ft.

Solution
= 1800 ( 1200 + 450 ) = 150
b sin c = -----------sin

270 sin 450

= ------------ = 737.65 ft. sin 15

Case II
Given two sides and the angle opposite one of them. Let b, c and are given.
sin c

c sin
b

From

-------- = -----, sin b

sin = ----------

If sin > 1 no angle is determined If sin = 1, = 900, a right triangle is determined If sin < 1, two angles are determined: a.) an acute angle and b.) an obtuse angle = 1800 -

Thus, there may be one or two triangles determined.

Geometrically,
Let us discuss several special cases of Case II, given two sides

angle opposite one of them.

Let a, b, and be the given parts.

a b
b

Given two sides and the angle opposite one of them.

Examples: a b

The given angle is acute (1st )

In the figure: when b < AD and AD= c sin , then the arc does not meet BE, hence no triangle is determined.
A c h D E b c>b h>b Thus, no is formed

The given angle is acute (2nd)

In the figure, when b = AD, then the arc is tangent to BE, hence one right triangle is determined.
A b = h, c>b h = c sin

c
B

b
D E

c>h

The given angle is acute (3rd)

In the figure, when b > AD but b < c, then the arc meets BE in two points C and C. Hence, two triangles ABC and ABC are determined. In ABC, is an acute angle while in ABC, = 1800 is an obtuse angle. A
c

c>b c>b>h

b
C

h
D

The given angle is acute (4th)

In the figure, when b > AD and b = c, then the arc meets BE in C and B. Hence one isosceles triangle is determined.
A c=b

b>h
c=b h b

B D

C E

The given angle is acute (5th)

In the figure, when b > c, then the arc meets BE in C and BE extended in C. Since ABC does not contain the given angle , only one triangle is determined.
b>c A b a C E

c
C B

The given angle is obtuse (1st)

In the figure, when b < c or b = c, then no triangle is determined.
A
c B

b<c b=c Thus, no is formed

The given angle is obtuse (2nd)

In the figure, when b > c, then only one triangle is determined
A c

b
a C E

The arc intersects BE in two points but there is only one which determines a triangles containing .

To summarize this ambiguous case:

1. When the angle is acute, there will be
a.) one solution if the side opposite the given angle is greater than or equal to the other given side, and
b.)

no solution, one solution or two solutions if the side opposite the

given angle is less than the other given side. This sub case is determined by computing c sin sin = ------------b

2. When the angle is acute, there will be

a.) no solution if the side opposite the given angle is less than or equal to the other given side.

b.) one solution if the side opposite the

given angle is greater than the other given side.

Example 3
a.) When b = 20, c = 10, = 300
c = 10 b = 20

300

Answer:

there is one solution since is acute and b > c.

b.) When b = 10, c = 20, = 300

Answer:

there is no solution, one solution or two solution.

c.) When b = 25, c = 15, = 1300

Draw the figure:
b = 25 c = 15

1300

Answer:

there is one solution.

d.) When b = 25, c = 35, = 1300

Answer:

there is no solution

Example 4 Solve ABC, given c = 128, b = 80, = 620.

Solutions:
Since is acute and c > b, there is only one solution.
b sin For : sin
b = 80 620 c =128

80 sin 620

= -------------- = ------------------ = 0.5518 c 128

sin = 0.5518 , = 33030

Example 4 (solution)
For :

1800 ( +

84030

b sin

80 sin 84030

For a:

= --------------- = -------------------- = 144.28

sin sin 33030

Example 5
Solve ABC, given a = 425, c = 310, = 120050

B c = 310 a = 425
120050

Example 5 (solution)
c sin
a For : =

Solve ABC, given a = 425, c = 310, = 120050 Solution:

Since is obtuse and a > c, there is one solution.

310 sin 120050

425 20024

For : sin = ----------- = -----------------------, = 38046

1800 ( + ) = a sin

425 sin 20024

For b:

b = -------------- = -------------------- = 172.53

sin

sin 120050

Law of Cosines
In any ABC, the square of any side is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides minus twice the product of the sides and the cosine of their included angle, that is,
a2 = b2 +c2 2bc cos , b2 = a2 +c2 2ac cos c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos .

Proof1:

b
A

h D c

b2 = h2 + AD2 b2 = a2 sin2 + ( c a cos )2

In the right BCD in the figure, h = a sin and DB = a cos . Then, AD = AB DB
= c

In the right triangle ACD in the figure

a cos

So,
b2 = a2 sin2 + ( c a cos )2 b2 = a2 sin 2 + c2 2 ac cos + a2 cos2 b2 = a2 sin 2 + a2 cos 2 + c2 2 ac cos b2 = a2 (sin 2 + cos 2 ) + c2 2 ac cos Therefore,

b2 = a2 + c2 2 ac cos .

Proof2:
b2 = h2

A c B

h D

In the right triangle ACD in the figure

AD2

In the right BCD in the figure,

h = a sin BD = a cos <CBD, = a sin (1800-) = a cos (1800 ) = a sin = - a cos . Thus, AD = AB + BD = c - a cos

Therefore:
A

b
B

h D

b2 = h2 + AD2 = a2 sin2 + (c a cos )2 = a2 sin2 + c2 2ac cos +a2 cos2 = a2 (sin2 + cos2)+ c2 2ac cos
b2 = a2 + c2 2ac cos
Note: The other formulas are obtained by cyclic changes of the letters.

CASE III
Given two sides and the included angle Let a, b, and are given.
To find c: use To find : use c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos .

a sin sin = ------------c

b sin To find : use sin = -------------. c

To check, use + + = 1800.

Example 6.

a = 150

32020

Solve ABC, given a = 150, b = 230, = 32020.

For c: c2 = a2 + b2 2ab cos = 1502 + 2302 2 (150)(230) cos 32020 c2 = 17098.39 c = 130.76 a sin 150 sin 32020 For : sin = -----------=-------------------; = 37050 c 130.76 For : = 1800 ( + ) = 1800 ( 37050 + 32020) = 109050

b = 230

Example 7
Two forces 20.5 kgs and 25.5 kgs act on a body. If their directions make an angle of 60020 with each other, find the magnitude of their resultant and the angle which it makes with the larger force.
D

25.5

20.5
60020
A

20.5 25.5
B

25.5
a

Solution:

20.5 60020
A

20.5

25.5

In parallelogram ABCD, A + B = C + D = 1800

B = 1800 60020 = 119040

In ABC, b2 = a2 + c2 2 a c cos b2 = 20.52 + 25.52 2(20.5)(25.5) cos 119040 b = 39.85 kgs. (magnitude) a sin 20.5 sin 119040 sin = ------------- = ----------------------, = 26033 b 39.85

CASE IV Given three sides

Let a, b and c be given. Apply the law of cosines for each of the angles. To find the angles

b2 + c2 a2 cos = -----------------, 2bc

a2 + c2 b2 cos = -------------------, 2ac

a2 + b2 c2 cos = --------------------2ab To check, use + + = 1800.

Example 8.

Solve ABC, given a=26.4, b = 34.5, c = 52.8.

b = 34.5 c = 52.8

a=26.4

Solution:
b2 + c2 - a2 For : cos =

b = 34.5 c = 52.8
34.52 + 52.82 26.42 ----------------- = ------------------------- ; 2bc 2(34.5)(52.8)

a=26.4

= 25045 = 34036

a2 + c2 b2
For : cos =

26.42 + 52.82 34.52

---------------- = --------------------------; 2ac 2 (26.4) (52.8)

a2 + b2 c2 For : cos =

26.42 + 34.52 52.82

----------------- = -------------------------------; 2ab 2(26.4)(34.5)

= 119038

Check: + + = 1800

Example 9.
An isosceles triangle has sides that measure 24 cm., 24 cm and 18 cm. Find the measure of each angle.

b = 24

a = 24

c = 18

Solution:
cos 0 67 58 = 242 + 182 242 --------------------------- ,

2(24)(18)
182 + 242 242 -------------------------, 2 (18)(24) 242 + 242 - 182 -------------------------, 2 (24)(24)

cos

67058 = 44003

b=24

a=24
cos =

c = 18

Check:

+ + = 1800

Thank You
and Mabuhay!