PLANE and SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

Chapter 3: OBLIQUE TRIANGLES

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

Oblique Triangles

• non-right triangles ( either all interior

angles are acute ∡ or it contains an
obtuse ∡)
• A more general case compared to the
right triangle.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

Review of triangle’s general properties:

1. The sum of the measures of all interior

∡𝑠 is 180𝑜 .
2. The sum of the measures any two sides
is greater than the measure of the third
side.
3. The side opposite the bigger angle is
longer than the one opposite a smaller
angle.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

LAW OF SINE
𝐶

𝑎 𝑏

𝐵 𝑐 𝐴

𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
= =
sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵 sin 𝐶
MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY
 𝐶

LAW OF COSINE
𝑎 𝑏

𝐵 𝑐 𝐴

2 2 2
𝑐 = 𝑎 + 𝑏 − 2𝑎𝑏 cos 𝐶.
𝑎2 = 𝑏 2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑏𝑐 cos 𝐴.
𝑏 2 = 𝑎2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑎𝑐 cos 𝐵.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

SOLUTION OF OBLIQUE TRIANGLES

1. Given one side and two angles.

(AAS)
2. Given two sides and an opposite
angle. (SSA)
3. Given two sides and an included
angle. (SAS)
4. Given three sides. (SSS)
MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY
Note:
Cases 1 and 2 are initially solved by
using Law of Sines.

Cases 3 and 4, on the other hand, are

initially solved using Law of Cosines.

The second case is also referred to as the

Ambiguous Case.
MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY
Case 1: (AAS)
1. 𝑎 = 5.6, 𝐴 = 38𝑜 , 𝐵 = 87𝑜
2. 𝑏 = 40, 𝐴 = 59𝑜 , 𝐶 = 78𝑜
3. 𝑐 = 17, 𝐵 = 50𝑜 , 𝐶 = 45𝑜
4. 𝑎 = 47, 𝐵 = 37𝑜 , 𝐶 = 105𝑜

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

EXERCISES:
1. 𝐴 = 68𝑜 , 𝐵 = 41𝑜 , 𝑐 = 35
2. 𝐴 = 28𝑜 , 𝑏 = 16, 𝐶 = 140𝑜
3. 𝑎 = 8.5, 𝐵 = 25𝑜 , 𝐶 = 70𝑜

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

AMBIGUOUS CASES:

• The ambiguous case is derived from the

second case where the given
information are two sides and an angle
opposite to one of them.

• Ambiguous case yields either no solution,

one solution or two solutions.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

AMBIGUOUS CASES: (𝐴 is acute )
Case 1: 𝑎 < ℎ
𝑎
𝑏
No triangle is formed.
ℎ
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝑩 > 𝟏
𝐴

𝑏
Case 2: 𝑎 = ℎ 𝑎=ℎ
One triangle is formed.
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝑩 = 𝟏 𝐴

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

AMBIGUOUS CASES:
Case 3: ℎ < 𝑎 < 𝑏
𝑏
Two triangles are formed.
𝑎 ℎ 𝑎
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝑩 < 𝟏.
𝐴

𝑏 𝑎
Case 4: 𝑎 > 𝑏 ℎ
One triangle is formed.
𝐴

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

AMBIGUOUS CASES: (A is obtuse)
Case 5: 𝑎 > 𝑏
𝑎 One triangle is formed.
ℎ 𝑏

𝐴 Case 6: 𝑎 < 𝑏
No triangle is formed.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

AMBIGUOUS CASES:
sin(𝑎𝑑𝑗) > 1 𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

opp < adj sin(𝑎𝑑𝑗) = 1 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

A (acute) sin(𝑎𝑑𝑗) < 1 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

opp > adj 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

opp > adj 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

A (obtuse)
opp < adj 𝑛𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

Verify how many triangles are formed for
each of the following and then solve the
triangle, if possible.

1. 𝑎 = 54, 𝑏 = 66, 𝐴 = 57𝑜

𝑜
2. 𝑏 = 62, 𝑐 = 64, 𝐵 = 69
3. 𝑐 = 4.1, 𝑎 = 3.1, 𝐶 = 78𝑜
0
4. 𝑏 = 5, 𝑎 = 10, 𝐵 = 30
5. 𝑐 = 4.6, 𝑎 = 8, 𝐴 = 105

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

SEATWORK: Verify how many triangles are
formed for each of the following and then
solve the triangle, if possible.

1. 𝐴 = 64𝑜 , 𝑎 = 41, 𝑏 = 35
2. 𝐵 = 59𝑜 , 𝑏 = 50, 𝑐 = 45
3. 𝐶 = 110𝑜 , 𝑐 = 12, 𝑏 = 6
4. 𝐴 = 40𝑜 , 𝑎 = 10, 𝑐 = 18

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

ILLUSTRATIONS: CASES 3 and 4
1. 𝑎 = 5.6, 𝑏 = 7.5, 𝐶 = 87𝑜
2. 𝑏 = 9, 𝑐 = 5.9, 𝐴 = 78𝑜
3. 𝑎 = 7, 𝑏 = 5, 𝑐 = 3
4. 𝑐 = 12, 𝑎 = 9, 𝑏 = 6
5. 𝑎 = 42, 𝑏 = 31, 𝑐 = 90

EXERCISES:
1. 𝐴 = 68𝑜 , 𝑏 = 41, 𝑐 = 35
2. 𝑎 = 28, 𝑏 = 16, 𝐶 = 140𝑜
3. 𝑎 = 18, 𝑏 = 25, 𝑐 = 30
MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY
APPLICATIONS:

1. Given a parallelogram 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷, 𝐴𝐵 = 9, 𝐴𝐷 =

11 and ∡𝐷𝐴𝐵 = 43𝑜 . Find the length of the
diagonals.
2. A balloon is sighted from two towns A and B.
The angle of elevation of the balloon from
town A is 29𝑜 while that from town B is 33𝑜 .
If the distance from town A to town B is 10
kms, find the height of the balloon.

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

APPLICATIONS:

3. A tree stands on an elevated embankment

15𝑜 from the horizontal. Twenty feet from
the base of the tree, the angle of elevation
between the embankment and the line of
sight to the top of the tree is measured to be
22𝑜 . Find the height of the tree

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

APPLICATIONS:

4. A ship leaves H and initially sails with a

bearing of 𝑁28𝑜 𝐸. It reaches point D after
traveling for 2 hours. Afterwards, it changes
its bearing to 𝑁34𝑜 𝑊 and travels for another
3 hours to reach destination S. If the ship
travels at a constant rate of 25 mph,how far
is the ship now from its original location?

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

 APPLICATIONS:
5. A certain surveyor made the following
observation to measure the distance across
the lagoon:

270 𝑚
340 𝑚
73𝑜
How wide is the lagoon?

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY

APPLICATIONS:
6. A certain triangular lot is bounded by three
streets as shown

𝟐𝟓 𝒎

𝟒𝟎𝒐 𝟑𝟓𝒐

Find the area of the lot?

MATH 12: PLANE AND SPHERICAL TRIGONOMETRY