Trigonometry

Rearranging Practice
•  Find a:

• Find x:
• 
 𝑦 𝑏
+ =2 𝑐 − 5 𝑧
𝑥 4𝑥
Trigonometric Ratios
•  You need to know three trigonometric ratios:

• Sin/Sine 

• Cos/Cosine 

• Tan/Tangent 

This can be neatly summarised as SOH – CAH – TOA

Finding the length of a side
1. Make sure your calculator isn’t in Radians
2. Find the angle you will use for the question and label the sides 
Adjacent (A), Opposite (O) and Hypotenuse (H)
3. Write SOH-CAH-TOA.
4. Look at the side you want to find, and the side that you have, pick
the Trigonometric Ratio that contains both of the sides.
5. Rearrange for the desired side.
Example – Finding the length of a side
A
 • Firstly, label the sides
• We use we use the sin ratio as:
H • We want to find O
8 cm • We have H

O So, 

Rearranging gives us

32° So AB = 4.24 cm
B C
A

Find the length of AB to 2 decimal places

Question – Finding the length of a side
Y
 • Want to find the Adjacent and have the
Hypotenuse – so we use the cos ratio.

5m

4.532m

25°
X Z

Find the length of XZ to 4 significant figures

A
•  Want to find the Adjacent and have the Opposite –
68° so we use the tan ratio.

B C
7.8mm

Find the length of BA to 3 decimal places

Finding an angle
1. Make sure your calculator isn’t in Radians
2. Find the angle you want to fine and label the sides  Adjacent (A),
Opposite (O) and Hypotenuse (H)
3. Write SOH-CAH-TOA.
4. Look at the side you have. Pick the Trigonometric Ratio that
contains both of the sides.
5. Put the numbers into the formula and take the inverse of the Trig.
Function in order to find the angle.
 Example – Finding the angle
A
 • Firstly, label the sides
• We use we use the sin ratio as:
O H • We have O and H.
8 cm
So, 
3.5 cm
Rearranging gives us
So ϴ = 25.94°

ϴ
B C
A

Find ϴ to 2 decimal places

Question – Find the angle
K
 • Have the adjacent and hypotenuse so
use cos:

4 µm So, cos 

L Rearranging gives us
So x = 48.2 °

x 6 µm

J
Calculate the angle KJL. Give the answer to one decimal place.
 Calculate the angle ECD. Give the answer to 4 decimal place.
D

12 km

C E
9 km
Exam-style questions
Recap - Finding the length of a side
1. Make sure your calculator isn’t in Radians
2. Find the angle you will use for the question and label the sides 
Adjacent (A), Opposite (O) and Hypotenuse (H)
3. Write SOH-CAH-TOA.
4. Look at the side you want to find, and the side that you have, pick
the Trigonometric Ratio that contains both of the sides.
5. Put in the sides and angle you have.
6. Rearrange for the desired side.
A

2.65 x tan(48) = AB = 2.94 cm

48°
B C
2.65 cm

Find the length of AB to 2 decimal places

  
C
A
19°
AC = = 79.246 mm
m
m
5 .8
2

Find the length of AC to 3 decimal places

Recap - Finding an angle
1. Make sure your calculator isn’t in Radians
2. Find the angle you want to fine and label the sides  Adjacent (A),
Opposite (O) and Hypotenuse (H)
3. Write SOH-CAH-TOA.
4. Look at the side you have. Pick the Trigonometric Ratio that
contains both of the sides.
5. Put the two sides into the formula and take the inverse of the Trig.
Function in order to find the angle.
 A
 

354 cm = = 22.2°

ϴ
B C
867 cm

 Find to 3 significant figures

 K  

0.634 µm = = 59.4°
L

x 1.245 µm

J
Calculate the angle KJL. Give the answer to one decimal place.
Exam-Styled Questions

a) Find the diagonal line AC, giving your answer to

2 decimal places.
b) Using your answer from part a) find the length
of DC, giving your answers to 2 decimal places.
 Calculate the length of CE.

ABCD is a rectangle.
CDE is a straight line.
AB = 12 cm
Angle ACB = 60°
Angle EAC = 90°
A regular hexagon can be divided into 6 equilateral triangles. The diagram below shows
one of the equilateral triangles.
(a) Calculate the height, x, of the equilateral triangle below.
(b) Calculate the area of the equilateral triangle.
(c) Calculate the area of the hexagon.

Give all answers in their exact form.

NEED to know ratios
Elevation and Depression

Trigonometry can be used to solve word problems that use an angle of elevation or depression.
Example - Elevation and Depression
An architect wants to calculate the height of a building. He stands 50 m away from the base of the building and
looks up at the top of the building. The angle of elevation from the architect to the top of the building is 70°.
Calculate the height of the building. Give the answer to one decimal place.

 • Draw out the diagram. It is easier to

picture and answer the question that way.

• We are using the tan ratio because:

• We want to find O
• We have A

• Rearranging gives:
• 50 x tan(70) = O = 137.4m

• The building is 137.4 m tall.

Questions – Elevation and Depression
From the top of a 72 m high vertical cliff, a boat has an angle of depression of 32°. How far is the boat from the
base of the cliff? Give the answer to 1 decimal place.

 
• We are using the tan ratio because:
• We want to find O
• We have A

• Rearranging gives:

• So the boat is 115.2m from the base of the cliff

A boy is flying a kite. The string is held 80cm off the ground. The kite’s string is 8m long. The string is elevated at 30
degrees to the horizontal. Calculate the height of the kite off the ground in cm.
A boat is approaching a cliff with a lighthouse on top. The cliff is 100m tall and the lighthouse is 30m tall. The angle of
elevation from the boat to the top of the lighthouse is 20 degrees.

a) Calculate the distance of the boat to the base of the cliff

b) Work out the angle of elevation from the boat to the top of the cliff.
3-Dimensional Trigonometry - HIGHER
• 3D Trigonometry is the same as the trigonometry we have already
been doing. The only tools you will need to answer these questions
are:
• Pythagoras
• Sin, Cos and Tan.
• It just becomes a little harder to spot the right-angled triangles….
Example Find the angle FAC

As you can see the triangle we are dealing with actually goes
through the cuboid itself.

However once you have spotted the triangle you can redraw it as a
right-angled triangle and solve it as standard.

x= = 25.38°
a) Find the length CH.
b) Using your previous answer, find the length
CE to two decimal places.
c) Find the angles ECF to two decimal places.
a) Find the length XY
b) Using the answer to your last question, find the length of CX,
give your answer 2 decimal places.
The diagram below shows a plan of a tent that I am trying to erect before the rain comes. OP is a vertical pole, and
O is the Very centre of the rectangle ORST. The lengths and angles are as show on the diagram. Calculate the height
of the vertical pole OP.
 C
a) Find the length AE
b) Find the angle AEB. Give your answer to 2 decimal
places.
a) Find the length CE to two decimal places
b) Calculate the volume of the prism to two
decimal place.
a) Find the length DX in its exact form.
Challenge

a) Find the value of a

Area of the Triangle - HIGHER
 • You can find the area of a triangle with Trigonometry using the following formula:

• How can we think of this formula more intuitively….

• 
• Firstly we will label the angles of a triangle using upper-case letters
(A,B and C are commonly used).
• Secondly, we will label a triangle using lower-case letters (a, b and c)
to signify a side. Each lower-case letter we be on the side opposite to
its corresponding angle….

b
c

C
a
B
  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
𝟐

Example
 Use the formula:

b
Q1  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
𝟐

19°
23 mm

16 mm

Find the Area of the triangle to 4 significant figures.

Q2  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
𝟐

63.4 µm

114°
X

12.45 µm
Z

Find the area of the triangle to 2 decimal places.

  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
The height of the triangle MNO is 25m. Using trigonometry, find the area of the triangle to 2 𝟐
decimal places.

25 m
O

58°

M Q3
  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
The area of the triangle is 73,365m² Find EF and EG to 5 significant figures. 𝟐

67°

435.7 m

49°
E G

Q4
  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
Find angles Q, R and S to 2 decimal places. 𝟐

22.45 cm
Q
R

A = 164.5cm²

17.3 cm 19.76 cm

Q5
  𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂= 𝟏 𝒃𝒄 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝑨 )
Given the area of the triangle DEG is 33.7 cm², what is the total area of the quadrilateral 𝟐
DEFG. Give you answer to 2 decimal places.

D 9 cm
70° E
50°

140°
G

11 cm
F

Q6
 Below is an irregular prism with a length of 25km. Given that the height of the 3D shape is 15km and
ABC is a isosceles triangle, what is the volume of the prism?

E
F
Q
25km

10km
B
A
60°

12km H
15km
G

C Q7
The Sine Rule - HIGHER
• The Sine rule is a way of finding the sides and angles in any triangle – not just those with a right-angle.

 
A

b
OR
c

  C
a
B
 
 
When you use the Sine Rule?
• IF you are trying to find a side:
• You will need 2 angles and 1 side PLUS the side you want to find

• IF you are trying to find a angle:

• You will need 2 sides and 1 angle PLUS the angle you want to find
  
Work out the length BC to 2 decimal places.

1.
  

2.
  

3.
  

a) Find the angle MOL to 1 decimal place.

b) Find the length OL using the Sine rule.

4.
 a) Work out the value of x
b) Find the length BC.

5.
  

a) Calculate the length AC.

b) Calculate the length BD.

6.
The Cosine Rule - HIGHER
• The Cosine Rule is similar to the Sine rule in that it is a tool that will help us find the sides and angles in
any type of triangle…

For sides: For angles:

 𝑎2 =𝑏2 +𝑐 2 − 2 𝑏𝑐 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ( 𝑨)

  c

• While the Cosine Rule is harder to remember luckily you only have to remember one of the formulae!
Try rearranging the first one in order to get the second one….
 2 2 2
𝑎
  =𝑏 +𝑐 − 2 𝑏𝑐 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ( 𝑨 )
  c
When you use the Cosine Rule
• IF you are trying to find a side:
• You will need 2 sides and 1 angle OPPOSITE to the side you want to find

• IF you are trying to find a angle:

• You will need 3 sides PLUS the angle you want to find
 2 2 2
𝑎
  =𝑏 +𝑐 − 2 𝑏𝑐 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ( 𝑨 )

7.
   c

a) Find x to 2 decimal places.

8.
 a) Find x to 2 decimal places.
b) Find the angle ABC to 2 decimal places.

9.
 a) Given that the cos(120) = -0.5, Show Y
that
b) If p = 0.5 what length of YZ.

10.
11.
12.