🎯 JAMB UTME MASTER NOTES
SECTION III: GEOMETRY & TRIGONOMETRY
Mathematics | JAMB UTME Focused
Based on JAMB Syllabus & Past Questions
📚 Recommended Textbooks: New General Mathematics (NGM) SS1-SS3 | Further Mathematics Project |
Longman Mathematics
SECTION 1: EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY
Euclidean Geometry is simply the study of shapes, lines, and angles using the rules that the ancient
Greek mathematician Euclid wrote down. These rules govern how lines, angles, and shapes behave in
flat (2D) space. JAMB loves this topic — expect 3–5 questions every year.
1A. Properties of Angles and Lines
An ANGLE is formed when two lines meet at a point. Angles are measured in degrees (°).
TYPES OF ANGLES (Must Know for JAMB):
Type of Angle Degree Range What It Looks Like
Acute angle Between 0° and 90° Less than a right angle (sharp)
Right angle Exactly 90° Like the corner of a book
Obtuse angle Between 90° and 180° Wider than a right angle
Straight angle Exactly 180° A straight line
Reflex angle Between 180° and 360° More than a half turn
Full angle 360° A complete circle
KEY ANGLE RULES (These Are Direct JAMB Questions!):
• Angles on a straight line add up to 180°
• Angles at a point (around a full turn) add up to 360°
• Vertically opposite angles are EQUAL (when 2 lines cross, the angles facing each other are
equal)
📌 Vertically opposite means the angles are across from each other at the crossing point —
not beside each other.
PARALLEL LINES CUT BY A TRANSVERSAL:
When a straight line (called a transversal) crosses two parallel lines, it creates special angle pairs:
Angle Pair Relationship Memory Trick
Corresponding angles They are EQUAL Same position — like twins on different floors
(F-shape)
Alternate angles They are EQUAL On opposite sides of the transversal (Z-shape
or N-shape)
Co-interior (allied) angles They ADD UP to 180° On the same side between the lines (C-
shape)
📝 Example: If one angle formed by a transversal cutting parallel lines is 70°, find its alternate angle.
Answer: Also 70° (alternate angles are equal).
1B. Polygons: Triangles, Quadrilaterals, and General Polygons
A POLYGON is any flat shape made of straight sides. The name changes depending on how many
sides it has.
NAMING POLYGONS:
Number of Sides Name Sum of Interior Angles
3 Triangle 180°
4 Quadrilateral 360°
5 Pentagon 540°
6 Hexagon 720°
7 Heptagon 900°
8 Octagon 1080°
n n-gon (n - 2) × 180°
THE MASTER FORMULA FOR POLYGONS:
Sum of Interior Angles = (n - 2) × 180°
Each Interior Angle (regular polygon) = [(n - 2) × 180°] ÷ n
Each Exterior Angle (regular polygon) = 360° ÷ n
Interior angle + Exterior angle = 180°
✅ JAMB TIP: JAMB loves asking: 'The interior angle of a regular polygon is 135°. How many
sides does it have?' Use: Exterior angle = 180° - 135° = 45°. Number of sides = 360° ÷ 45° = 8
sides (Octagon).
TRIANGLES (Very Important!):
A triangle has 3 sides and 3 angles. The angles always add up to 180°.
Type Property
Equilateral All 3 sides equal, all angles = 60°
Isosceles 2 sides equal, base angles equal
Scalene No sides or angles are equal
Right-angled One angle is exactly 90°
Obtuse-angled One angle is greater than 90°
CONGRUENCE & SIMILARITY:
Two shapes are CONGRUENT if they are exactly the same (same size and shape). Two shapes are
SIMILAR if they have the same shape but different sizes (one is a scaled version of the other).
• Congruence conditions for triangles: SSS, SAS, AAS, RHS
• For similar triangles: corresponding angles are equal, corresponding sides are in the same ratio
📝 Example: If two similar triangles have sides 3cm and 6cm as corresponding sides, their ratio is
1:2. If one area is 9cm², the other area = 9 × (2/1)² = 36cm².
✅ JAMB TIP: Area ratio of similar figures = (side ratio)². This is a common JAMB trap!
QUADRILATERALS (4-sided shapes):
Shape Key Properties
Square All sides equal, all angles 90°, diagonals equal and bisect at 90°
Rectangle Opposite sides equal, all angles 90°, diagonals equal and bisect each
other
Parallelogram Opposite sides equal and parallel, opposite angles equal, diagonals
bisect each other
Rhombus All sides equal, opposite angles equal, diagonals bisect at 90°
Trapezium One pair of parallel sides only
Kite Two pairs of adjacent equal sides, one diagonal bisects the other at
90°
1C. Circles: Angle Properties, Cyclic Quadrilaterals, and Intersecting
Chords
A CIRCLE is a perfectly round shape. Every point on the circle is the same distance from the centre.
That distance is called the RADIUS (r). The full distance across the circle through the centre is the
DIAMETER (d = 2r).
KEY CIRCLE TERMS:
• Chord: A straight line joining two points on the circle (not through the centre)
• Arc: Part of the circumference (the curved edge)
• Sector: A 'pie slice' — bounded by two radii and an arc
• Segment: Area between a chord and the arc it cuts off
• Tangent: A line that just touches the circle at exactly one point
CIRCLE ANGLE THEOREMS (JAMB Exams These Heavily!):
Theorem Rule Tip
Angle at centre Angle at centre = 2 × angle at Centre angle is always
circumference (same arc) DOUBLE the circumference
angle
Angle in semicircle Angle in a semicircle = 90° If the diameter is one side of a
triangle in a circle, the
opposite angle = 90°
Angles in same segment Angles subtended by the same Same arc → same angle at
arc/chord are EQUAL any point on the same side
Theorem Rule Tip
Opposite angles, cyclic quad Opposite angles of a cyclic A cyclic quadrilateral has all 4
quadrilateral add up to 180° corners on the circle
Tangent-radius Tangent is perpendicular to radius at They meet at exactly 90°
point of contact
Tangent from external point Two tangents from an external point Used to find unknown lengths
are equal in length
Alternate segment theorem Angle between tangent and chord = Tricky — often tested in JAMB
angle in alternate segment
📝 Example: A chord subtends an angle of 50° at the circumference. What angle does it subtend at
the centre? Answer: 2 × 50° = 100°.
INTERSECTING CHORDS THEOREM:
When two chords inside a circle cross each other, the products of their segments are equal.
If chords AB and CD cross at point P: AP × PB = CP × PD
📝 Example: Chords AB and CD intersect inside a circle. AP = 4, PB = 9, CP = 6. Find PD. 4 × 9 = 6
× PD → 36 = 6 × PD → PD = 6.
CYCLIC QUADRILATERAL RULE:
A cyclic quadrilateral is a 4-sided shape where ALL four corners lie on the circle.
Opposite angles of a cyclic quadrilateral = 180° (they are supplementary)
✅ JAMB TIP: If ABCD is a cyclic quadrilateral, angle A + angle C = 180°, and angle B + angle
D = 180°.
1D. Construction
Construction means drawing accurate geometric shapes using ONLY a ruler (for straight lines) and a
compass (for arcs/circles). No protractor allowed in real construction!
COMMON CONSTRUCTIONS JAMB TESTS:
• Bisect a line segment: find the exact midpoint of a line
• Bisect an angle: divide an angle into two equal halves
• Construct 60°: using an equilateral triangle method
• Construct 90°: perpendicular to a line (at a point or from an external point)
• Construct 30°, 45°, 75°, 120°: by combining and halving known angles
• Construct a triangle given three sides (SSS) or two sides and an angle (SAS)
✅ JAMB TIP: JAMB often asks you to identify which angle was constructed or what the locus
(path) of a construction represents.
SECTION 2: MENSURATION
Mensuration means calculating lengths, areas, and volumes of shapes. This is one of the HIGHEST-
SCORING topics in JAMB Mathematics — guaranteed 4–6 questions every year. Master your formulas!
2A. Areas and Perimeters of Plane (Flat) Shapes
THE ESSENTIAL FORMULAS — MEMORISE ALL OF THESE:
Shape Perimeter Area
Square (side = a) 4a a²
Rectangle (l × w) 2(l + w) l×w
Triangle (base b, height h) a + b + c (add all sides) ½×b×h
Triangle (using Heron's a+b+c √[s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)], where s = (a+b+c)/2
formula)
Parallelogram 2(a + b) base × height
Trapezium Sum of all 4 sides ½ × (a + b) × h [a,b = parallel sides]
Circle (radius r) 2πr (circumference) πr²
Semicircle πr + 2r ½πr²
📌 π (pi) ≈ 22/7 or 3.142. JAMB usually tells you which to use. If not stated, use 22/7.
📝 Example: Find the area of a trapezium with parallel sides 8cm and 12cm, and height 5cm. Area =
½ × (8 + 12) × 5 = ½ × 20 × 5 = 50cm².
2B. Lengths of Arcs and Chords of a Circle
ARC LENGTH:
An arc is part of the circumference of a circle. θ (theta) is the angle at the centre in degrees.
Arc Length = (θ / 360) × 2πr
📝 Example: Find the length of an arc of a circle with radius 7cm and angle 90°. Arc = (90/360) × 2 ×
22/7 × 7 = (1/4) × 44 = 11cm.
CHORD LENGTH:
A chord is a straight line joining two points on the circle. To find chord length when you know the radius
(r) and the angle at the centre (θ):
Chord Length = 2r × sin(θ/2)
📝 Example: Radius = 10cm, central angle = 60°. Chord = 2 × 10 × sin(30°) = 20 × 0.5 = 10cm.
2C. Perimeters and Areas of Sectors and Segments
SECTOR (like a pizza slice):
Area of Sector = (θ / 360) × πr²
Perimeter of Sector = arc length + 2r = [(θ/360) × 2πr] + 2r
📝 Example: Find the area of a sector with radius 14cm and angle 45°. Area = (45/360) × π × 14² =
(1/8) × 22/7 × 196 = (1/8) × 616 = 77cm².
SEGMENT (area between a chord and an arc):
Area of Segment = Area of Sector - Area of Triangle
Area of Triangle in the sector = ½r² sin θ
So: Area of Segment = (θ/360)πr² - ½r²sinθ
📝 Example: Radius = 6cm, angle = 60°. Area of sector = (60/360) × π × 36 = 6π = 18.85cm². Area
of triangle = ½ × 36 × sin60° = 18 × 0.866 = 15.59cm². Segment area = 18.85 - 15.59 = 3.26cm².
2D. Surface Areas and Volumes of Solids and Composite Figures
A SOLID is a 3D shape. You need to know surface area (total area of all faces) and volume (how much
space it fills).
Solid Surface Area Volume
Cube (side a) 6a² a³
Cuboid (l,w,h) 2(lw + lh + wh) l×w×h
Cylinder (r, h) 2πr² + 2πrh = 2πr(r + h) πr²h
Cone (r, l, h) πr² + πrl = πr(r + l), where l = slant (1/3)πr²h
height
Sphere (r) 4πr² (4/3)πr³
Hemisphere (r) 3πr² (2/3)πr³
Pyramid (base B, h) Base area + lateral faces area (1/3) × Base area × h
📌 Slant height (l) of a cone: l = √(r² + h²). You need this to find the curved surface area.
COMPOSITE FIGURES:
A composite figure is a shape made by combining two or more basic shapes. To find their area or
volume, simply ADD or SUBTRACT the individual parts.
📝 Example: A solid made of a cylinder of radius 3cm, height 8cm topped by a hemisphere: Volume
= Volume of cylinder + Volume of hemisphere = π(3²)(8) + (2/3)π(3³) = 72π + 18π = 90π ≈
282.86cm³.
2E. The Earth as a Sphere: Longitudes and Latitudes
The Earth is (approximately) a sphere. We use imaginary lines to locate positions on it.
KEY TERMS:
• Latitude: Horizontal lines running east-west. The Equator is 0° latitude. Lines go from 0° at the
equator to 90° at the North/South Poles.
• Longitude: Vertical lines running north-south. The Prime Meridian (through Greenwich, England)
is 0°. Lines go from 0° to 180° East and 0° to 180° West.
• Great Circle: Any circle that divides the Earth into two equal halves (e.g., the Equator, meridians
of longitude). The shortest path between two points on Earth follows a great circle.
• Small Circle: Any other circle on the Earth's surface (e.g., circles of latitude except the Equator).
RADIUS OF EARTH: R = 6400 km (use this in calculations unless told otherwise)
DISTANCE FORMULAS:
Distance along a circle of latitude (between same latitude, different longitudes):
d = (θ/360) × 2πR cosφ
where θ = difference in longitudes, φ = the latitude, R = 6400 km
Distance along a meridian (same longitude, different latitudes):
d = (θ/360) × 2πR
where θ = difference in latitudes
📝 Example: Find the distance between two towns both on latitude 60°N, one at longitude 20°E and
the other at 80°E. θ = 80° - 20° = 60°. d = (60/360) × 2 × 22/7 × 6400 × cos60° = (1/6) × 2 × 22/7 ×
6400 × 0.5 = (1/6) × 20114 ≈ 3352 km.
✅ JAMB TIP: Always check whether the question says 'great circle' or 'latitude circle' — they
use different formulas!
SECTION 3: LOCI
LOCUS (plural: LOCI) means the PATH or SET OF POINTS that follow a particular rule or condition.
Think of it as the trail left behind when a point moves according to a rule.
STANDARD LOCI (JAMB Tests These Directly):
Condition / Rule Locus (What the Path Looks Like)
Points equidistant from a fixed point A CIRCLE centred at that fixed point
Points equidistant from two fixed points A Perpendicular bisector of line AB (the straight line cutting
and B AB in half at 90°)
Points equidistant from two intersecting The ANGLE BISECTOR of those two lines
lines
Points at a fixed distance from a straight Two lines PARALLEL to the given line (one on each side)
line
Points from which a line segment An ARC of a circle passing through the endpoints
subtends a fixed angle
Points at a fixed distance from a circle Another circle (concentric if inside, or larger if outside)
📝 Example: Describe the locus of a point that is always 5cm from a fixed point O. Answer: A circle
with centre O and radius 5cm.
📝 Example: Two roads cross at an angle. A dog walks always equidistant from both roads.
Describe its locus. Answer: The angle bisectors of the two roads.
✅ JAMB TIP: When JAMB asks for the locus of a point satisfying TWO conditions, find each
locus separately, then find where they INTERSECT — that intersection point(s) is the
answer.
SECTION 4: COORDINATE GEOMETRY
Coordinate Geometry (also called Analytic Geometry or Cartesian Geometry) is about studying shapes
and lines using a number grid — the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical). Every point is written as (x,
y).
4A. Midpoint and Gradient of a Line Segment
MIDPOINT:
The midpoint is the exact middle of a line joining two points.
Midpoint of (x₁, y₁) and (x₂, y₂) = ((x₁+x₂)/2, (y₁+y₂)/2)
📝 Example: Midpoint of A(2, 4) and B(6, 10) = ((2+6)/2, (4+10)/2) = (4, 7).
GRADIENT (Slope):
The gradient tells you how STEEP a line is. It is the ratio of how much the line goes UP to how much it
goes ACROSS.
Gradient (m) = (y₂ - y₁) / (x₂ - x₁)
Gradient Value What It Means
Positive (e.g., +3) Line goes upward from left to right
Negative (e.g., -2) Line goes downward from left to right
Zero (0) Horizontal line (perfectly flat)
Undefined (∞) Vertical line (straight up and down)
📝 Example: Find the gradient of the line through P(1, 3) and Q(5, 11). m = (11-3)/(5-1) = 8/4 = 2.
4B. Distance Between Two Points
To find the straight-line distance between two points, use the Distance Formula (which comes from
Pythagoras' theorem):
Distance = √[(x₂ - x₁)² + (y₂ - y₁)²]
📝 Example: Distance between A(1, 2) and B(4, 6): d = √[(4-1)² + (6-2)²] = √[9 + 16] = √25 = 5 units.
4C. Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
PARALLEL LINES:
Two lines are parallel if they never meet (they go in the same direction). Parallel lines have the SAME
gradient.
If lines are parallel: m₁ = m₂
PERPENDICULAR LINES:
Two lines are perpendicular if they meet at a right angle (90°). If you multiply their gradients together,
you always get -1.
If lines are perpendicular: m₁ × m₂ = -1 → m₂ = -1/m₁
📝 Example: A line has gradient 2. A perpendicular line has gradient = -1/2.
✅ JAMB TIP: JAMB loves this: 'Find the gradient of a line perpendicular to 3x + 4y = 12.'
Rearrange to find m, then flip and change sign.
4D. Equations of Straight Lines
THREE FORMS TO KNOW:
Form Equation When to Use
Slope-Intercept Form y = mx + c (m = gradient, c = y- When you know the gradient and
intercept) where the line crosses the y-axis
Point-Slope Form y - y₁ = m(x - x₁) When you know one point and the
gradient
General Form ax + by + c = 0 JAMB often gives equations in this
form — rearrange it!
📝 Example: Find the equation of a line with gradient 3 passing through (1, 5). Using point-slope: y -
5 = 3(x - 1) → y - 5 = 3x - 3 → y = 3x + 2.
FINDING GRADIENT FROM GENERAL FORM ax + by + c = 0:
Rearrange to y = mx + c form. Gradient = -a/b
📝 Example: Line: 2x + 4y - 8 = 0 → 4y = -2x + 8 → y = -½x + 2. So gradient = -½, y-intercept = 2.
EQUATION OF A LINE THROUGH TWO POINTS:
Step 1: Find the gradient using m = (y₂-y₁)/(x₂-x₁). Step 2: Substitute into y - y₁ = m(x - x₁).
📝 Example: Line through (2,1) and (4,5): m = (5-1)/(4-2) = 4/2 = 2. Equation: y - 1 = 2(x - 2) → y =
2x - 3.
SECTION 5: TRIGONOMETRY
Trigonometry is the study of relationships between angles and sides of triangles. It sounds scary but
once you memorise the basic ratios, JAMB questions become very straightforward. This section carries
5–7 questions!
5A. Trigonometric Ratios of Angles
THE THREE BASIC RATIOS (SOH-CAH-TOA):
For a RIGHT-ANGLED triangle, with reference to a chosen angle θ:
• SOH: sin θ = Opposite / Hypotenuse
• CAH: cos θ = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
• TOA: tan θ = Opposite / Adjacent
📌 The Hypotenuse is ALWAYS the longest side — the one opposite the right angle. Opposite
is the side facing angle θ. Adjacent is the side next to angle θ (not the hypotenuse).
SPECIAL ANGLES — MEMORISE THIS TABLE!
Angle (θ) sin θ cos θ tan θ
0° 0 1 0
30° 1/2 = 0.5 √3/2 ≈ 0.866 1/√3 ≈ 0.577
45° 1/√2 ≈ 0.707 1/√2 ≈ 0.707 1
60° √3/2 ≈ 0.866 1/2 = 0.5 √3 ≈ 1.732
90° 1 0 Undefined (∞)
THE FOUR QUADRANTS (CAST RULE):
Angles can be bigger than 90°. The CAST rule tells you which ratios are POSITIVE in each quadrant:
Quadrant Angles What's Positive Memory
1st (0°–90°) 0° to 90° All (sin, cos, tan) A = All
2nd (90°–180°) 90° to 180° Sine only S = Sine
3rd (180°–270°) 180° to 270° Tangent only T = Tan
4th (270°–360°) 270° to 360° Cosine only C = Cos
Read CAST from the 4th quadrant anti-clockwise: C-A-S-T
RELATED ANGLES (How JAMB extends special angles):
• sin(180° - θ) = sin θ e.g., sin 150° = sin 30° = 0.5
• cos(180° - θ) = -cos θ e.g., cos 150° = -cos 30° = -0.866
• sin(360° - θ) = -sin θ e.g., sin 300° = -sin 60° = -0.866
• cos(360° - θ) = cos θ e.g., cos 300° = cos 60° = 0.5
📝 Example: Find sin 135°. 135° is in the 2nd quadrant. sin is positive in Q2. sin 135° = sin(180° -
135°) = sin 45° = 1/√2 ≈ 0.707.
PYTHAGOREAN IDENTITY (Very Useful):
sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
tan θ = sin θ / cos θ
5B. Angles of Elevation and Depression
These come up as word problems in JAMB. They involve looking up or looking down at an object.
• ANGLE OF ELEVATION: The angle measured UPWARD from the horizontal when you look UP
at something (e.g., looking up at the top of a building).
• ANGLE OF DEPRESSION: The angle measured DOWNWARD from the horizontal when you
look DOWN at something (e.g., a pilot looking down at a landing strip).
📌 The angle of elevation from A to B equals the angle of depression from B to A (alternate
angles with parallel horizontals).
📝 Example: A pole is 10m tall. An observer stands 10m away on the ground. Find the angle of
elevation to the top of the pole. tan θ = 10/10 = 1, so θ = 45°.
📝 Example: From the top of a 50m cliff, the angle of depression to a boat is 30°. How far is the boat
from the base of the cliff? tan 30° = 50/d → d = 50/tan30° = 50/(1/√3) = 50√3 ≈ 86.6m.
5C. Bearings
A BEARING is a way of giving directions using angles measured CLOCKWISE from the North direction.
Bearings are always written with 3 digits.
• North = 000°
• East = 090°
• South = 180°
• West = 270°
BACK BEARING:
If the bearing from A to B is θ, then the bearing from B to A (the back bearing) is:
If θ < 180°: Back bearing = θ + 180°
If θ > 180°: Back bearing = θ - 180°
📝 Example: Bearing from A to B is 060°. Bearing from B to A = 060° + 180° = 240°.
✅ JAMB TIP: Draw a diagram for EVERY bearing question. North is always pointing straight
up. Measure angles clockwise.
5D. Areas and Solutions of Triangles
AREA OF A TRIANGLE (when you know two sides and the included angle):
Area = ½ × a × b × sin C
where a and b are two sides, and C is the angle BETWEEN them.
📝 Example: Triangle with sides 8cm and 5cm, and included angle 30°. Area = ½ × 8 × 5 × sin30° =
½ × 8 × 5 × 0.5 = 10cm².
SOLUTION OF A TRIANGLE means finding all unknown sides and angles.
You use the SINE RULE and COSINE RULE for non-right-angled triangles:
SINE RULE:
a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C
Use when you know: two angles and one side (AAS or ASA), OR two sides and a non-included angle
(SSA — careful, there may be two solutions!).
📝 Example: In triangle ABC, angle A = 45°, angle B = 75°, side a = 10cm. Find side b. b/sin75° =
10/sin45° → b = 10 × sin75°/sin45° = 10 × 0.966/0.707 ≈ 13.66cm.
COSINE RULE:
a² = b² + c² - 2bc cosA
Or to find angle A: cos A = (b² + c² - a²) / (2bc)
Use when you know: all three sides (SSS) OR two sides and the included angle (SAS).
📝 Example: Triangle with sides b=7, c=5, and included angle A=60°. a² = 49 + 25 - 2(7)(5)cos60° =
74 - 70(0.5) = 74 - 35 = 39. So a = √39 ≈ 6.24cm.
✅ JAMB TIP: USE SINE RULE when you have angle-side pairs. USE COSINE RULE when you
have all sides or two sides + included angle.
5E. Graphs of Sine and Cosine
KEY FEATURES OF y = sin x:
• Shape: Wave (goes up, then down, repeating)
• Maximum value: 1 (at x = 90°)
• Minimum value: -1 (at x = 270°)
• The graph crosses zero at: 0°, 180°, 360°
• Period (one full cycle): 360°
KEY FEATURES OF y = cos x:
• Shape: Same wave as sine but shifted 90° to the left
• Maximum value: 1 (at x = 0° and x = 360°)
• Minimum value: -1 (at x = 180°)
• The graph crosses zero at: 90°, 270°
• Period (one full cycle): 360°
Feature sin x cos x
Maximum 1 at 90° 1 at 0° and 360°
Minimum -1 at 270° -1 at 180°
Zeros 0°, 180°, 360° 90°, 270°
Period 360° 360°
Starts at (0°) 0 1
AMPLITUDE AND PERIOD CHANGES:
• y = A sin x or y = A cos x: The amplitude (height) changes to A
• y = sin(nx): The period becomes 360°/n (the wave is squeezed)
📝 Example: y = 2 sin x has amplitude 2 (goes from -2 to 2). y = sin(2x) completes its cycle in 180°
instead of 360°.
5F. The Sine and Cosine Formulae
These are the same as Section 5D. Here is a clean summary for reference:
SINE RULE: a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C
COSINE RULE (finding a side): a² = b² + c² - 2bc cos A
COSINE RULE (finding an angle): cos A = (b² + c² - a²) / 2bc
AREA OF TRIANGLE: Area = ½ab sin C
QUICK REFERENCE: ALL FORMULAS AT A GLANCE
Use this page for your final revision before the exam!
Topic Formula
Sum of interior angles (polygon) (n - 2) × 180°
Each interior angle (regular polygon) [(n - 2) × 180°] ÷ n
Each exterior angle (regular polygon) 360° ÷ n
Angle at centre = 2 × circumference angle Centre = 2 × Circumference
Opposite angles (cyclic quad) Add up to 180°
Intersecting chords AP × PB = CP × PD
Arc length (θ/360) × 2πr
Area of sector (θ/360) × πr²
Area of segment (θ/360)πr² - ½r²sinθ
Chord length 2r sin(θ/2)
Volume of cylinder πr²h
Volume of cone (1/3)πr²h
Volume of sphere (4/3)πr³
Slant height of cone l = √(r² + h²)
Curved surface of cone πrl
Surface of sphere 4πr²
Distance formula d = √[(x₂-x₁)² + (y₂-y₁)²]
Midpoint formula ((x₁+x₂)/2, (y₁+y₂)/2)
Gradient formula m = (y₂-y₁)/(x₂-x₁)
Parallel lines m₁ = m₂
Perpendicular lines m₁ × m₂ = -1
Equation of line y = mx + c OR y - y₁ = m(x - x₁)
SOH-CAH-TOA sin=O/H, cos=A/H, tan=O/A
Pythagorean identity sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
Area of triangle (trig) Area = ½ab sinC
Sine Rule a/sinA = b/sinB = c/sinC
Cosine Rule a² = b² + c² - 2bc cosA
Distance on latitude circle (θ/360) × 2πR cosφ
Distance on meridian (θ/360) × 2πR
JAMB PAST QUESTION PATTERNS & TIPS
Most Repeated Question Types in JAMB Geometry & Trig:
• Finding unknown angles in parallel line diagrams (alternate, corresponding, co-interior)
• Interior and exterior angles of regular polygons
• Angle in a circle: centre vs. circumference angle (the 2× rule)
• Cyclic quadrilateral — opposite angles sum
• Arc length and sector area calculations
• Volume and surface area of cylinders, cones, spheres
• Longitude/latitude distance calculations
• Midpoint, gradient, equation of a line
• Perpendicular gradient
• Sine and cosine rules in non-right-angled triangles
• Angles of elevation and depression word problems
• Bearing questions (three-figure bearings, back bearings)
• Reading values off sine/cosine graphs
• Locus definitions
COMMON JAMB TRAPS TO AVOID:
• Confusing the angle AT THE CENTRE vs. angle AT THE CIRCUMFERENCE — remember
centre = 2×
• Not using 3 digits for bearings (write 060°, not 60°)
• Using the wrong trig formula — draw and label the triangle first
• Forgetting to square the ratio when comparing areas of similar figures
• Mixing up sin and cos for elevation/depression problems — always draw a diagram
• Using the wrong value of π — use 22/7 unless the question specifies 3.14 or 3.142
🌟 YOU'VE GOT THIS! STUDY, PRACTISE, AND PASS JAMB! 🌟