Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 1 of 10
1. Angles, Lines, and Basic Geometry Facts
Key idea: Geometry questions often rely on angle facts. Learn the facts first, then use them
with clear reasoning.
- Angles on a straight line add to 180 degrees.
- Angles around a point add to 360 degrees.
- Vertically opposite angles are equal.
- Corresponding and alternate angles can be equal when lines are parallel.
- Interior angles on the same side of a transversal add to 180 degrees.
Example: If two angles on a straight line are x and 65 degrees, then x + 65 = 180, so x = 115
degrees.
Mistake to avoid: Do not guess from the drawing. Diagrams are often not drawn accurately.
Practice: Find x if x and 72 degrees make a straight line. Answer: 108 degrees.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 2 of 10
2. Triangles and Quadrilaterals
Key idea: The interior angles of a triangle add to 180 degrees. The interior angles of a
quadrilateral add to 360 degrees.
Triangle types:
- Equilateral: all sides equal, all angles 60 degrees.
- Isosceles: two sides equal, base angles equal.
- Scalene: all sides different.
- Right-angled: one angle is 90 degrees.
Example: A triangle has angles 45 degrees and 70 degrees. The third angle is 180 - 45 - 70 =
65 degrees.
Quadrilateral facts: A rectangle has four right angles. A parallelogram has opposite angles
equal. A rhombus has all sides equal.
Mistake to avoid: Equal sides create equal opposite angles only in certain shapes; use the
correct shape fact.
Practice: Find the missing angle in a triangle with 35 degrees and 80 degrees. Answer: 65
degrees.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 3 of 10
3. Pythagoras Theorem
Key idea: Pythagoras' theorem works only in right-angled triangles. It connects the three
sides.
Formula: a^2 + b^2 = c^2, where c is the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is opposite the right
angle and is the longest side.
Example: A right triangle has short sides 6 and 8. c^2 = 6^2 + 8^2 = 36 + 64 = 100, so c = 10.
Finding a shorter side: If c = 13 and one side is 5, then missing side^2 = 13^2 - 5^2 = 169 -
25 = 144, so the side is 12.
Mistake to avoid: Do not add all three sides. The theorem uses squares.
Practice: Find the hypotenuse when sides are 9 and 12. Answer: 15.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 4 of 10
4. Trigonometry Ratios: SOH CAH TOA
Key idea: Trigonometry connects an angle in a right-angled triangle with side ratios.
SOH: sin(angle) = opposite / hypotenuse.
CAH: cos(angle) = adjacent / hypotenuse.
TOA: tan(angle) = opposite / adjacent.
Label the triangle from the viewpoint of the chosen angle:
- Opposite is across from the angle.
- Adjacent is next to the angle but not the hypotenuse.
- Hypotenuse is opposite the right angle.
Example: If opposite = 5 and hypotenuse = 13, then sin(theta) = 5/13.
Mistake to avoid: Opposite and adjacent change when the angle changes. Hypotenuse does not.
Practice: Which ratio uses opposite and adjacent? Answer: tan.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 5 of 10
5. Finding a Side with Trigonometry
Key idea: Use trig when you have a right triangle, one angle, and one side, and you need
another side.
Method:
1. Label opposite, adjacent, hypotenuse from the angle.
2. Choose sin, cos, or tan.
3. Substitute the known values.
4. Rearrange and calculate.
Example: A right triangle has angle 30 degrees and hypotenuse 10. Find the opposite side. Use
sin 30 = opposite/10. Opposite = 10 sin 30 = 5.
Example: Angle 40 degrees, adjacent side 12, find opposite. Use tan 40 = opposite/12, so
opposite = 12 tan 40.
Mistake to avoid: Make sure calculator is in degree mode, not radian mode.
Practice: Angle 60 degrees, hypotenuse 20, find opposite. Answer: about 17.3.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 6 of 10
6. Finding an Angle with Trigonometry
Key idea: To find an angle, use inverse trig: sin^-1, cos^-1, or tan^-1.
Method:
1. Label sides from the unknown angle.
2. Choose the ratio using the two known sides.
3. Write the ratio equation.
4. Use inverse trig on a calculator.
Example: Opposite = 7 and hypotenuse = 14. sin(theta) = 7/14 = 0.5. theta = sin^-1(0.5) = 30
degrees.
Example: Opposite = 9 and adjacent = 12. tan(theta) = 9/12. theta = tan^-1(0.75) about 36.9
degrees.
Mistake to avoid: Do not use inverse trig when finding a side; use it when finding an angle.
Practice: Find theta if adjacent = 8 and hypotenuse = 10. Answer: cos^-1(0.8) about 36.9
degrees.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 7 of 10
7. Bearings
Key idea: A bearing is an angle measured clockwise from North. Bearings are written with three
digits, such as 045 degrees or 230 degrees.
Rules:
- Start from North.
- Turn clockwise.
- Use three digits.
Example: East is 090 degrees. South is 180 degrees. West is 270 degrees.
In triangle problems, draw a North line at each point. Mark parallel North lines if needed,
because angle facts help connect the diagram.
Example: If a ship travels on a bearing of 060 degrees, it travels 60 degrees clockwise from
North, toward the north-east.
Mistake to avoid: A normal angle inside a triangle may not be the same as the bearing.
Bearings always start at North.
Practice: What is the bearing of South-East? Answer: 135 degrees.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 8 of 10
8. Area and Volume
Key idea: Measurement questions require the correct formula and correct units.
Area formulas:
- Rectangle: A = lw.
- Triangle: A = bh/2.
- Parallelogram: A = bh.
- Circle: A = pi*r^2.
Volume formulas:
- Rectangular prism: V = lwh.
- Cylinder: V = pi*r^2*h.
Example: A triangle with base 12 cm and height 7 cm has area 12 x 7 / 2 = 42 cm^2.
Example: A cylinder with radius 3 cm and height 10 cm has volume pi x 3^2 x 10 = 90pi cm^3.
Mistake to avoid: Area uses square units, volume uses cubic units.
Practice: Area of a circle with radius 5 cm. Answer: 25pi cm^2, about 78.5 cm^2.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 9 of 10
9. Similarity and Scale Factor
Key idea: Similar shapes have the same angles and proportional side lengths. Enlargement and
reduction use a scale factor.
Scale factor = new length / original length.
If lengths are multiplied by k, areas are multiplied by k^2, and volumes are multiplied by
k^3.
Example: A shape is enlarged by scale factor 3. A side of 5 cm becomes 15 cm. An area of 10
cm^2 becomes 90 cm^2.
Example: Two similar triangles have matching sides 4 cm and 10 cm. Scale factor from small to
large is 10/4 = 2.5.
Mistake to avoid: Do not multiply area by the length scale factor. Area changes by the square
of the scale factor.
Practice: Scale factor 2 changes a volume of 7 cm^3 to what? Answer: 56 cm^3.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".
Year 11 Maths - Geometry and Trigonometry Quick Guide Page 10 of 10
10. Geometry and Trigonometry Checklist
Before finishing, check:
- Is the triangle right-angled before using Pythagoras or SOH CAH TOA?
- Did you label opposite, adjacent, and hypotenuse from the correct angle?
- Is your calculator in degree mode?
- Did you include units and round sensibly?
- Did you use exact angle facts rather than measuring the picture?
Mixed practice:
1. Missing angle in triangle: 50 degrees, 60 degrees, x. Answer: 70 degrees.
2. Hypotenuse with sides 5 and 12. Answer: 13.
3. sin uses which sides? Answer: opposite and hypotenuse.
4. Bearing of East. Answer: 090 degrees.
5. Area of triangle with base 9 and height 6. Answer: 27 square units.
Study tip: show working clearly, check units, and explain your reason when a question asks "why".