7 Trigonometry

In a right angled triangle, the side opposite the right

angle is called the hypotenuse.

If one of the other angles is 𝑥°, then we can label the

remaining sides opposite and adjacent, as shown in this
diagram.

Sine
𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆
̂=
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝑨
𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒆

Cosine ̂=
𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝑨
𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕
𝒉𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒆

𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆
Tangent ̂=
𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝑨
𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕

To help you remember use: SOH CAH TOA

Finding an angle
Worked Example

In triangle ABC, 𝐵̂ = 90°, AB = 12 cm, BC = 9 cm and AC = 15 cm. Find 𝐴̂.

C The hypotenuse and the adjacent side are

hyp known, so we need to use tangent
opp
9 cm
𝑜𝑝𝑝 9
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝐴̂ = =
𝑎𝑑𝑗 12
A 12 cm B
adj 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝐴̂ = 0.75

𝐴̂ = 𝑡𝑎𝑛 −1 0.75

𝐴̂ = 36.9°

Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci | Form 5 (Track 2) 53

Exercise 1
In each of the following, use sine, cosine or tangent to find the marked angle. Give your answers to
2 decimal places.

1. C 2.
B

5 cm 7.2 cm

A 8 cm B A
C 10 cm
3. 4. F
B

16 cm 4 cm
2.5 cm

C 20 cm A D E
5. 6.
C P

3 cm
8.5 cm

B
7 cm Q 14 cm R
A

For the following, draw a diagram before finding the required angle:

7. In triangle PQR, 𝑃̂ = 90°, QP = 6 cm and PR = 10 cm. Find 𝑅̂.

8. In triangle XYZ, 𝑍̂ = 90°, XY = 14 m and YZ = 11.6 m. Find 𝑌̂.

9. In triangle ABC, 𝐶̂ = 90°, BC = 7 cm and AB = 10 cm. Find 𝐴̂.

10. In triangle XYZ, 𝑌̂ = 90°, XY = 4 cm and YZ = 5 cm. Find 𝑋̂.

11. In triangle LMN, 𝐿̂ = 90°, LM = 7.2 cm and LN = 6.4 cm. Find 𝑁

̂.

12. In triangle DEF, 𝐸̂ = 90°, EF = 36 cm and DF = 108 cm. Find 𝐷

̂.

13. In triangle PQR, 𝑃̂ = 90°, QR = 12 cm and PQ = 4.8 cm. Find 𝑄̂ .

14. In triangle ABC, 𝐶̂ = 90°, AC = 3.2 m and BC = 4.7 m. Find 𝐵̂.

54 Form 5 (Track 2) | Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci

 Finding a side
Worked Example
In triangle XYZ, 𝑋̂ = 90°, 𝑌̂ = 27° and ZY = 3.2 cm. Find XY.

𝑎𝑑𝑗
cos 27 ° =
Z ℎ𝑦𝑝
hyp 𝑥
3.2 cm cos 27° =
3.2

cos 27° × 3.2 = 𝑥

27°
X 𝑥 cm Y 𝑥 = 2.8512
adj
∴ XY = 2.85 cm (2d. p. )

Exercise 2
Use the information given in the diagram to find the required side:

1. Find RQ R 2. Find NL
N

68°

26°
P 5 cm Q
L 6 cm M

3. Find XY 4. Find BC
Z C

1.1 cm 10 cm

32°
42°
X Y
A B

5. Find YZ 6. Find PR
Y P

5 cm

Z 35°
41°
9.2 cm Q R
X

Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci | Form 5 (Track 2) 55

 Mental trigonometry
X

1. Write down the 5 cm

a) Sine, cosine and tangent ratios of angle X 3 cm

b) Sine, cosine and tangent ratios of angle Z

Y 4 cm Z

R 8 cm Q
2. Write down the
a) Sine, cosine and tangent ratios of angle P
6 cm
b) Sine, cosine and tangent ratios of angle R 10 cm

3. Triangle XYZ is such that angle 𝑋 = 90°, 𝑋𝑌 = 7 𝑐𝑚, 𝑌𝑍 = 25 𝑐𝑚 and 𝑍𝑋 = 24 𝑐𝑚.

Write down the values of sin 𝑌, cos 𝑌, and tan 𝑌 and calculate:

a) 25(sin 𝑌 − 2 cos 𝑌);

b) √(sin 𝑌 × cos 𝑌 × tan 𝑌)

4. In triangle PQR, angle PQR is a right angle, and angle PRQ = 𝑥°, PQ = 24 cm and QR = 7 cm.
Find the value of:

a) 100(sin 𝑥 + 3 cos 𝑥)

b) 49 tan 𝑥 − 50 sin 𝑥

5. In a triangle ABC, angle ABC = 90°, AB = 4 cm, BC = 3 cm, AC = 5 cm and angle BAC = 𝑥°.
Write down the value of tan 𝑥, cos 𝑥, sin 𝑥, and then use these values to find:

a) 10(3 sin 𝑥 − 2 cos 𝑥)

15 cos 𝑥 tan 𝑥
b)
25(sin 𝑥) 2+16(tan 𝑥)2

56 Form 5 (Track 2) | Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci

 P
Solving Problems using Trigonometry

1. Triangle PQR is such that PQ = PR = 18 cm and angle PQS is 30°. Find:

a) the height of this triangle, PS
b) the length QR, giving your answer correct to one decimal place
c) the area of triangle PQR.

Q S R

2. An escalator is to be installed in a department store to raise shoppers through a height of 8 m.

If it must slope at 20° to the horizontal, R
a) How long is the escalator
b) What horizontal distance is needed to install it?
8m

20°
P Q

3. ABC represents the section of a roof which is symmetrical about BD. BC = 3 m and AC = 5 m.

3m

A D C
5m

Find a) angle BDC b) DC c) angle BCD

d) angle ABD e) BD

4. The diagram shows a section through a castle tower (AB), a moat (DC) and the horizontal
ground between the edge of the moat and the base of the tower.

48°
D 16 m C 12 m B

Use the information in the diagram to find:

a) AB b) DB ̂C
c) A𝐷 d) AC

Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci | Form 5 (Track 2) 57

5. Triangle DEF is an equilateral triangle of side 9 cm. Find:
a) its height
b) its area

6. The diagram represents one of a series of roof trusses which are to be used to construct a
factory roof.
B

2.4 m

65°
A D C

Use the information in the diagram to find:

a) BD b) DC c) AB d) AC

Each length in the truss is made from angle-iron. What length of angle-iron is required to make
ten such trusses?

7. The figure represents a trapezium in which KL = 14 cm, K

KN = 15 cm and MN = 5 cm. Calculate:
15 cm
a) the length LM
b) the length LN 14 cm
N
c) the area of KLMN
5 cm

L M

8. ABCD is a rectangle in which AB = 22.5 cm and BC = 12 cm.

a) Calculate the length of a diagonal of rectangle ABCD.

b) Find the value of ∠ACB.

9. This figure represents a rhombus DEFG, in which ∠EGF = 30° and OF = 6 cm. Find:
a) ∠GEF
D E
b) OG, giving your answer correct to 1 d.p.;
c) GF, using triangle OFG;
d) the area of triangle OGF
O
e) the area of rhombus DEFG

(Hint: the diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other at right angles).

G F

58 Form 5 (Track 2) | Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci

 Angles of elevation and depression
Suppose that you are looking at an object in the distance.

If the object is above you, then the angle of elevation is the angle your eyes look up.

If the object is below you, the angle of depression is the angle your eyes look down.

Angles of elevation and depression are measured from the horizontal.

Angle of elevation

Angle of depression

Example
From a point on level ground 40 m from the base of a pine tree, the angle of
elevation of the top of the tree is 50°. Find the height of the tree.

Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci | Form 5 (Track 2) 59

Exercise

1. The angle of elevation of the top of a church tower, from a point of level ground 500 m away, is
16°. Find the height of the tower.

2. A boat C is 200 m from the foot B of a vertical cliff, which is 40 m high. What is the angle of
depression of the boat from the top of the cliff?

𝐴
𝑥

𝑥
𝐵 200 𝑚 𝐶

3. A lamp post stands on level ground. From a point which is 10 m from its foot, the angle of
elevation of the top is 25°. How high is the lamp post?

4. A great white shark swims 7 m below sea level. If the shark is 21 m from the sailboat, what is the
angle of depression of the boat to the shark?

5. A tree 10 m high casts a 17.3 m shadow. Find the angle of elevation of the sun.

6. Margaret stands at the balcony of her apartment, so that her eyes are 12.6 m above the level
ground. A dog is on the ground 58.5 m away from the building on a line directly beneath
Margaret. Compute the angle of depresion of Margaret’s line of sight to the dog.

60 Form 5 (Track 2) | Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci

7. A plane takes off 200 m in front of a 20 m building. At what angle of elevation must the plane
take off in order to avoid crashing into the building? (Assume that the plane flies in a straight line
and that the angle of elevation remains constant until the plane flies over the building)

8. A bird is flying at a height of 40m and spots an 8 m high ledge on which to land. If the top of the
ledge is at a 22° angle of depression from the bird, how far must the bird fly before it can land?

40 m

8m

9. A flagpole is 26 m high. The angle of elevation of the top of the flagpole prom a point A on the
ground is 45°. Another point B lies on the ground, between A and the foot of the pole. The
angle of elevation from B is 60°. Find the distance AB.

10. A lighthouse is 50 m high. X is a point on the ground due west of the lighthouse and Y is due
east of the lighthouse. The angles of elevation of the top of the lighthouse from X and Y are 30°
and 60° respectively. Find the distance XY, giving your answer correct to thre significant figures.

11. Find 𝑥. A

Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci | Form 5 (Track 2) 61

12. In the diagram, the foot of a lift at ground level is at A. An observer stands at a horizontal
distance of 20 m from A. The observer’s eyes are at C and the angle of depression of A from
C is 5°.
i. Find h, the height of the observer’s
eyes above ground level. Give your
answer correct to two decimal places.

The lift rises vertically such that its foot moves

from A to B. The angle of elevation of B from C
is 48°.

ii. Find AB correct to three significant

figures.

iii. If the lift takes 9.3 seconds ro move

from A to B, find the average speed of
the lift in metres per second. Give your
anser correct to one decimal place.

13. The figure shows a see-saw consisting of a wooden plank AB of length 3 m. The see-saw is
pivoted at C, at a height of 40 cm above the horizontal ground. If AC = BC and the end A of the
plank touches the ground, find:

i. 𝑥°, the angle between AB and the groind, giving your answer correct to one decimal
place.
ii. H, the height of B above the ground.

62 Form 5 (Track 2) | Ms Joanne Caruana Gauci

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