- Key Concepts

r When solving problems involving right triangles, you can apply I

the primary trigonometric ratios.

r When solving problems involving acute triangles, you can apply
I

the sine law or the cosine law:

- Use the sine law if you are given an angle and the opposite
side, plus one other side or angle.
- Use the cosine law if you are given two sides and the contained
angle, or three sides.
r A number of problems involving trigonometry require multiple
steps. Look for techniques and make connections to other
branches of mathematics, such as geometry, in order to solve
problems efficiently.

Communicate Your Understanding

GID a) Do the sine law and the cosine law hold true in right
triangles? Explain.
b) What other techniques can you use to solve right triangles?
ftEl Explain how you can decide whether to apply the sine law
or the cosine law in an acute triansle.

GD a) Describe the steps you would take to find the

length of x in the diagram shown.
b) Describe a different set of steps that will
also work.

ffi Practise
1. Determine whether the primary For help with questions 2 and 3, see Examples
trigonometric ratios, the sine law, or the 1 and 2.
cosine law should be used first to solve
Z. Refer to question C3.
each triangle.
a) Use your method from part a) to find x,
a)Bb)F to the nearest tenth of a centimetre.
10s)'/\a' b) Find x using another method. Compare
A--C your answers. Are they equal?

3. a) Find x, to the B
c
nearest tenth of
3.9 cm a centimetre.
b) Find x using a
D
different 6.7 cm
method.

8.4 Solve Problems Using Trigonometry. MHR 427

Connect and Apply 8. Rocco and Biff are two koala bears frolicking
in a meadow. Suddenly, a tasty clump of
4. While flying at an
eucalyptus falls to the ground, catching
altitude of t.s km,
their attention. Biff glances at Rocco, who
a plane measures
appears to be 15 m away, then over to the
angles of depression
eucalyptus, which appearc to be 18 m away.
to opposite ends of
From Biff's point of view, Rocco and the
a large crater, as
eucalyptus are separated by an angle of 45".
shown. Find the
Rocco's top running speed is 1.0 m/s, but
width of the crater. to the nearest tenth
Biff can run one and a half times as fast. Can
of a kilometre.
Biff beat Rocco to the eucalyptus? State any
5. Earth is 149 600 000 km from the Sun. assumptions you make.
This distance is equal to 1 A.U.
(astronomical unit). Mars is 1.5 A.U. Irom 9. Find the total length of materials required
the Sun. One evening, Mars is seen from to build the bridge truss shown, to the
Earth to make an angle of 68" with the Sun. nearest tenth of a metre.
5.7 m
a) Draw a diagram and label the given
information.
b) How far apart are Earth and Mars
at this point, in kilometres?
c) Do you think the distance between
Earth and Mars is always
3.8 m
the same? Explain why or why not.
Describe the steps in your solution and
6. Lena is in a bicycle road race. In the first state any assumptions you make.
leg, she rides 12 km from Riverside to
Danton. Then, she turns and rides 17 km 10. Lookout Point is accessible from two trails,
to Humberville, making a 74o angle from both of which start from the same altitude
the first leg, The final turn leads back to and climb upward. Path p travels east to
Riverside. the point and climbs at an average angle of
elevation of 20o. Path q travels northeast to
a) What is the total length of the race,
the point at an average angle of elevation of
to the nearest kilometre?
15". Path p is 2.0 km long. Jack and Debbie
b) At what angles are the three towns parked at the base of path p. They hiked a
situated with respect to each other? round trip up path p to Lookout Point, then
Round to the nearest degree. down path g, and then finally straight from
7. Trevor, who is 1.5 m tall, is standing at the base of path q back to their truck. How
a distance of 14 m foom a building. From far did they hike, to the nearest tenth of a
his point of view, the bottom and top of kilometre? State any assumptions you make.
the building are separated by 36", Lookout
as shown. How tall is the building, to the Point

nearest tenth of a metre?

1.5 m

428 MHR. Chapter 8

11. A tetrahedron has edges that are 10 cm in extend
length. Find the height of this tetrahedron
14. Helen, Javier, and Raquel live in two
to the nearest tenth of a centimetre.
identical apartment buildings, located
30 m apart. ]avier lives two floors higher
than Helen. Raquel lives four floors lower
than Helen, There is a 36o angle of
separation when Helen looks from her
balcony to those of her two friends.

12. Doctors Jones and Hwang are astronomers

observing the sun from opposite ends of
Earth. The radius of Earth is 6400 km.

a) Use this information to verify the

distance from Earth to the Sun, which a) How far apart, vertically, do Javier and
was given in question 5. State any Raquel live? Round to the nearest tenth
assumptions you make. of a metre.
b) At approximately what times of day b) Explain how you solved this problem
were these observations made by each and discuss any assumptions you made.
astronomer? Explain your answer.
15. A box is in the shape ofa square-based
13. Chapter Problem Pilots must take wind prism. The height of the box is twice the
into account when flying, or the wind will width of the base.
blow them off course and they will not a) Show that the longest thin rod that can
reach the desired destination. Your aircraft be encased in the box has length f o*,
cruises at a speed of too km/h. There is where w is the width of the base.
a strong wind blowing from N60oE at a b) Find the angles that such a rod would
speed of 90 km/h. You need to fly south make with each edge of the box.
to home base.
\-F: N
15. A ship travels 100 km at a bearing of
N60"E and then turns and travels B0 km
;\ r km/h t{,
oo
at a bearing of S20'E before reaching its
\ (heading) S
destination. Suppose the ship travelled
grou nd
directly from its starting point to its
sneed
destination, following a direct route. What
,/90 kn/h distance and at what bearing would the
,,,'
Yy' (wind)
ship travel? Round to the nearest unit.

17. Who uses trigonometry in their careers? Do

a) Find the direction, 0, you must aim some research to find out what types of
the plane, to the nearest degree. careers require the use of trigonometry and
b) What will your speed be, over the why. Write a brief report of your findings.
ground? Round to the nearest unit.

8.4 Solve Problems Using Trigonometry. MHR 429

8.3 Find Angles Using the Cosine La!u, pages 4lZ-419 at b2 b2
1. a) 49' b) 6L" c) 50o 15. a)cosA=
-zb(b)
Z. a) 51o b) 66. c) 49'
3. a) A
az - zbz
,b'
at 2b2
190 mm 2h2 zhz

__TI
a'
2h"
170mm at
t--....-
/n - 7L. - 2b'
b) H bl LA - Jo.g", LB - LC - zL.ss"
16. Answers may vary. For example: For an equilateral
triangle, a: b: c.
1.2 km Substitute into the cosine law
-2 - LL2 -
rt t:^2
cosA-
-Zbc
" a2-a2-a2
1,4 km cos 60'-
LW : a'J," -r"@
4. al Ll: ss.s', zV :81,.4', LM: 43.7"
cos 60o: -a'
b) Solve for Zf using the cosine law. Solve for ZV using -2a'
the sine law. Then, solve for ZM using the fact that -1
cos 60'- -
the sum of the interior angles in a triangle is 180o. 2
c) The answers are the same. Explanations may vary
For example: The calculations in my method are
8.4 Sofve Problems Using Trigonometry, pagas 424^429
easier to complete.
1. a) cosine law b) sine law
5. al Lv - 78.5", LT - 57.r., Lu - 44.4.
c) primary trigonometric ratios
bl LM:7o.8", LP: 59.0', LY :5o.2'
d) cosine law
6. a)G 2. a)x:5.6m b) Answers will vary.
3, a)x:4,4cm b) x-4.4cm
4. 1.6 km
5. a) Diagrams may vary. b) 239 360 000 km
c) Answers may vary. For example: No, because the
angle between Earth, the Sun, and Mars is not always
the same.
6. a) 47 km b) /R - 65", LD - 74', LH: 41."
7. 9.6 m
ZN : 70.0', LB:61,.3', LG = 48.7" 8. Yes, because it would take Biff 12 s and Rocco 12.9 s to
b)R reach the eucalyptus. Assumptions may vary.
9. 79.8 m. Answers may vary. For example: assume that
the bridge is symmetric. Find the unknown angles
and sides using triangle laws, the sine law, and the
4.6 km cosine law
10. 6.4 km. Answers may vary. For example: Assume that
the paths are straight.
1 1. 8.2 cm
- 3.8 km
12. a) The distance is L46 677 195.5 km, which is close to
149 600 000 km.
LD - 72.3., LT - 61.2., LR - 46.4" b) Answers may vary. For example: Noon, when the
7. Answers will vary. Sun appears lo be directly overhead.
8. a) 7B',51',51' b) 14 m2 13. a) S51'E b) 108 km/h
9. 310 14. a) Javier and Raquel live about 19.7 m vertically apart.
10. al 82" b) 43" c) 55. b) Answers may vary. For example: I assumed that the
11. 69.6.. 110.40. 69.60. 110.4" balconies were equally spaced. Then, I used the
12. Answers will vary. tangent ratio with two right triangles formed by
13. 51.3o, 51.3', 77.4o. Answers may vary. For example: No, drawing a horizontal line between buildings through
there is only one possible triangle for three given sides. point H.

Answers. MHR 563

1 5, a) The longest rod fits from the bottom front Ieft corner 12. 361 m; Sz+'W
to the top back right corner. The length ofthe rod, 1, 13. a) blue jay tree 36.1 m, cardinal tree 25.3 m
is the hypotenuse of the right triangle, whose legs are b) 41.4 m
the height of the prism and the diagonal of the base 14. 40 min
of the prism. 15, plane's altitude 10 km, jet's altitude 13 km
1= \/(wz+w'z)+ewf
: \'C"t' Chapters 7 and I Review, pages 434-435
1. LB : LE : sO". LACB : ZDCE (opposite angles).
: t/a* Then, 1A - ZD (angle sum of a triangle is 180').
b) 35.3' and 65.9" Therefore, AABC - ADEC because corresponding pairs
16. T77 km, S7B'E of angles are equal.
t 7. Answers will vary. 2.h-14cm,g-14cm
3. al LE:53", LC: 37' bl LX: 54", LY :36o
cl LU :33", LT :57' dl LM:35', 1N - 5s"
Chapter g Review, pages 430-431
4. a) 6.1 cm b) 29.9 m
1, 10 cm
c) 5.4 km d) 99.0 cm
z. 41."
5. a) b : LA: 5L", LC : 39o
11.9 cm,
3. al LT : 42", LK:87", k: 36 km
bl LH : 31,o, f : 9.7 m, g : 11.3 m
bl LC:53o, c: 22mm, n : 20 mm 6. 4.2 m
4. a) 37 cm b) 61'and 37'
7. al2Orrr b) 59m
5.2Om
: : 8.9cm
6. a) u 54 mm, LD 59", LP B2o - 9. 3.9 m
b) w:
16 km, ZE 45", :
58" LQ: :51"
1O. LP
7. a) 33 km b) 53'
11. LE: 7O'
8. a) 39'
: 12. al LB : 65', LA: 7'J-", a: 18 mm
9. a) ZS 72.7o, LF :54.9", LV 52.4" - blr:26 m, ZS: 75", LT :51'
bl LB:
79.6", LS:62.9", LZ:37.5"
c) x : 30 cm, LY :67',y:28 cm
10. angle to water tower 37', angle to monument 47o
d) e : 36 km, ZF : 62', LG : 34"
1 1. a) Diagrams may vary.
13. al LC: 75.4', LB:61,.3', LA: 43.3o
first secon0 bl LV :7o.1,", LU: 59.1', zT : s0.8'
helicopter helicopter 14. 41 km
v 15. 1171 m
15. 3149 m

ta\.a.r'4r^
,jk\;--.t
Course Review, pages 438-447
observer 1. a) Let .l represent the length and w represent the width.
b) 5.1 km c) 1km 2l + 2w: 4O.
12.7Ortr b) If n represents one number and q represents the

other number, tnen 1]l : rs .

2
Chapter 8 Practice Test, pages 432-433
c) If q represents the number of quarters and 1 represents
1. 18 cm
the number of loonies, then 0.25q + I : 37.
2. 2.5 m
3. 47" d) Ifa represents the number of adult tickets sold and s
represents the number of student tickets sold, then
4. 58.
5. a) 3.2 m b) 60'and 40" z0a + 12s: 9250.
2. a) (3, -r) b) (-2, -5) cl (2,2)
5. 33.2'
:
7. x 8.7 m, LY : 5Oo, LZ: 620
3. a)x - 2,y- 1 b) x: 1,y:3 cl x: t,y:1
8.a) 4. a)x: T7,y:39 bla:a,b:-3
w clk:1,.5,h:2 d)a:3,b:s
5. The lines have the same slope, but a different
y-intercept. So, the lines are parallel and they have
no point in common.
2.3 km 6. al (6.7,1,.7) bl (-4.4, -2.3) c) (0.1, -o.e)
7.a:32,b:2O
8. boat 16 km/h, cuuent 4 km/h
9. 25 mL of 60% hydrochloric acid and t00 mL of go%
hydrochloric acid
bl LW : 39', LT : a7", t: 2.8 km
10.x:5,y:S
9. 47.5 cm; assume the crest is svmmetric.
10. 75 m
11.40km

564 MHR. Answers