Trigonometric Ratios

Section 9.5

Daily Homework Quiz

Aim
How do we find the sine, the cosine, and the tangent of an acute angle? Check Homework Section 9.4.

Vocabulary
Trigonometric ratio a ratio of the lengths of two sides of a right triangle. Three basic trigonometric ratios:

Sine (abbreviation: sin) Cosine (abbreviation: cos) Tangent (abbreviation: tan)

Trigonometric Ratios

Let ABC be a right triangle. The sine, the cosine, and the tangent of the acute angle A are defined as follows:
B hypotenuse c a b adjacent to A C opposite A

side opposite A a sin A = = hypotenuse c

side adjacent to A b cos A = = hypotenuse c

side opposite A a tan A = = side adjacent to A b

SOHCAHTOA
sin = opp/hyp cos = adj/hyp tan = opp/adj

Example 1

13 S

T 12 Find the sine, the cosine, and the tangent of the indicated angle. Round to 4 decimal places! a. S b. R

sin S =

opp hyp

5 13

0.3846

sin R =

opp hyp

12 13

0.9231

cos S =

adj hyp
opp adj

12 13

0.9231

cos R =

adj hyp

5 13

0.3846

tan S =

5 12

0.4167

tan R =

opp adj

12 5

=2.4

Checkpoint 1

14 F

50 D

48

Find the sine, the cosine, and the tangent of the indicated angle. Round to 4 decimal places! a. D b. E

sin D =

opp hyp

14 50

= 0.28

sin E =

opp hyp
adj hyp
opp adj

48 50
14 50
48 14

=0.96

cos D =

adj hyp
opp adj

48 50
14 48

=0.96

cos E =

=0.28

tan D =

0.2917

tan E =

3.4286

Example 2

Find the value of the variable. Round to the nearest tenth.

x 4
34 4 x

tan 34 =

4(tan34 ) = x
x 2.7

Checkpoint 2

Find the value of the variable. Round to the nearest tenth.

cos28 =

y 5
y

5 28

5(cos28 ) = y
y 4.4

Example 3

Find the value of the variable. Round to the nearest tenth.

sin 31 = 2 x
2 x 31

x(sin31 ) = 2
x= 2 sin 31

x 3.9

Checkpoint 3

Find the value of the variable. Round to the nearest tenth.

3 z
3

tan 34 =

z(tan34 ) = 3
z= 3 tan 34

34 z

z 4.4

Vocabulary

Angle of Elevation When you stand and look up at a point in the distance, the angle that your line of sight makes with a line drawn horizontally. Angle of Depression When you stand at an elevated point and look down at a point in the distance, the angle that your line of sight makes with a line drawn horizontally.

angle of depression

angle of elevation

Checkpoint 4

You are measuring the height of a tree. You stand 45 feet from the base of the tree. You measure the angle of elevation to the top of the tree to be 59. Find the height of the tree to the nearest tenth of a foot.
tan 59 = h 45
The tree is approximately 74.9 feet tall.

45(tan 59 ) = h

h 74.9

Summarizer
Find tan A
sinA Find cosA
What do you notice?
13 5 A

12

sin A tan A = cos A