The Mathematics 11 Competency Test

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Right triangle problems are problems requiring the determination of some geometric property or properties, and the solution of the problem requires the solving of a right triangle. Weve already illustrated strategies for solving right triangles. The main new feature in right triangle problem then is to recognize how the solution of the problem itself can be achieved through N solving an appropriate right triangle.
W E

Example 1: Hank needs to determine the distance across a wide river in a north-south direction between points A and B, as indicated in the sketch to the right. He locates point C, which is 215 meters due west of point A, and is able to measure that from point C, point B makes an angle of 36.40 north of the line from C to A. Determine the distance AB. solution:

river

B river A

36.40

The geometry of the situation is summarized in the second figure to the right. The points A, B, and C form a triangle. Since side AB is in a northB south direction, and side CA is in an east-west direction, the angle at point A must be a right angle. (The labelling of the vertices of this right triangle is not exactly according to the usual convention, but thats because the points forming the vertices were labelled before it was known that they would be 36.40 forming the vertices of a right triangle.) Further, to A C 215 m say that the side CB is 36.40 north of east means that the angle of the right triangle at point C is 36.40. This gives us enough information to solve the right triangle, and in particular, to determine the length of side AB. We have

tan36.40 =

AB AB = AC 215 m

where we are using the notation AB and AC to indicate the lengths of the sides between these pairs of points, respectively. Therefore AB = (215 m)(tan 36.40) 158.5 m rounded to one decimal place. Thus, the required distance across the river between points A and B is 158.5 m.

David W. Sabo (2003)

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 1 of 7

Example 2: A vertical television transmission tower is 112 m high. Support cables attached to its top are to be anchored in the ground at points located so that the support wire makes an angle of 750 with the ground. Assuming the ground is horizontal in the vicinity of the base of the tower and that the support cables are stretched tight enough so that they essentially form a straight line, determine how far the cable anchors will be from the base of the tower, and how long the cables must be. solution: Since the tower is vertical and the ground is horizontal, the ground, tower, and cable form a right triangle as sketched in the second figure to the right. We are given the length of one side of that right triangle, and the measure of one of the acute angles. The problem asks us to determine the lengths of the other two sides, labelled x and y in the sketch. From this diagram

tower

750

sin 750 =
and so

112 m y

750 x

y=
Also,

112 m 115.95 m sin 750

tan 750 =
and so

112 m x

x=

112 m 30.01 m tan 750

Thus, the support cables must be 115.95 m long, and they must be anchored in the ground at a distance of 30.01 m away from the base of the tower.

Example 3: The sketch to the right shows the cross section of a roof of a fairly large house. One side must have an angle of 200 above the horizontal in order to facilitate the installation of solar electricity batteries. However, the peak of the roof may be only 3.50 m above the base level. Determine the two lengths labelled y and z in the sketch,
David W. Sabo (2003)

y 200 14.50 m

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 2 of 7

and also, determine whether the angle is greater than 450. solution: This seems like quite a complicated problem, so well have to be fairly systematic in our work. The first thing to recognize is that the cross-section of this roof really consists of two right triangles, sharing as a common side the vertical line through the peak of the roof. We have enough information to solve the right triangle on the left and so determine the value of y. Since

y 200 u 14.50 m v

sin 200 =
we get

3.50 m y

y=

3.50 m 10.23 m sin 200

At present, we do not have enough information to solve the right triangle on the right, of which z and are parts, since we know the length of just one side in addition to the right angle. However, we can determine the length of the side labelled v in the sketch as follows. For the triangle on the left,

tan 200 =
giving

3.50 m u

u=
But

3.50 m 9.62 m tan 200

u + v = 14.50 m
so that

v = 14.50 m u = 14.50 m 9.62 m = 4.88 m

Now we have enough information to solve the triangle on the right. By Pythagorass Theorem,

z 2 = ( 3.50 m ) + ( 4.88 m ) = 36.0644 m 2

2 2

so that

z=

36.0644 m 2 6.01 m
Solving Right Triangle Problems

David W. Sabo (2003)

Page 3 of 7

Also,

tan =

3.50 m 3.50 m = v 4.88 m

from which we can write

= tan1

3.50 0 35.65 4.88

We are now able to state a final solution to this problem. The length y is 10.23 m and the length z is 6.01 m. The angle is 35.650, and so it is not greater than 450.

Example 4: A rectangular field measures 108 m wide by 176 m long. If paths are constructed joining opposite corners of the field, what angles will they form where they cross? solution: We see from the sketch that two different angles are formed where the diagonal lines intersect. However, obviously + = 1800

176 m

so if we can calculate either of the two required angles, we can get the other one by simple subtraction from 1800. There are various ways to solve this problem. One way is as follows. Draw a vertical and horizontal line through the point where the diagonals intersect (the dotted lines in the second sketch). These lines form a number of right angles where vertical and horizontal lines meet in the sketch, and hence a number of right triangles appear. Now, since opposite sides of a rectangle are parallel, and the diagonal lines form transversals of these parallel sides here, it is easy to demonstrate that ABC DBC and further, since they share the side BC, these two triangles are identical. (Technically, this means that not only is ABC similar to DBC, but ABC is said to be congruent to DBC they have the same shape and the same size.) This means that

F B x x A C D

AC = DC =
and

176 m = 88 m 2

David W. Sabo (2003)

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 4 of 7

BC = EA = EF =
But then

108 m = 54 m 2

tan x =
and so

AC 88 m = BC 54 m

88 x = tan1 58.470 54
But = x + x = 2x = 2(58.470) = 116.940

But then, = 1800 - = 1800 116.940 = 63.060. Thus, the diagonals of this rectangular field intersect forming angles of 116.940 and 63.060.

Example 5: A regular pentagon is inscribed in a circle of radius 5 m. Determine the area of the pentagon. solution: Pentagons seem to be a bit of a jump from triangles. However, notice that if we draw lines joining the center of the circle to the vertices of the pentagon, we end up with five triangles. In fact, since this is a regular pentagon, all five triangles formed in this way are identical. (By regular pentagon, is meant that all five sides of the pentagon are of equal length, and all five angles formed where the sides meet are equal. Since each of the triangles formed by joining the center of the circle to the vertices of the pentagon have two sides which are equal to the radius of the circle, and a third side which is equal in every triangle, you can easily use principles discussed in connection with our study of similar triangles to conclude that all five triangles are identical in size and shape.) If we can calculate the area of one of these triangles, then the area of the entire pentagon can be obtained by simply multiplying by five. Since all five triangles are identical, the angles, labelled in the diagram, that each forms at the center of the circle must be the same in all five triangles. Since one complete rotation about the center amounts to 3600, we must have 5 = 3600 so
David W. Sabo (2003) Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 5 of 7

3600 = = 720 5
As mentioned, the sides of each triangle which are formed by the radial lines from the center of the circle to the vertices of the pentagon at the circle itself, are all equal to the radius of the circle, 5 m. Thus, each of the five identical triangles making up the pentagon look like the one in the sketch to the right. Since the two vertices not equal to are opposite sides of equal lengths, those two angles themselves must be equal. To show this, weve labelled both of them . This is not yet a right triangle, but it is easy to come up with right triangles. Draw a line from the top vertex to the opposite side of this triangle so that it divides the top vertex into two equal angles of 360 each (as shown in the second figure to the right). You should be able to demonstrate that ACD is similar to BCD. (In fact, again, they are not only similar, but identical in size and hence congruent.) This means that ADC = BDC. But, since these two angles add up to a straight angle (or 1800), they must each equal 900, so they are right angles. Thus, ACD and BCD are right triangles. Now, for ACD, we have

5m

720

5m

C
360 360

5m A D

5m B

cos 360 =
so that

h 5m
5m

C
360 360

5m h D b B

h = (cos 360)(5 m) 4.045 m Also

1 b sin 360 = 2 5m
so that

1 b = ( sin 360 ) ( 5 m ) 2
or b = (2)(sin 360)(5 m) 5.878 m

Thus, the area of this small triangle, ABC, is

David W. Sabo (2003)

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 6 of 7

1 1 bh = ( 5.878 m )( 4.045 m ) 11.8883 m 2 2 2

Finally, the area of the entire pentagon is five times this area, for a total of 59.442 m2.

This last example is considerably more complicated than any that you will encounter on the BCIT Mathematics 11 Competency Test. However, it is worth studying because its solution involves quite a number of the geometric and trigonometric principles that we have described earlier in various parts of these notes.

David W. Sabo (2003)

Solving Right Triangle Problems

Page 7 of 7