CHAPTER 2: RIGHT TRIANGLES

ANSWERS

SIMILAR TRIANGLES:
1. What is 1 condition that makes 2 triangles to be similar?
o Two <s of both ∆’s are equal (3rd will be equal automatically!)

2. What is the relationship between the sides of the 2 triangles?

o Corresponding sides are proportional (same ratio)
3. What does it mean, given: ∆ABC ~ ∆XYZ

RIGHT TRIANGLES:
4. What is a right <?
o An angle of 90°
5. What is a right ∆?
o A ∆ with a right <
6. What does it mean by “Solving” a ∆?
o Process of finding the angles and sides of a ∆

PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM:
7. Statement/Formula: __________?
o c 2 = a 2+ b 2
8. Converse of the theorem?
o If c2 = a2+ b2 then ∆ is a Right ∆
9. What side is the Hypotenuse?
o Longest side is the hypotenuse

TRIG. FUNCTIONS FOR RIGHT ∆:

10. Relationships in ∆’s:
o Sides?

Pythagorean theorem: c2 = a2+ b2
o Angles?

Acute <s add up to 90°: A + B = 90°
o Sides and angles?

Trig. Functions: sin, cos and tan
11. Trig. Functions:
o What are the 6 trig. Functions?

Sin, cos, tan, csc, sec, cot
o Relationship of the 3 main trig. function to the sides of a ∆?

sin A = O / H

cos A = A / H

tan A = O / A
o How to remember this? ( SOH-CAH-TOA) or (SOHCAHTOA)
o Relationship of the 3 main trig. Functions and their reciprocals?

csc A = 1 / sin A

sec A = 1 / cos A

cot A = 1 / tan A
o Units of trig. Functions?

No units.

Why? Trig. Functions are just ratio of sides. Units cancel out
o Relationship of tan with sin and cos

tan A = sin A / cos A

12. Trig. Functions of special <s:

o What are the special angles?

30°, 60°, and 45°
o How to obtain them? (2 ways)

Drawing table

Order: red, blue, green

Using special triangles

FINDING AND USING TRIG. FUNCTIONS:

13. How do we find trig. Functions?
o Using a calculator in the modern age (I used trig. Tables)
14. Need to be very careful about what when using a calculator to find <s?
o Should be in the right MODE
 15. Using trig. Functions in real-world applications:
o Angle of elevation?

o Angle of depression?

Or Simply:

FINDING THE ANGLE:

16. What does it mean by sin-1y or arcsiny?
o Is another way of writing θ
o Or θ = sin-1y = arcsiny
17. How do we find the angle given the trig. Functions(y is just a number):
o sinθ = y then θ = sin-1y
o cosθ = y then θ = cos-1y
o tanθ = y then θ = tan-1y
o cscθ = y then θ = csc-1y
o secθ = y then θ = sec-1y
o cotθ = y then θ = cot-1y

COFUNCTION THEOREM:
18. Statement:
o If A, B are complementary, then: trig. Function of one = cofunction of
another.
o That is:

sin A = cos B and vice versa

tan A = cot B and vice versa

sec A = csc B and vice versa
19. What does it mean?
o It means:

sin 30° = cos 60°

tan 52° = cot 38°

sec 10° = csc 80°
20. Converse:
o A, B are some angles.

If trig. Function of one = cofunction of another, then A and B are
complementary.
21. What does it mean? It means:
o Given:

sin A = cos B then A + B = 90°

tan A = cot B then A + B = 90°

sec A = csc B then A + B = 90°