Trigonometric Functions:

6 Right Triangle Approach

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

6.2 Trigonometry of Right Triangles

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Objectives
■ Trigonometric Ratios

■ Special Triangles; Calculators

■ Applications of Trigonometry of Right Triangles

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Trigonometric Ratios

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Trigonometric Ratios
Consider a right triangle with  as one of its acute angles.
The trigonometric ratios are defined as follows
(see Figure 1).

Figure 1 5
Trigonometric Ratios
The symbols we use for these ratios are abbreviations for
their full names: sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant,
cotangent.
Since any two right triangles with angle  are similar, these
ratios are the same, regardless of the size of the triangle;
the trigonometric ratios depend only on the angle 
(see Figure 2).

sin  = sin  =
Figure 2
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Example 1 – Finding Trigonometric Ratios
Find the six trigonometric ratios of the angle  in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Solution:
By the definition of trigonometric ratios, we get

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Special Triangles; Calculators

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Special Triangles; Calculators
There are special trigonometric ratios that can be
calculated from certain triangles (which we call special
triangles). We can also use a calculator to find
trigonometric ratios.

Special Ratios: Certain right triangles have ratios that can

be calculated easily from the Pythagorean Theorem. Since
they are used frequently, we mention them here.

The first triangle is obtained by

drawing a diagonal in a square
of side 1 (see Figure 5).
Figure 5
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Special Triangles; Calculators
By the Pythagorean Theorem this diagonal has length .
The resulting triangle has angles 45, 45, and 90
(or  /4,  /4, and  /2).

To get the second triangle, we start with an equilateral

triangle ABC of side 2 and draw the perpendicular bisector
DB of the base, as in Figure 6.

Figure 6
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Special Triangles; Calculators
By the Pythagorean Theorem the length of DB is
Since DB bisects angle ABC, we obtain a triangle with
angles 30, 60, and 90 (or  /6,  /3, and  /2).
We can now use the special triangles in Figures 5 and 6 to
calculate the trigonometric ratios for angles with measures
30, 45, and 60 (or  /6,  /4, and  /3).

Figure 5 Figure 6
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Special Triangles; Calculators
These are listed in the table below.

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Special Triangles; Calculators
Using a Calculator: To find the values of the trigonometric
ratios for other angles, we use a calculator.

Mathematical methods (called numerical methods) used in

finding the trigonometric ratios are programmed directly
into scientific calculators.

Calculators give the values of sine, cosine, and tangent; the

other ratios can be easily calculated from these by
using the following reciprocal relations:

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Special Triangles; Calculators
We follow the convention that when we write sin t, we mean
the sine of the angle whose radian measure is t.
For instance, sin 1 means the sine of the angle whose
radian measure is 1.
When using a calculator to find an approximate value for
this number, set your calculator to radian mode; you will
find that
sin 1  0.841471.
If you want to find the sine of the angle whose measure
is 1, set your calculator to degree mode; you will find that
sin 1  0.0174524.
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Example 3 – Using a Calculator
Using a calculator, find the following.

(a) tan 40 (b) cos 20 (c) cot 14 (d) csc 80

Solution:
Making sure our calculator is set in degree mode and
rounding the results to six decimal places, we get the
following:
(a) tan 40  0.839100

(b) cos 20  0.939693

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Example 3 – Solution cont’d

(c) cot 14 =  4.010781

(d) csc 80 =  1.015427

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Applications of Trigonometry
of Right Triangles

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Applications of Trigonometry of Right Triangles

A triangle has six parts: three angles and three sides.

To solve a triangle means to determine all of its parts from

the information known about the triangle, that is, to
determine the lengths of the three sides and the measures
of the three angles.

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Example 4 – Solving a Right Triangle
Solve triangle ABC, shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Solution:
It’s clear that B = 60. From Figure 7 we have
sin 30 = Definition of sine

a = 12 sin 30 Multiply by 12

= =6 Evaluate
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Example 4 – Solution cont’d

Also from Figure 7 we have

cos 30 = Definition of cosine

b = 12 cos 30 Multiply by 12

= =6 Evaluate

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Applications of Trigonometry of Right Triangles

To discuss the next examples, we need some terminology.

If an observer is looking at an object, then the line from the
eye of the observer to the object is called the line of sight
(Figure 9).

Figure 9
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Applications of Trigonometry of Right Triangles

If the object being observed is above the horizontal, then

the angle between the line of sight and the horizontal is
called the angle of elevation.

If the object is below the horizontal, then the angle between

the line of sight and the horizontal is called the angle of
depression.

If the line of sight follows a physical object, such as an

inclined plane or a hillside, we use the term angle of
inclination.

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Example 5 – Finding the Height of a Tree
A giant redwood tree casts a shadow 532 ft long. Find the
height of the tree if the angle of elevation of the sun
is 25.7.

Solution:
Let the height of the tree be h.
From Figure 10 we see that

Definition of tangent

Figure 10

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Example 5 – Solution cont’d

h = 532 tan 25.7 Multiply by 532

 532(0.48127)  256 Use a calculator

Therefore the height of the tree is about 256 ft.

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