Finding Angles in Right Triangles

Using the sine, cosine, and tangent ratios to find the measures of angles in right triangles.
Remember: you will always be using the "inverse" ratios when calculating angles.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Finding
• angles
• in
• right
• triangles

[wingtip44]

You say that the "superscript" negative one is not an exponent, but in fact it is. If, when you equation is tan C = 3 divided by 4, to isolate C, you would "divide both sides by" tan. Tan alone in the denominator of the RH side is meaningless, but its exponent in the denomintor is 1. As you're most certainly aware, a base to a positive exponent in the denominator of a fraction is equivalent to the same base, in the numerator with the same, albeit, negative exponent. Isn't that right?

[donalduncan]

@wingtip44 "Tangent" is not a number, or a quantity, or anything else that you can add/subtract/multiply/divide by. Taking "the tangent of a number" is an operation that you do TO a quantity.

A similar example is when you square a quantity... eg: x^2 = 25.

To solve this for x, you don't "divide by the squared", you do the inverse operation (take the square root), to isolate the variable.

To solve an equation like tan(x) = 1, you do the opposite operation (take the inverse tangent), to isolate x.

[donalduncan]

@wingtip44 sorry... but the "-1" isn't an exponent, it's just a symbol that means "inverse".

[H3mia]

ok good positive comments must mean im stupid yup im the only idiot who doesn't get this

[alyx619]

i love you mr donalduncan. you saved my life sir. 

[MrWallmartSecurity]

thank you very much =D

[rojoification]

good explanations! thanks

[bandgurl360]

thanks alot!!!