How do you find the two missing side lengths of a right triangle if you only know one side length and one angle measure (other than 90 degree angle)?

Question

mertsj · Answer

Is it one of the special right triangles?

anonymous · Answer

how do you know if its special ?

mysesshou · Answer

SOH CAH TOA works well. do you know it?   sine, cosine, tangent.

mysesshou · Answer

if it is a special triangle  like  angles 30, 60, 90  or 45, 45, 90, then there are rules for that too

anonymous · Answer

yes i do(: and ohk thanks !

mysesshou · Answer

sides of 5, 12, 13  and 3, 4, 5  are also special triangles, but that doesn't really fit your question, since you only have one side.  :)

anonymous · Answer

yeah.. so do i just use SOH CAH TOA for it ?

mysesshou · Answer

those work.  take the angle and the side you know and the side you want to know, and then choose which SOH CAH TOA you should use.

anonymous · Answer

wait so does it matter which SOH CAH TOA i use ? or can it be any ?

mysesshou · Answer

SOH means sine  for the sides that are opposite and hypotenuse.
CAH means cosine, for the sides that are adjacent and hypot.
TOA means use tangent, for the sides that are opposite and adjacent.

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