You don't have to tell me the answer. Just help walk me through it please.

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

Using this triangle as an example:

Question

You don't have to tell me the answer. Just help walk me through it please. 

Could I find the two missing side lengths of a right triangle if I only know one side length and one angle measure (other than the 90 degree angle)?

Using this triangle as an example:

anonymous · Answer

attachment

anonymous · Answer

um this is hard.......u dont need answer?

anonymous · Answer

no, i do need one.

anonymous · Answer

ok u have an agle nd a side r8

anonymous · Answer

Yeah, we can make angle A = 38 and side AB = 56

anonymous · Answer

fine u can use sin or cos r8

anonymous · Answer

yeah. can we use sin?

anonymous · Answer

sin=opp/hyp

anonymous · Answer

but we only know that the opp is 56, we dont know what the hyp is

anonymous · Answer

opp is the side oppsite to that angle.............

anonymous · Answer

so would it be an isosceles triangle and if we use tan we can make the opp and adj equal 56

anonymous · Answer

if it is isosceles that angle wud be 45 :P

anonymous · Answer

yeah u can use tan

anonymous · Answer

ooook i can do it from here now lol
thanks

anonymous · Answer

okay now i am confused. i dont know how to do it using tan with both opp and adj being 56...

anonymous · Answer

cant i just use the Pythagorean theorem instead to find the hyp

anonymous · Answer

u need two sides to use pytho r8

anonymous · Answer

ugh yeah. lol. but if i use tan then it will equal one and that makes no sense..

anonymous · Answer

cmon......tan(38) s not equal to 1

anonymous · Answer

where did you get thirty eight?

anonymous · Answer

um u said a = 38

anonymous · Answer

I thought you said if it was an isosceles it would be 45?

anonymous · Answer

yea.....but it's 38.....is it isosceles?

anonymous · Answer

yeah , its isosceles

anonymous · Answer

no.. 38 wouldnt work

anonymous · Answer

ok if it's isoscles angles 45

anonymous · Answer

correct. but then tan wont work... http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=tan%2845%29+%3D+56%2F56

anonymous · Answer

xcuse but wat's the qn again?

anonymous · Answer

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

anonymous · Answer

yes u can.......
use tan...to find the other side if hypo is not given.......
use cos/sin if hypo is given..............
then use sin/cos/tan to find the other side

anonymous · Answer

sorry......m late...