Question

The picture shows a portion of an irrigation system for a farm. LM is the main water pipe.




What is the length of the main water pipe LM?

Answer 1

if you look at it carefully...11 is the side opposite of the given angle and LM is the hypotenuse

so what do you think you should do?

Answer 2

Sin 60= 11/x then 11/sin 60. But every time I try to get the answer, I get a negative

Answer 3

disregard the negative...it's a physics thing...your triangle is oriented downwards (where the NEGATIVE y axis is if you remember) that's all there is to it

Answer 4

shouldn't gotten negative tho, unless you are in radian mode, change to degree mode

Answer 5

that's possible

Answer 6

< http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=11%2Fsin+60&a=TrigRD_R > RADIANS
< http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=11%2Fsin+60 > DEGREEs

1-90 degree shouldn't give you negative answer :P

Answer 7

I guess my calculator is set to radians.. Ill just find one online then

Answer 8

you can change it in your calculator, find the mode button

Answer 9

Thanks!