Question

Trigonometry help.

Answer 1

What is your question?

Answer 2

What do we know about the properties of a 45-45-90 triangle?

Answer 3

It's an isosceles? Heh

Answer 4

That's a start. Heh :P

Answer 5

The interior angles of a triangle must add up to 180 degrees. You have a 90 degree angle indicated by the little square in the corner and you are given one of the other angles as 45. With simple math we can find the other, unknown, angle is 45 as well.

One of the properties of a 45-45-90 triangle (numbers refer to the angles), is that the legs must be the same length.

Answer 6

Alright, so we can say that y = 7. How does this help calculate x?

Answer 7

Pythagorean theorem. But hear Austin out first :P

Answer 8

And it would appear that in my older age, my eyes failed me lol. Many apologies.

Have you ever heard of SOHCAHTOA?

Answer 9

I'm afraid not, but I don't mind looking into it.

Answer 10

even that is complicating it too much. Just go with pythagorean theorem.

\(a^2+b^2=c^2\)

Well a=7 and we verified that b=a, so b=7.

\(7^2+7^2=c^2\)

how can we solve for c?

Answer 11

So x is actually about 9.90?

Answer 12

Correctomundo. And if you like I could show you the SOHCAHTOA way as well.

Answer 13

Although, I get a radically different answer when I do it that way for some reason... :/

Answer 14

Actually, you did the exact method that I was speaking of!

SOHCAHTOA is actually just an acronym.
sin=opposite/hypotenuse
cos=adjacent/hypotenuse
tan=opposite/adjacent

Answer 15

Oh awesome, I'm a pretty big noob so I mostly just keep track of the formulas. Thank you again for your help.

Answer 16

No problem, glad to help! And if you need any further help/explanation/guidance, feel free to tag me in your question and I will do my best to shake off the rust of not really helping people for nearly a year.

Answer 17

Will do, thank you again, Do take care.