what is the length of the segment ab round your answer to the nearest tenth
http://prntscr.com/77zjcj

Question

what is the length of the segment ab round your answer to the nearest tenth
http://prntscr.com/77zjcj <pic
I would like to learn how to do the problem thanks so much! :)

563blackghost · Answer

$$\cos(\theta)=\frac{ adjacent }{ hypontenuse }$$ We will use this formula because we know the cosine which is 38 degrees and we know of the adjacent length which is 11 so we input what we know...$$\cos 38^o =\frac{ 11 }{ x }$$

563blackghost · Answer

here are the other equations of sin and tan....

tatumlee · Answer

I think that makes sense, I was really far off lol.. I had been trying to use pythagorean theorem for it but I don't think ive done any of it right, I havent seen that formula you showed me before

563blackghost · Answer

Well I'll help you thru it :D....it was quite confusing to me as well but i got it in no time... We use this formula because we know the angle between the adjacent length and the hypontnuse .... but we only know what the adjacent angle is and want to know what the hypotenuse is so we use this formula...

563blackghost · Answer

make sure you have a calculator for this problem cause this one needs a calculator...

tatumlee · Answer

thank you so much! and that makes even more sense now thank you for explaining the formula, and I have one :)

563blackghost · Answer

Np and great! So in your calculator you need to press the "COS" and inside the parenthesis input 38 which will give you a decimal...

tatumlee · Answer

I got a long decimal so far 0.9550 right?

563blackghost · Answer

We only need the up to the thousandths digit...so we input that into the formula...$$.955=\frac{ 11 }{ x }$$
Now we need to switch spots with x so...$$x=\frac{ 11 }{ .955 }$$
We simplify this and should get the hypontenuse....

tatumlee · Answer

I got 11.51 did i simplify it right?

563blackghost · Answer

I got 13.95.... which would give the answer C

tatumlee · Answer

do you mind telling me how you simplified it because I must have done something wrong, I divided 11 and .955 in the calculator

563blackghost · Answer

I simplified it the same way but my cosine was .788 which i then divided by 11 which got me 13.95....i dont know why some calculators make mistakes...

tatumlee · Answer

Oh okay, what you did to get the answer makes a lot of sense now, its actually really simple haha! Thank you so much for the help <3

563blackghost · Answer

np xD glad I was helpful