Question

Medal!!

Answer 1

The moon forms a right triangle with the Earth and the Sun during one of its phases, as shown below:

A scientist measures the angle x and the distance y between the Earth and the moon. Using complete sentences, explain how the scientist can use only these two measurements to calculate the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

Answer 2

@10115658

Answer 3

is the earth to sun side adjacent, opposite or the hypotenuse in relation to the angle?

Answer 4

Adjacenet?

Answer 5

correct

Answer 6

what is the side y?

Answer 7

Opposite

Answer 8

thats right

Answer 9

so do we use sin, cos or tan?

Answer 10

Tangent

Answer 11

good job

Answer 12

so how would you find the adjacent side knowing the angle and the opposite side?

Answer 13

I'm not sure :(

Answer 14

ok so our equation looks like this so far

Answer 15

tan(x) = y/adj

Answer 16

how would we get adj by itself?

Answer 17

Multiply?

Answer 18

show me the steps

Answer 19

I'm not really sure how to though

Answer 20

I know I learned this I just can't remember.

Answer 21

ok

Answer 22

This will take 2 steps

Answer 23

first you could multiply both sides by adj

Answer 24

Right.

Answer 25

(tan(x))(adj) = y

Answer 26

what do you think the last step is?

Answer 27

think of the left side as tanx times adj

Answer 28

what is the opposite of multiplication?

Answer 29

Division

Answer 30

correct

Answer 31

what would you divide by to get adj by itself?

Answer 32

tan x?

Answer 33

that's right

Answer 34

so our equation now looks like this

Answer 35

adj = y/tanx

Answer 36

in words that means.
To find the earth to sun side you need to divide the length from the earth to the moon (y) over the value of tan(x).

Answer 37

Does that make sense?

Answer 38

Exactly, yes thank you so much. I have one more question that I need help with. Could you help? :)

Answer 39

sure, open a new question and tag me

Answer 40

okay!