Question

Help, will medal!

Answer 1

You gotta use trignometry here.Are you familiar with the trig ratios or do you want me to do it for ya?

Answer 2

I'm going to need some assistance =)

Answer 3

Okay,how do you think we will do it @AnonymousKiddz?

Answer 4

Help? Lol

Answer 5

Well let's see if you guys end up with the same answer, or figure out something, I just need some help

Answer 6

@bournville you were pretty confident too darling ;)

Answer 7

It is geometry but advanced, I need help though :/

Answer 8

Okay,so we use the Tan ratio here
We know that tan=opposite/adjacent
We will use the tan of 60 degrees here
The opposite side here will be 8 and the adjacent will be x
The value of tan60 degrees is square root of 3
can you do it now?

Answer 9

So square root of 60= 8/x

Answer 10

Well I need @bournville to confirm my answer =)

Answer 11

Okay,so what is your answer?

Answer 12

@bournville is correct, trig must be used to find that length of the triangle.
SOH CAH TOH is what you can use to find the missing length.
Appropriate label your triangle, and you will be able to determine which trigonometric function to use.
NOTE: You are looking for the smallest triangle leg, at least not the hypotenuse. You're answer should technically be smaller than 8, but do not always assume so because most are not drawn to scale unless otherwise noted.

Answer 13

Oh I had a typo. It should be TOA.

Answer 14

Are you sure you should use tan though?

Answer 15

Is it not TAN?

Answer 16

I am sure it will be tan
Do you have h?
No,so you gotta find some relation between opposite and adjacent

Answer 17

But you're finding 'x', not 'h'.

Answer 18

Lets use tan in this example, real quick.

Answer 19

Yeah,so we don't need h

Answer 20

How do ya think we wud do it @Maddy1251 ?

Answer 21

tan(60) x 8 = 13.86.
I really doubt the smaller leg is almost double the second largest leg. This could possibly be h! :)

Answer 22

@zarkam21 it won't be square root of 60.It would be square root of 3

Answer 23

It's been many years since I have done just the simple trig.. I would try probably cos or sin. I mean you could always try the two, and if you are really willing ;
a^2+b^2=c^2 to check

Answer 24

Personally my gut is saying cos.

Answer 25

1.73?

Answer 26

yeah

Answer 27

So the overall answer is ...?

Answer 28

1.73 isn't an answer.

Answer 29

it is the value of root3

Answer 30

Use 1.73 in the equation

Answer 31

yep

Answer 32

I think you should use cos(60) x 8 = 4.
sin(60) x 8 = 6.93
However that isn't an answer choice when using sin..
you be the judge. I wouldn't use tan.

Answer 33

Equation is ?

Answer 34

https://www.mathsisfun.com/sine-cosine-tangent.html
This may help. I gotta go. :)

Answer 35

Idk man, I just came here for help and now I'm even more confused

Answer 36

@jhonyy9 please see if this correct

Answer 37

there's more than one way in which to skin a cat, and more than one way in which to solve this problem. Use of trig is the key. You know all three angles in the given triangle: 30, 60 and 90 degrees, so it's a right triangle.

Which trig function (or functions) would best suit for finding the length of side x, and why?

Answer 38

@mathmale will definitely help.

Answer 39

@zarkam21 Could you please type out the definitions of the sine, cosine and tangent functions?

Example: cos theta = (adjacent side) / (hypotenuse)

Answer 40

Well I know the 8 will be helpful

Answer 41

Yes hold on, I will type them up

Answer 42

1.73=8/x
This is your equation

Answer 43

That side length 8 is essential to solving this problem.

Please give zarkam21 time to respond.

Answer 44

I am sorry @mathmale

Answer 45

Sin= Opposite/Hypotenuse
Cos= Adjacent/Hypotenuse
Tan= Opposite/Adjacent

Answer 46

Great. Next, decide which angle you'd like to work with (your choice here doesn't matter).

Answer 47

Let's try sin =)

Answer 48

No, please decide whether you're going to include the 30 degrees angle in your calculations or the 60 degree angle. Which?

Answer 49

Oh okay, 30

Answer 50

fine, good. Now, focusing on that 30 degree angle, is 8 the "adjacent side" or the "opposite side"?

Answer 51

Adjacent Side

Answer 52

Here, "adjacent" means "next to." Yes, you're right.

And what is the name of the side whose length you want to find (x)?

Answer 53

It's called the " side."

Answer 54

...with reference to the 30 degree angle.

Answer 55

Missing?

Answer 56

It's missing, yes. It's represented by "x," yes. This side is part of the triangle. It's not the hypotenuse, not the adjacent side. So, it must be the " " side.

Answer 57

Umm idk angle,leg

Answer 58

opposite side. x is opposite the angle 30 degrees, correct?

Answer 59

Yes yes that is correct

Answer 60

So, which of the trig functions you've identified includes the opp side, the adj. side and the 30 deg. angle?

Answer 61

Tan?

Answer 62

Yes. write out tan 30 = opp / adj, and then write it again with the correct numerical value of the adj. side.

tan 30 deg = ( ) / ( )

Answer 63

Tan= x/30

Answer 64

I mean x/8

Answer 65

but you haven't written in the value of the adjacent side (which you correctly identified earlier). Also, 30 is the angle, and so that 30 must go with the tangent function:

tan 30 deg = ( ) / ( )

Try again.

Answer 66

Mathmale ?

Answer 67

tan 30 deg = (opp side) / ( 8 ) since the adj side is 8

Answer 68

Isn't the opposite x and adjacent 8

Answer 69

reprsent "opp side" by x. Yes, to answer your question, yes.

Answer 70

Mathmale ?

Answer 71

Therefore,

\[\tan 30 =\frac{ ? }{ 8 }\]

Answer 72

so x/8

Answer 73

Can u help me mathmale when u done

Answer 74

Yes, tan 30 deg = x/8

Answer 75

How would you solve that for x? You'll need to find the value of tan 30 deg.

Answer 76

Wouldn't you do the opposite and multiply

Answer 77

Certainly you could mult. both sides of the eq'n by 8 to eliminate the fraction.

That would give you 8 tan 30 = x.
But you'll still have to find the tangent of 30 deg.

tan 30 = 1/sqrt(3). Can you verify that this is correct?

Answer 78

Therefore, \[x=8(\frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} })=?\]

Answer 79

Strictly speaking, you need not find tan 30 as a decimal fraction unless told to do so.

Think of "tan 30 = 1 / sqrt(3)" and leave the right side as is.

Answer 80

@zarkam21 : Need closure to this post. Where are you? Any questions?

Answer 81

I am here

Answer 82

I put this in my calculator and got 0.072

Answer 83

0.072 for what?
I was suggesting that you leave your answer in the form x=8(1/sqrt(3), or x=8/sqrt(3).

Answer 84

OKay but is that one of the choices?

Answer 85

I don't have the answer choices here. So you tell me.

x could be written in several forms, including \[8/\sqrt{3}\]