MORE TRIGONOMETRY 4.2.1 – 4.2.

In Chapter 4, two more trigonometric ratios are introduced: sine and cosine. Both of them
are used with acute angles of right triangles, similar to the tangent ratio. Using the
diagram below:

opposite leg adjacent leg

sin(θ ) = cos(θ ) =
hypotenuse hypotenuse
opposite leg hypotenuse θ
From Chapter 3: tan(θ ) =
adjacent leg adjacent
leg

Note: If the other acute angle in the triangle is used, then the
names of the legs switch places. The opposite leg is always
across the triangle from the acute angle being used. opposite leg

See the Math Notes boxes in Lessons 4.2.2 and 4.2.4, and Checkpoint 8 for additional
information.

Example 1

Use the sine ratio to calculate the length of the unknown side in each triangle below.

a. b.

18 16
x
x
42°
78°

opposite leg
The sine of the angle is the ratio hypotenuse
.

For part (a), use the 78º angle as θ. From the 78° angle, determine
which side of the triangle is the opposite leg and which side is the sin(78º ) = 18
x
( opposite
hypotenuse )
hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is always the longest side, and it is 18 sin(78º ) = x
always opposite the right angle. In this case, the hypotenuse is 18.
x ≈ 17.61
From the 78º angle, the side labeled x is the opposite leg. Now
write the equation at shown at right and solve it.

In part (b), from the 42º angle, the opposite leg is x and the sin(42º ) = 16
x
hypotenuse is 16. Write and solve the equation as shown at right.
Note: In most cases, it is most efficient to solve the equation for x, 16 sin(42º ) = x
and then use your calculator to complete the calculations, as shown x ≈ 10.71
in these examples.
54 © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. Core Connections Integrated II
 Chapter 4

Example 2

a. x
b.
x
25°

4
62°

13

Just as before, set up an equation using the cosine ratio,

adjacent leg
. Remember that you can always rotate the page, or
( )
hypotenuse
trace and rotate the triangle, if the figure’s orientation is cos(25º ) = x adjacent
4 hypotenuse
confusing. The key to solving these problems is recognizing
which side is adjacent, which is opposite, and which is the 4 cos(25º ) = x
hypotenuse. For part (a), the angle is 25º, so write and solve the x ≈ 3.63
equation at right.
cos(62º ) = 13
x
In part (b), using the 62º angle, the adjacent leg is 13 and the
hypotenuse is x. This time, the variable is in the denominator. x cos(62º ) = 13
This adds one more step to the solution. x= 13 ≈ 27.69
cos(62º)

Parent Guide with Extra Practice © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. 55
Example 3
In each triangle below, use the inverse trigonometry buttons on your calculator to calculate the
measure of the angle θ to the nearest hundredth of a degree.

a. 13
b. 12
5
θ θ
8

c. 7 d. 42

14
30
θ θ

For each of these problems you must decide whether you will be using
sine, cosine, or tangent to calculate the value of θ. In part (a), 5 is the leg sin(θ ) = 13
5
that is opposite angle θ, and 13 is the hypotenuse. Therefore, we use the
sin(θ ) ≈ 0.385
sine ratio. For the best accuracy, enter the ratio not its decimal
approximation.

To calculate the value of θ, find the button on the calculator that says sin–1. (Note: Calculator
sequences shown are for most graphing calculators. Some calculators use a different order of
keystrokes.) This is the ? button, and when a ratio is entered, this button tells you the
measure of the angle that has that sine ratio. Here we calculate sin −1 13 ( )
5 ≈ 22.62° by entering

y, ˜, 5 ÷ 13, Í. Be sure to use parentheses as shown.

cos(θ ) = 12
8
In part (b), 8 is the adjacent leg for θ and 12 is the hypotenuse. This
combination of sides fits the cosine ratio. Use the @ button to cos(θ ) ≈ 0.667
calculate the measure of θ by entering the following sequence on the
calculator: y, ™, 8 ÷ 12, Í. θ = cos−1 ( 128 )
θ ≈ 48.19°
In part (c), using θ, 7 is the opposite leg and 14 is the tan(θ ) = 14
7 = 0.5

adjacent leg. These two sides fit the tangent ratio. As tan(θ ) = 0.5
before, use the A button on the calculator.
θ = tan −1 (0.5) ≈ 26.57°
In part (d), 42 is the leg opposite angle θ while 30 is the
length of the adjacent leg. Use the tangent ratio to calculate tan(θ ) = 42
30 = 1.4
the value of θ. tan(θ ) = 1.4
θ = tan −1 (1.4) ≈ 54.46º

56 © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. Core Connections Integrated II
 Chapter 4

Example 4

Kennedy is standing on the end of a rope that is 40 feet long and threaded through a pulley. The
rope is holding a large metal ball 18 feet above the floor. Kennedy slowly slides her feet closer
to the pulley to lower the ball. When the ball hits the floor, what angle (θ) does the rope make
with the floor where it is under her foot?

As always, we will start by drawing a picture

of the situation. The first picture shows the
beginning situation, before Kennedy has 40 ft of
rope
started lowering the ball. The second picture metal 18
shows the situation once the ball has reached ball
the floor. We want to determine the angle θ. θ
You should see a right triangle emerging,
made of the rope and the floor. The 40-foot rope makes up two sides of the triangle: 18 feet is
the length of the leg opposite θ, and the rest of the rope, 22 feet of it, is the hypotenuse. With
this information, draw one more picture. This one will show the simple triangle that represents
this situation.

From θ, we have the lengths of the opposite sin(θ ) = 18

22
leg and the hypotenuse. This tells us to use
the sine ratio. The rope makes an angle of
θ = sin −1 ( 1822 ) 18 22

about 55º with the floor. θ ≈ 54.9º

θ

Problems

Use the sin–1, cos–1, or tan–1 button on your calculator to calculate the value of θ to the nearest
hundredth of a degree.
24
1. 2.
19
13
8
θ θ

3. 4. θ
53
23
34
θ
68
2.54
5. 6.
58 θ

2.03
θ
35
Parent Guide with Extra Practice © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. 57
Use trigonometric ratios to solve for the variable in each figure below. Write each answer to the
nearest tenth.

7. 8. 9.
15 8 23
h h
38º 26º 49º
x

10. 11. 12.

y
37 y
15º 55º
41º 38 43
x

13. z
14. z
15. w
15 18
38º 52º 38º
23

16. w 17. 18.

38 91
38º 15º 29º
15 x
x

19. 20. 21.

5 7 12

x u y
9 18
7

22.
78
v
88

58 © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. Core Connections Integrated II
 Chapter 4

Draw a diagram and use trigonometric ratios to solve each of the following problems. Be sure to
round your answers appropriately given the accuracy of the original measurements.

23. Nell’s kite has a 350-foot string. When it is completely out, Ian measures the angle to be
47.5º. How far does Ian need to walk to be directly under the kite?

24. Mayfield High School’s flagpole is 15 feet high. Using a clinometer, Tamara measured an
angle of 11.3º to the top of the pole. Tamara is 62 inches tall. How far from the flagpole is
Tamara standing?

25. Tamara took another sighting of the top of the flagpole from a different position. This time
the angle is 58.4º. If everything else is the same, how far from the flagpole is Tamara
standing?

26. Standing 140 feet from the base of a building, Alejandro uses his clinometer to site the top
of the building. The reading on his clinometer is 42°. If his eyes are 6 feet above the
ground, how tall is the building?

27. An 18-foot ladder rests against a wall. The base of the ladder is 8 feet from the wall. What
angle does the ladder make with the ground?

Parent Guide with Extra Practice © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. 59
Answers

1. sin(θ ) = 13 ,
19
θ ≈ 43.17º 2. tan(θ ) = 24
8 , θ ≈ 71.57º

3. cos(θ ) = 53
68 , θ ≈ 38.79º 4. tan(θ ) = 34
23 , θ ≈ 55.92º

5. sin(θ ) = 35 ,
58
θ ≈ 37.12º 6. tan(θ ) = 2.54
2.03 , θ ≈ 51.37º

7. h = 15 sin(38º) ≈ 9.2 8. h = 8 sin(26º) ≈ 3.5

9. x = 23 cos(49º) ≈ 15.1 10. x = 37 cos(41º) ≈ 27.9

11. y = 38 tan(15º) ≈ 10.2 12. y = 43 tan(55º) ≈ 61.4

13. z= 15 ≈ 24.4 14. z= 18 ≈ 22.8

sin(38º) sin(52º)

15. w= 23 ≈ 29.2 16. w= 15 ≈ 19.0

cos(38º) cos(38º)

17. x= 38 ≈ 141.8 18. x= 91 ≈ 164.2

tan(15º) tan(29º)

19. x = tan–1 ( 57 ) ≈ 35.5º 20. u = tan–1 ( 97 ) ≈ 37.9º

21. y = tan–1 ( 12
18 ) ≈ 33.7º 22. y = tan–1 ( 88 )
78 ≈ 41.6º

23. 24.
350 ft
h
47.5º
11.3º 15 ft
d ft
d 62 in
cos(47.5º) = 350
x
d = 350(cos 47.5º) = 236.456
or about 236 ft 15 feet = 180 inches
180" – 62" = 118" = h
25. , x tan(11.3º) = 118
h
15 ft
x= ≈ 591 inches
58.4º
62 in or about 49 ft 4 in
x
h = 118", tan(58.4º) = 118
x ,
x tan(58.4º) = 118, x = tan(58.4º)
118
x ≈ 73 inches or about 6 ft 1 in

26. h , h ≈ 126 feet

tan(42º) = 140 27. cos(θ ) = 8
18 , θ ≈ 63.6º
then adding on the height to
Alejanadro’s eyes, 126 + 6 ≈ 132 feet

60 © 2006 - 2016 CPM Educational Program. All rights reserved. Core Connections Integrated II