SOLUTION: Hi, I am trying to help my daughter with her math homework and we are both feeling overwhelmed. There are some concepts that her teacher hasn't covered yet in class...I am trying

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Question 61002: Hi,
I am trying to help my daughter with her math homework and we are both feeling overwhelmed. There are some concepts that her teacher hasn't covered yet in class...I am trying to help her without her textbook being at home.
My question is:
Find the numerical value of the expression sin 30degrees + cos 60degrees.
The answer choices are:
1. 1
2. 1/4
3. square root of 3
4. square root of 3 + 1/2
I am not trying to cheat, but just am trying to help her get the answer and learn how to do this...
Thanks! The answers that we were coming up with were .5 or 180! so not sure what to do!
Answer by funmath(2933) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Find the numerical value of the expression sin 30degrees + cos 60degrees.
The answer choices are:
1.
2. 1/4
3. square root of 3
4. square root of 3 + 1/2
There are two special right triangles that you have to memorize the values of. One is the 30, 60, 90 degree triangle. Draw the triangle, label the side opposite the 30 degree angle 1, the side opposite the 60 degree angle is , and the side opposite the 90 degree angle (the hypotenuse) is 2.
sin(30)=opposite/hypotenuse=1/2
cos(60)=adjacent/hypotenuse=1/2
sin(30)+cos(60)=1/2+1/2=2/2=1
The other special right triangle you have to memroize is the 45,45,90 triangle. On that one the hypotenuse is , and the other two sides are 1.
Happy Calculating!!!