SOLUTION: If a right triangle has a hypotenuse with length 15cm. If one of the acute angles of the triangle is 25degrees, find the length of the two shorter sides of the triangle correct to

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Question 334167: If a right triangle has a hypotenuse with length 15cm. If one of the acute angles of the triangle is 25degrees, find the length of the two shorter sides of the triangle correct to the nearest tenth of a centimeter.
Found 2 solutions by jrfrunner, solver91311:
Answer by jrfrunner(365) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
if you have a right triangle and one of the acute angles is 25 degrees
then use trig functions to find the other legs.
--
Sin(25) = Opposite leg/hypotenuse, and cos(25)=adjacent leg/hypotenuse
--
So......
Opposite leg = hypotenuse*Sin(25) and adjacent leg = hypotenuse*cos(25)
--
opposite leg = 15*sin(25) = 15*(0.4226)=6.3;
adjacent leg = 15*cos(25) =15*(0.906)=13.6
===
check
in a right triangle, leg1^2+leg2^2=hypotenuse^2
6.3^2+13.6^2 = 39.7+185.0=224.7; 15^2=225 so it checks out

Answer by solver91311(24713) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


Let represent one leg of the triangle. Let represent the other leg. Then:





I'll leave you alone to spend some quality time with your calculator.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it