Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
MAT 092
Lecture Notes
Preface and Acknowledgements
Written by:
Reference Books:
• Precalculus - The Art of Problem Solving by Richard Rusczyk
Chapter 4
Applications to Geometry
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Example 4.1.1.
Solution:
(a) We have
BC AB
sin ∠BAC = AC , cos ∠BAC = AC
(b) We have,
QR 24
tan ∠QP R = PQ = 7
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Example 4.1.2.
(a) A surveyor measures the angle of elevation from her feet to the top
of a building as 5◦ . The surveyor knows that the building is 500 feet
tall. Assuming the ground is flat and level between the surveyor and
the building, how far away is the surveyor from the building?
(b) A bee is on a hill looking at a building. The building is 400 feet
tall. The angle of elevation from the bee to the top of the building
is 4◦ and the angle of depression from the bee to the bottom of the
building is 2◦ . What is the shortest distance the bee will have to fly
to reach the building? (Answer to the nearest hundred feet.)
Solution:
(a) The diagram at the bottom depicts the building, with the surveyor
at point Z.
We seek ZX, which is one leg of 4XY Z, and we know the other leg
of 4XY Z. When we apply trigonometric relationships to 4XY Z,
we focus the side we know, the side we want, and the acute angle we
know,
YX
tan Y ZX = ZX
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We have two right triangles, and we know the measures of the acute
angles in those triangles, but we don’t know any of the side lengths
of those triangles. We let BT = x, and try to find other lengths in
the diagram in terms of x. We assign a variable to BT both because
BT is a side of both right triangles, and because BT is the length
we seek in the problem.
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Solution:
We’ll first address a line with positive slope. In the diagram at the
bottom, the line makes an acute angle of θ with the x-axis as shown.
(We don’t need the y-axis for this problem, so we haven’t included it.)
Point Y is on the line above the x-axis, and point Z is the foot of the
altitude from Y to the x-axis. The slope of this line is positive, so we
YZ
have m = XZ From right triangle YXZ, we have
YZ
tan θ = XZ =m
Turning to a line with negative slope, we start with the diagram at the
bottom.
Point P is on the line above the x-axis, and Q is the foot of the altitude
from P to the x-axis. As we move upward along the line, we go to the
left, not the right, so we have m = − PQR
Q
. However, in 4P QR, we have
PQ
tan α = QR = −m
The problem says that the tangent of one of the angles the line makes
with the x-axis should be equal to the slope, not the negative of the
slope. Let’s take a look at the obtuse angle the line makes with the
x-axis. Since this angle together with α makes a straight angle, we have
α + θ = 180◦ , so
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sin(180−α)
tan θ = tan(180◦ − α) = cos(180◦ −α) = sin α
− cos α = − tan α
Solution: 2
All those right angles suggest that we might be able to use area to solve
this problem. Since BP is an altitude of 4ABC to side AC, we have
(BP )(AC)
[ABC] = 2 =2
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where [ABC] denotes the area of 4ABC. We can also express the area of
4ABC as half the product of its legs. Using trigonometric relationships
in 4ABC, we can express both legs in terms of θ. As explained above,
we have BC = 4 cos θ. We also have sin θ = AB AB
AC = 4 so AB = 4 sin θ.
Therefore,
(AB)(BC)
[ABC] = 2 = 8 sin θ cos θ
We now have two expressions for [ABC]. Setting these equal gives 8 sin θ cos θ =
2, and the rest of the solution proceeds as before.
Example 4.1.5.
What is the largest possible area of a triangle that has two consecutive
sides of length 10? Prove that no larger area is possible.
Solution:
Let the triangle be 4XY Z with XY=YZ=10.
[XY Z] = 21 (XY )(Y Z) sin XY Z = 50 sin ∠XY Z.
The maximum possible value of sin ∠XY Z is 1, which occurs when
∠XY Z = 90◦ . Therefore, the maximum possible area of 4XY Z is 50,
which occurs when ∠XY Z is a right angle.
Example 4.1.6.
In 4ABC, let a = BC, b = AC, and c = AB, and let [ABC] be the
area of 4ABC. Show that [ABC] = 12 ab sin C.
Solution:
Our usual formula for triangle area is "one-half base times height." We
seek a way to express a height of the triangle in terms of ∠C, hoping to
convert the "one-half base times height" formula to the desired formula.
So, we draw altitude BP , and we have
(BP )(AC) (BP )(b)
[ABC] = 2 = 2
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The altitude introduces a right triangle with acute angle ∠C. We have
BP
sin C = BC = BPa ,so BP = a sin C, and
(BP )(b)
[ABC] = 2 = 12 ab sin C
So, for any 4ABC with a = BC and b = AC, we have [ABC] =
1
2 ab sin C
The problem here is that our proof does not adequately cover every
possible triangle ABC. The solution only covers the the case in which
∠C is acute. What happens if we have ∠C = 90◦ ? Then P is at C,
which presents some problems. Worse yet, what if ∠C > 90◦ ? We still
have to address these two cases.
Fortunately, taking care of the other cases is pretty easy. If ∠C = 90◦ ,
then we have [ABC] = (AB)(BC)
2 = 21 ab. Since sin 90◦ = 1, the proposed
formula also gives [ABC] = 12 ab sin 90◦ = 21 ab, so the proposed formula
gives the correct area when ∠C = 90◦ .
If ∠C > 90◦ , we have the diagram at the bottom, where again
our first step is drawing the altitude from B. From 4BCP , we have
BP
sin ∠BCP = BC , so BP = BC sin ∠BCP = a sin ∠BCP .
Therefore, we have
(AC)(BP ) (b)(a sin ∠BCP )
[ABC] = 2 = 2 = 12 ab sin ∠BCP
◦
We know ∠BCP = 180 − ∠ACB, so
[ABC] = 12 ab sin ∠BCP = 21 ab sin (180◦ − ∠ACB)
Applying the identity sin θ = sin (180◦ − θ) gives [ABC] = 12 ab sin (180◦ − ∠ACB) =
1
2 ab sin ∠ACB, so the desired formula works when ∠C is obtuse as well.
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This creates right triangle 4BCX with the 34◦ angle as one of its acute
angles. From right triangle 4CBX, we have
BX
BC = sin C ≈ 0.559
So BX ≈ 0.559(BC) ≈ 6.71. Similarly, we have CX
BC = cos C ≈ 0.829,
so CX ≈ 9.95. XA = AC − CX ≈ 4.05. Now, we can use the
Pythagorean Theorem to find
√
AB = BX 2 + XA2 ≈ 7.84
Example 4.2.2.
Let a = BC, b = AC, and c = AB in 4ABC. Find a formula for c
in terms of a, b and ∠C
Solution:
This problem is essentially the same as the previous one, but with vari-
ables a, b, and ∠C in place of the numbers that were given in the earlier
problem. We can use the same steps. We draw altitude BX from B to
AC. Then, we have sin C = BX BC , so BX = BC sin C = a sin C. We
CX
also have cos C = BC , so CX = BC cos C = a cos C. Therefore, we
have AX = AC − CX = b − a cos C.
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turning, and then flies to S, where it lands on the ship. Because the
plane flies south and the ship goes 60◦ east of north, we have ∠T LS =
180◦ − 60◦ = 120◦ . If the plane flies for 5 hours, then the ship moves
32 × 5 = 160km and the plane flies 400 × 5 = 2000km. Therefore,
LS = 160 and LT + T S = 2000. We let the desired distance, LT, be x,
so T S = 2000 − x, as shown.
We have expressions for all three sides of 4LST , and we know one
angle, so we apply the Law of Cosines:
T S 2 = LT 2 + LS 2 − 2(LT )(LS) cos ∠T LS
(2000 − x)2 = x2 + 1602 − 2(x)(160) cos 120◦ .
We have cos120◦ = − 12 and expanding the left side of the equation gives
20002 − 4000x + x2 = x2 + 1602 + 160x
Solving this equation gives x ≈ 955, so the plane can fly approximately
955 km south.
Example 4.2.4.
In 4ABC, we have AB = 5, BC = 7, and AC = 8. Find 4BAC
Solution:
We are given all three side lengths of the triangle, so we have all the
information in the Law of Cosines except the angle measure. Therefore,
we can solve for cos ∠BAC with the Law of Cosines. We have
BC 2 = AB 2 + AC 2 − 2(AB)(AC) cos ∠BAC
2
+AC 2 −BC 2
cos ∠BAC = AB2(AB)(AC) = 25+64−49 1
2(5)(8) = 2
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Example 4.3.1.
Suppose P R = 12, ∠QP R = 66◦ , and ∠P RQ = 63◦ in 4P QR. Find
PQ and RQ to the nearest hundredth.
Solution:
We start by building a right triangle. We draw altitude P T to side QR.
From right triangle 4P T R, we have PP RT
= sin R, so P T = P R sin R ≈
TR
10.69. We also have P R = cos R, so T R = P R cos R ≈ 5.45.
Now, we can use right triangle 4P QT to find lengths QT and PQ. First,
we find that ∠Q = 180◦ − 66◦ − 63◦ = 51◦ . We have PP Q
T
= sin Q, so we
PT PT PT
have P Q = sin Q ≈ 13.76. We also have QT = tan Q, so QT = tan Q ≈
8.66. Finally, we have QR = QT + T R ≈ 14.11
Example 4.3.2.
Suppose that 4ABC is an acute triangle with a = BC, b = AC,
and c = AB. Proof that:
a b c
sin A = sin B = sin C
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Solution:
Proof: We draw altitude AT to BC. From right triangle 4AT C, we
AT
have sin C = AC , so AT = AC sin C = b sin C. From right triangle
AT
4ABT , we have sin B = AB , so AT = AB sin B = c sin B.
We can follow essentially the same steps starting with the altitude from
C to AB to show that sinb B = sina A . So, we have,
a b c
sin A = sin B = sin C
Example 4.3.3.
Let points P and Q be points on a shoreline that are 1.5 miles apart.
Let B be the base of a radio tower on a distant island, and T be the top
of the tower. A surveyor uses an angle measurement tool to determine
that ∠P QB = 58◦ and ∠QP B = 72◦ . She also measures that the angle
of elevation from P to the top of the tower is 1◦ . How tall is the tower
in feet? (There are 5280 feet in a mile.)
Solution:
We first consider 4BP T at the bottom. We want BT, the height of the
lighthouse, and the surveyor found that ∠BP T = 1◦ . If we could find
any of the lengths of the sides of 4BP T , we could use trigonometry to
find the remaining sides. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know any of the
sides of this triangle, so we turn to what we know about point Q.
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Now we can find the height of the tower. In right triangle BPT, we have
tan ∠BP T = PBTB . Since P B ≈ 1.66 miles and ∠BP T = 1◦ , we have
BT = P B tan ∠BP T ≈ 0.0290 miles. There are 5280 feet in one mile,
so the height of the tower is 0.0290 × 5280 ≈ 153 feet.
Example 4.3.4.
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Therefore, we have
AB 7
sin ∠ACB = 10 = 10
so,
DE 7
sin ∠DF E = 10 = 10
All we can say is that if the triangles are not congruent, then ∠ACB+
∠DF E = 180◦ , since the sines of these two angles are equal but the
angles are not equal.
4.3.1 Additional
Example 4.3.5.
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Solution:2
We already have a formula that relates the cosine of an angle of a triangle
to the side lengths of the triangle: the Law of Cosines. Solving for the
cosine in the Law of Cosines gives:
b2 +c2 −a2
cos A = 2bc
Doing the same for cos C and substituting into c cos A + a cos C gives:
b2 +c2 −a2 a2 +b2 −c2 b2 +c2 −a2 +a2 +b2 −c2
c cos A + a cos C = c · 2bc +a· 2ab = 2b =b
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