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  • Perplex
    IB Math AIHL
    /
    2D & 3D Geometry
    /

    Right angled triangles

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    Exercises

    Key Skills

    Right angled triangles

    Right angled triangles

    Pythagoras's theorem, SOHCAHTOA, finding side length from angles

    Want a deeper conceptual understanding? Try our interactive lesson!

    Exercises

    No exercises available for this concept.

    Practice exam-style right angled triangles problems

    Key Skills

    Area of triangle equals ½bh
    SL 1.prior

    The area of a triangle is given by

    ​
    A=21​(bh)📖
    ​

    where ​b​ is the base and ​h​ is the height.


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    Pythagoras' Theorem
    SL 3.prior

    In a right angled triangle with sides ​a, ​b​ and hypotenuse (longest side) ​c, Pythagoras' Theorem states

    ​
    a2+b2=c2🚫
    ​

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    Trigonometric Ratios
    SL Core 3.2

    In a right angled triangle with an angle ​θ<90°, the trigonometric ratios ​sin, ​cos​ and ​tan​ are defined by

    ​
    sinθ cosθ tanθ​=hypotenuseopposite​ =hypotenuseadjacent​ =adjacentopposite​​
    ​


    where opposite and adjacent refer to the side lengths of the sides opposite and adjacent to ​θ, while hypotenuse is the length of the longest side.

    Finding angles in right angled triangles
    SL Core 3.2

    If we know the value of ​sinθ, ​cosθ​ or ​tanθ​ in a right angled triangle, we can find ​θ​ using an inverse trigonometric function on a calculator. These functions are ​sin−1, ​cos−1​ and ​tan−1​ and satisfy

    ​
    sin−1(sinθ)=θ\\cos−1(cosθ)=θ\\tan−1(tanθ)=θ
    ​

    whenever ​θ<90°, which is always true in a right angled triangle.

    Finding side lengths from an angle
    SL Core 3.2

    The trigonometric ratios ​sin, ​cos​ and ​tan​ are actually functions that relate an angle ​θ​ to a ratio of sides. The values of ​sin, ​cos​ and ​tan​ for specific angles can be found on the calculator. For example

    ​
    sin(40°)≈0.643
    ​