Question 11·Medium·Right Triangles and Trigonometry
In right triangle , angle is a right angle. The length of leg is 6 centimeters and the length of hypotenuse is 10 centimeters.
What is the value of ?
For right-triangle trig questions, first mark the right angle and label the hypotenuse (opposite the right angle). Then, relative to the angle in question, label the opposite and adjacent legs. Use SOH-CAH-TOA: for sine, use opposite over hypotenuse, plug in the given side lengths, and simplify the fraction carefully. Avoid mixing up sine and cosine (opposite vs. adjacent) and double-check any fraction simplification to prevent small arithmetic mistakes.
Hints
Find the hypotenuse
The hypotenuse is always the side opposite the right angle. Which side is opposite angle ?
Decide which side is opposite angle B
Angle is at vertex . The side opposite an angle is the side that does not touch that angle. Is that or ?
Use the sine ratio
For a right triangle, is the ratio of the side opposite the angle to the hypotenuse. Write as a fraction using the side lengths you know, then simplify the fraction.
Desmos Guide
Compute the sine ratio numerically
In the Desmos expression line, type 6/10 to represent for angle . Note the decimal value Desmos gives.
Compare with the answer choices
In separate lines, type each fraction from the answer choices (for example, one line with 2/5, another with 3/5, and so on) and check their decimal values. The correct choice is the one whose decimal value matches the decimal from 6/10.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the hypotenuse and the side opposite angle B
In a right triangle, the hypotenuse is the side opposite the right angle. Since angle is , side is the hypotenuse. For angle , the side directly across from it (not touching ) is , so is the side opposite angle .
Recall the definition of sine
In a right triangle, . For angle in triangle , this means
Substitute the side lengths and simplify
We are given and , so
Simplify by dividing the numerator and denominator by :
So , which corresponds to choice B.