Core: Geometry and

5 trigonometry
ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDINGS
n Geometry and trigonometry allow us to quantify the physical world, enhancing our spatial
awareness in two and three dimensions. This topic provides us with the tools for analysis,
measurement and transformation of quantities, movements and relationships.

In this chapter you will learn…

n how to find the volume and surface area of three-dimensional solids
n how to work with trigonometric ratios and inverse trigonometric ratios
n how to find the angle between two intersecting lines in two dimensions
n how to use the sine rule to find sides and angles in non-right-angled triangles
n how to use the cosine rule to find sides and angles in non-right-angled triangles
n how to find the area of a triangle when you do not know the perpendicular height
n how to find the angle between two intersecting lines in three-dimensional shapes
n how to find the angle between a line and a plane in three-dimensional shapes
n how to construct diagrams from given information
n how to use trigonometry in questions involving bearings
n how to use trigonometry in questions involving angles of elevation and depression.

CONCEPTS
The following key concepts will be addressed in this chapter:
n Volume and surface area of shapes are determined by formulae, or general
mathematical relationships or rules expressed using symbols or variables.
n The relationships between the length of the sides and the size of the angles in a
triangle can be used to solve many problems involving position, distance, angles
and area.

n Figure 5.1 How else are triangles used in the real world?

Satellite

Satellite

Location

Satellite
Core: Geometry and trigonometry 93

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Before starting this chapter, you should already be able to complete the following:
1 Find the angle θ : 4 Find the angles α and β:
β
θ 40◦

33° 52° α
2 Find the length AC : 55◦
C
5 Point A is on a bearing of 230° from
40° point B. Find the bearing of B from A.
6 Find the volume and surface area of the
solid cylinder shown:
A 8 cm B 5 cm
3 Find the area of the following triangle:

8 20 cm

15

Geometry was initially all about measuring the real world, with applications from
architecture to astronomy. But now mathematicians consider geometry to be the study
of what stays the same when other things change. There are many different branches of
geometry that seemingly have little to do with the real world that classical geometry models.

Starter Activity
Look at Figure 5.1. In small groups, discuss why triangles are of such fundamental importance in the real world.
Now look at this problem:
Draw any right-angled triangle containing an angle of 50°.
Label a as the shortest side of your triangle and b as the longest (the hypotenuse).
With a ruler, measure the lengths of the sides a and b and then work out:
aa+b ba-b c ab da
b
Compare your answers with other people’s answers. What do you notice?
94 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

5A Volumes and surface areas

of three-dimensional solids
In addition to the volume and surface area of cuboids, cylinders and prisms that you
already know, you also need the formulae for the volume and surface area of other
common three-dimensional shapes such as spheres, cones and pyramids.

KEY POINT 5.1

Shape Volume Surface area

Sphere of radius r 4 πr3 4π r2
3

Cone of base radius r, height h and slope 1 πr2h

π rl + π r2
length l 3
Tip
The surface area of a
cone is in two parts.
The curved surface
area is πrl and the
base area is πr2 . l
h

Pyramid of base area B and height h 1 Bh Area of triangular sides + B

3

B
5A Volumes and surface areas of three-dimensional solids 95

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.1

Find the surface area of the hemisphere shown.

10 cm

The surface area is made up 4π r 2

Surface area = + πr 2
of half a sphere and a circle 2

4 π(5) 2
The diameter is 10 cm = + π(5)2
2
so the radius is 5 cm
= 75
π
≈ 236cm 2

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.2

The following shape models an ice cream as a hemisphere 2 cm

attached to a cone.
Find the volume of this shape.

10 cm

Add together the volume

of the cone and the volume Volume = 1π +r 2hπ r 2 3
3 3
of the hemisphere

1
= π (2) 2(10) 2+ π (2) 3
3 3
The radius of the cone and 40 16
the hemisphere are both 2 = π+ π
3 3
56
=π
3
≈ 58.6cm 3
96 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

You might have to first use your knowledge of Pythagoras’ theorem to find unknown
lengths.

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.3

Find the surface area and volume of this

solid pyramid.

6 cm

4 cm

4 cm

6 l 6

2 2
To find the area of each triangular
side, we need their perpendicular l 2 2=2 6− 2
height. For this, use Pythagoras
l = 32 4 2
So, =

1 442
Use Area 1= bh to find the Area of triangular side = × ×
2 2
area of each triangle
=82
There are four triangular
sides and a square base 4 8 2 42
So area of pyramid = × +
= 3+2 2 16
≈ 61.3cm2

6
h
6

d 4

For the volume, we need the 4

perpendicular height of the pyramid.
First find the length of the d 2 2=2 4+ 4
diagonal of the base So, =d = 32 4 2
5A Volumes and surface areas of three-dimensional solids 97

The right-angled triangle

Tip including the perpendicular
height will have a base that is half
A ‘right pyramid’
of the diagonal, that is, 2 2
is a special type of
pyramid where the
apex of the pyramid
is directly above the 6 h
centre of the base.

√
2 2
Therefore,
2
h 2 2= 6− 2 2( )
So, h = = 28 2 7

1
Volume = Ah
3
1
= (4) 22(7)
3
32 7
=
3
≈ 28.2cm 3

Exercise 5A
For questions 1 to 4, use Key Point 5.1 and the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.1 to find the curved surface
area and volume of the following solids.
1 a A sphere with radius 1.8 cm 2 a A sphere with diameter 1.6 m
b A sphere with radius 11.2 m b A sphere with diameter 0.2 m
3 a A hemisphere with radius 5.2 m 4 a A cone with base radius 3 cm and height 4.1 cm
b A hemisphere with radius 4 km b A cone with base radius 0.2 mm and height 7 mm
For questions 5 to 8, use Key Point 5.1 and the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.1 to find the exact total
surface area and volume of the following solids.
5 a A sphere with radius 2 cm 6 a A sphere with diameter 8 m
b A sphere with radius 3 m b A sphere with diameter 12 m
1
7 a A hemisphere with radius m 8 a A cone with base radius 5 cm and height 12 cm
2
b A cone with base radius 4 cm, height 3 cm
b A hemisphere with radius 2 mm
3
For questions 9 to 11, use Key Point 5.1 to calculate the volume of the following shapes.
9 a A triangular-based pyramid with base area 6 cm2 and height 3 cm
b A triangular-based pyramid with base area 8 cm2 and height 6 cm
10 a A square-based pyramid with base area 5 cm2 and height 12 cm
b A square-based pyramid with base area 9 cm2 and height 6 cm
11 a A cone with base area 8 cm2 and height 10 cm
b A cone with base area 2 cm2 and height 4 cm
98 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

For questions 12 to 15, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.3 to calculate the volume and total surface
area of the following right pyramids and cones.
12 a b

mm
cm
3
7

8 mm
12 cm
8 mm
12 cm
13 a b
mm
cm
1

2 mm
10

3 mm 8 cm

12 cm

14 a b
3 cm

19 cm

4 cm

4 cm

12 cm
12 cm

15 a b

cm cm

8 5

6 cm 4 cm
5A Volumes and surface areas of three-dimensional solids 99

16 Find the surface area of a sphere with diameter 15 cm.

17 A solid hemisphere has radius 3.2 cm. Find its total surface area.
18 The base of a conical sculpture is a circle of diameter 3.2 m. The height of the sculpture is 3.1 m. Find the volume
of the sculpture.
19 Find the volume of a solid hemisphere of radius 4 cm.
20 Find the volume of a sphere with diameter 18.3 cm.
21 A cylinder with length 1 m and radius 5 cm has a cone of the same radius and length 10 cm attached to one end.
Find the surface area and volume of this compound shape.
22 A fence post can be modelled as a cylinder with a hemisphere on top. The cylinder and the hemisphere have the
same diameter of 28 cm. The total height of the post is 73 cm. Find the volume of the whole post, giving your
answer in standard form.
23 A cone has vertical height of 12 cm and slant height of 17 cm.
a Find the radius of the base of the cone.
b Find the total surface area of the cone.
24 A cylinder has height 12.3 cm and volume 503.7 cm3 .
a Find the radius of the base of the cylinder.
b Find the height of a cone which has the same radius and same volume as the cylinder.
25 A metal ornament is made in the shape of a cone with radius 4.7 cm and height 8.3 cm.
a Find the volume of the ornament.
The ornament is melted down and made into a ball.
b Find the radius of the ball.
26 A toy rocket can be modelled as a cone on top of a cylinder. The cone and the cylinder both have the diameter of 18 cm.
The height of the cylinder is 23 cm and the height of the whole toy is 35 cm.
a Find the slant height of the cone.
b Find the total surface area of the toy rocket.
27 The base of a pyramid is a square of side 12 cm. Each side face is an isosceles triangle with sides 12 cm, 15 cm and
15 cm.
a Find the area of each side face.
b Hence find the total surface area of the pyramid.
c Find the volume of the pyramid.
28 A cone with height 6 cm and radius 2 cm has a hemispherical hole with radius 1 cm
bored into the centre of its base. Find the surface area and volume of this compound
shape.
100 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

29 Two hemispheres, with A the centre of each, are joined at their

flat surfaces. One has radius 8 mm and the other radius 10 mm.
Find the total surface area and volume of this compound shape.

8 mm
A 10 mm

30 A conic frustum is formed by slicing the cone tip from a

larger cone, with the slice parallel to the cone base. Find the
volume and total surface area of a frustum formed by taking a
right cone with radius 8 mm and length 30 mm and removing
the cone tip with length 12 mm.

8 mm

31 A square-based pyramid has height 24 cm and volume 1352 m3

a Find the length of one side of the base.
b Find the total surface area of the pyramid.
32 Find the surface area of the sphere whose volume is 354 m3 .
33 A pharmaceutical company intends to make a new tablet,
where each tablet takes the form of a cylinder capped at each
end with a hemisphere. The initial tablet design has radius
2 mm and cylinder length 8 mm.
a Find the surface area and volume of this shape. 2 mm
b After trialing the tablet, it is found that the radius of the
tablet must be decreased by 10% for ease of swallowing, 8 mm
and a safer dose occurs when the volume is decreased
by 10%. If it takes the same general shape as before, find the total length of the new tablet.
34 A solid metal fencepost has the shape shown below, consisting of a cylinder with radius 4 cm and length 1.8 m,
with a conical spike at one end (length 0.1 m) and a hemisphere at the other. Both have the same radius as the
main post.

a Find the volume of metal needed to manufacture a batch of 1000 such posts.
b Find the approximate volume of paint needed for the batch, allowing that the paint is applied to produce a
0.4 mm thick coating. Justify any assumptions you make.
5B Rules of trigonometry 101

5B Rules of trigonometry
n Revision of right-angled trigonometry
You are already familiar with using sine, cosine and tangent in right-angled triangles to
find lengths and angles.

KEY POINT 5.2

l sin θ = o
h
l cos θ = a
h
tan θ= o
l
a h o

θ
a

CONCEPTS – RELATIONSHIPS
One of the key ideas of geometry is that it is the study of what stays the same when
things change. The relationships here reflect the fact that, for similar shapes, ratios of
side lengths remain constant.

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.4

Tip
For the following triangle, find the size of A
Remember that you
angle A.
need to use sin-1 ,
cos-1 , tan-1 when
finding angles.
6 10

B C
You are given the adjacent and
hypotenuse so use cosθ = a cos A = 6
h 10

Use cos-1 to find θ A =cos 6 −1 ⎛ ⎞

⎝10⎠
=° 53.1

n The size of an angle between intersecting lines

Given a straight line, you can always draw a right-angled triangle by taking a vertical
from the line to the x-axis, and then use trigonometry to find the angle the line makes
with the x-axis.
102 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.5

Find the angle between the line = y x 2 and the positive x-axis.

2
Sketch the line and form a right-
angled triangle with horizontal θ
distance 1 and vertical height 2 x
(since the gradient of the line is 2) 1

y = 2x
You know the opposite and adjacent
tan θ = 2
sides to the angle A, so use tan θ = o 1
a
θ = tan −21 63.4
=°

Once you know how to find the angle between a line and the x-axis, you can use it to
find the angle between two intersecting lines.

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.6

Find the acute angle between = y+x 3 1 and y = 2− . x

y = 3x + 1

y=2−x
3
Start by sketching the two lines so θ
you can see which angle you need 1 β α
1 1

Find the angle each line makes with

the horizontal. For =y +x 3 1, the tan α = 3
1
gradient is 3, so a right-angled triangle α
with base 1 will have height 3 = tan−31 71.6
=°

For =y − 2 x, although the gradient is

negative (-1), you are only interested
in the lengths of the sides of the right- tan β = 1
angled triangle, which must be positive. 1
So for a base of 1, the height will be 1 α = tan −1
1 45
=°
Use the fact that the angles on a line So, θ = −180+ (71.6 45)
sum to 180°
= 6° 3.4
5B Rules of trigonometry 103

n The sine rule

If a triangle does not contain a right angle you cannot directly use your previous
Tip knowledge of trigonometry to find lengths or angles. However, there are some new rules
which can be applied. The first of these is called the sine rule. The sine rule is useful
The first version of the
if you know the length of a side and the size of the angle opposite that side (as well as
sine rule is easier to
either one other side or angle).
work with when you
want to find a missing
side; the second KEY POINT 5.3
version (which is just
a rearrangement of the
The sine rule: C
first) is easier to work a b c
l = =
with when you want to sin A sin B sin C
find a missing angle. or, equivalently,
sin A sin B sin C b a
l = =
a b c
Tip
Although the sine
rule is quoted for all
three sides and their A c B
corresponding angles,
you will only ever
The diagram in Key Point 5.3 shows the convention that angles are labelled using
need to use two of
capital letters and the opposite side is labelled using the equivalent lowercase letter.
these at any one time.

Proof 5.1
b
Prove that in any triangle a = .
sin A sin B

Creating right-angled
Divide the triangle ABC into two right-angled triangles:
triangles allows you to use
right-angled trigonometry C

b h a

A D B
In triangle ACD,
sin A =h
b
h b= Asin
In triangle BCD,
sin B h=
a
h a= B sin
104 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

But h is common to both

triangles so the two So, a sin
B bsin
A=
expressions can be equated a b
=
sin sin
A B

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.7

Find length b in the following triangle. C

b 10 cm
45° 20°
A B

a b
Use =
sin A sin B
By the sine rule,
10
=b
sin 45 sin 20

b = 10 sin 20 =4.84 cm
sin 45

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.8

In triangle ABC, angle B 70
= °, = c 2.6 and = b 3.2. Find angle A.

The first thing to do is to

draw a diagram. It does not
have to be perfectly to scale,
but it is often a good idea to 3.2
make it look roughly correct.
In this example the lengths
were not given units, so they
can be labelled without units

70°
A 2.6 B
You cannot find A directly By the sine rule,
as you do not know the
sin70 sin C
length a, so start by using =
3.2 2.6
sin B sin Cto find C
=
b c
sin C = sin70 2.6
3.2

C sin
= sin70
−1
( 3.2 )
× =2.6
° 49.8

The angles in a triangle

So,
sum to 180°
A =180
− −70 49.8
= 6° 0.2
5B Rules of trigonometry 105

When you n The cosine rule

learn more
about The cosine rule is needed if you are given two sides and the angle between them, or all
solving equations you three sides but no angle. In these cases, you cannot use the sine rule.
will see that there
is sometimes more
KEY POINT 5.4
than one angle which
C
works. This is known The cosine rule:
la =b +2c− 2 2 bc cos A
as the ambiguous 2
case and is covered in or, equivalently,
Chapter 18. 2
bc +−
2 a2
l cos A = b a
2bc
Tip
The second version is
just a rearrangement
of the first to make A c B
it easier to find a
missing angle.
Proof 5.2

Tip Prove that a 2 = b+2c− 2 2 bc

cosA.

You can use the cosine Again, start by creating two Divide the triangle ABC into two right-angled
rule with any letter right-angled triangles triangles:
as the subject on
the left-hand side of C
the formula, as long
as you make sure
the angle matches
this. For example, it
could be written as b h a
b2 = +a 2c− 2 2 accos B
or
c2 = +a 2b− 2 2 abcosC.

A x D y B
Start by writing down an expression for a2 In triangle BCD,
a 2h2=c x+ − ( ) 2

There are two variables we do not want

In triangle ACD,
(h and x) so we need two
equations from the other triangle h2b2=x2 −
to eliminate these variables and
cos A =x
b
x b= Acos
So,
()
2
Expand the brackets in the a 2h2=c +
x −
expression from BCD
h 2c−2 cx
=+ +x 2 2

Substitute in the two expressions b x+ c−cb A x

=−2 2 2 2 cos + 2
from the second triangle
= b+2c−2 bc A 2 cos
106 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.9

Find length c in the following diagram.
8 120° 10

Use c2 = a+2b−2 2 ab
cosC (remember By the cosine rule,
the angle must match the side you c 2 2 2 10
= + −8 2(10)(8)cos120
choose as the subject on the LHS)
= 244
Remember to square root to find c So, =c 15.6

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.10

Find the angle B in the following triangle. C

9 10

A 8 B

a c b+ −
Use cos B =
222 By the cosine rule,
2 ac
cos B = 10 8+9 −
222

2 (10)(8 )

⎛ 222
= 10−18 9 + −
⎞
B cos 58.8
⎝⎜ 2 (10)(8 ) ⎠⎟ = °

You are the Researcher

There is also a rule called the tan rule which has fallen out of favour because all
problems solved using it can be solved using a combination of the sine and cosine
rules. However, it does have several interesting applications and proofs that you
could research.
5B Rules of trigonometry 107

Be the Examiner 5.1

In triangle ABC, AB = 7 cm, AC = 12 cm, ABC
ˆ = 60º and AĈB = 25º
Find the length of side BC.
Which is the correct solution? Identify the errors made in the incorrect solutions.

Solution 1 Solution 2 Solution 3

By cosine rule, By cosine rule, By cosine rule,
BC 2 = 72 + 122 − 2(7)(12) cos 60 BC 2 = 72 + 122 − 2(7)(12) cos 25 BC 2 = 72 + 122 − 2(7)(12) cos 95
= 109 = 40.7403 = 207.642
So, BC = 10.4 cm So, BC = 6.38 cm So, BC = 14.4 cm

n Area of a triangle
You already know you can use Area 1= bh to find the area of a triangle if you know the
2
base and the perpendicular height.
Often, though, you will not know the perpendicular height. In that case there is an
alternative formula.

KEY POINT 5.5

Tip C
l Area 1= ab C
sin
In this formula, the 2
angle you are interested
b a
in (C) is always
between the two
side lengths you are
interested in (a and b). A c B

Proof 5.3
Prove that for a triangle
Area 1= ab C
sin .
2
B

You know the formula

Area 1= bh so introduce
c h a
2
the perpendicular height
D
A b C
Find an expression for h In triangle BCD,
sin C h=
a
h = a sin C
Area 1= bh
2
Substitute the expression 1 sin
= ba C
for h into Area 1= bh 2
2 1 sin
= ab C
2
108 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.11

Find the area of the triangle on the right.

7 20°
4

Use Area 1= ab C sin

2 ( )( )
2 Area 1= 7 4 sin 20
Remember that the angle
C will be between the = 4.79
side lengths a and b

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.12

The triangle on the right has area 15 cm2 .
Find the acute angle marked x. x
8 5

Use Area 1= ab sin

C , 15 1= × × 5 8sin x
2 2
with Area = 15

Solve for x 15 20sin

= x

sin x = 3
4
x = 48.6
°

Exercise 5B
For questions 1 to 3, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.4 to
find the required angle in right-angled triangle ABC, where angle A is 90°. C
1 a AB = 7 cm and AC = 4 cm. Find angle ABC.
b AB = 8 mm and AC = 5 mm. Find angle ACB.
2 a BC = 5 cm and AB = 4 cm. Find angle ACB.
b AB = 7 mm and BC = 11 mm. Find angle ACB.
3 a AB = 13 cm and BC = 17 cm. Find angle ABC. B A
b AC = 9 mm and BC = 15 mm. Find angle ACB.
For questions 4 to 9, use the techniques from your prior learning to find the required side in right-angled triangle ABC,
where angle A is 90° as above.
4 a Angle ABC = 30° and BC = 5. Find AC. 5 a Angle ABC = 50° and AC = 6. Find BC.
b Angle ABC = 40° and BC = 6. Find AC. b Angle ABC = 60° and AC = 10. Find BC.
6 a Angle ABC = 20° and BC = 10. Find BA. 7 a Angle ABC = 55° and AB = 10. Find BC.
b Angle ABC = 45° and BC = 20. Find BA. b Angle ABC = 70° and AB = 9. Find BC.
5B Rules of trigonometry 109

8 a Angle ABC = 15° and AB = 10. Find AC. 9 a Angle ABC = 2° and AC = 12. Find AB.
b Angle ABC = 65° and AB = 12. Find AC. b Angle ABC = 80° and AC = 24. Find AB.
For questions 10 to 12, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.5 to find the angle between the two lines.
10 a Find the angle between the positive x-axis and y = 3x.
b Find the angle between the positive x-axis and y = 5x.
11 a Find the angle between the positive y-axis and y = 3x.
7 x.
b Find the angle between the positive y-axis and y =
2
5 x.
12 a Find the angle between the positive y-axis and = − y 2
9 x.
b Find the angle between the positive y-axis and = −y 2
For questions 13 to 15, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.6 to find the angle between the two lines.
13 a Find the acute angle between the lines y = 5x and y = 3x.
7 x.
b Find the acute angle between the lines y = 2x and = y 2
14 a Find the acute angle between the lines y = 5x and y = -3x.
b Find the acute angle between the lines y = 2x and y = -3x.
5
15 a Find the acute angle between the lines y = 5x - 3 and = + y x 2 1.

b Find the acute angle between the lines y = 9x - 6 and y = 4 - 7x.

For questions 16 to 18, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.7, applying the sine rule to find the required
side length.
16 a In triangle ABC, angle = ° A 45 , angle = °B 30 and a = 12 cm. Find b.
° 60 , angle = °B 45 and a = 8 mm. Find b.
b In triangle ABC, angle = A
17 a In triangle PQR, angle = ° P 70 , angle = °Q 40 and QR = 5 cm. Find PR.
b In triangle PQR, angle = °P 60 , angle = ° Q 15 and QR = 11 mm. Find PR.
18 a In triangle ABC, angle = ° A 23 , angle = °C 72 and a = 1.3 cm. Find b.
b In triangle ABC, angle = A° 39 , angle = °C 74 and a = 2.8 mm. Find b.
For questions 19 to 21, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.8, applying the sine rule to find the required angle.
19 a In triangle ABC, angle = ° A 75 . a = 11 cm and b = 7 cm. Find angle B.
b In triangle ABC, angle = °A 82 . a = 9 cm and b = 7 cm. Find angle B.
20 a In triangle PQR, angle = ° = 2.8 cm and PQ = 1.7 cm. Find angle Q.
P 104 . QR
° = 13 cm and PQ = 7 cm. Find angle Q.
b In triangle PQR, angle = P 119 . QR
21 a In triangle ABC, angle = ° A 84 . a = 7.3 cm and c = 7.1 cm. Find angle B.
b In triangle ABC, angle = °A 70 . a = 89 m and c = 81 m. Find angle B.
For questions 22 to 24, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.9, applying the cosine rule to find the
unknown side length x.
22 a In triangle ABC, angle A = 60°. b = 4 cm and c = 7 cm. Find side length a.
b In triangle ABC, angle A = 60°. b = 5 mm and c = 8 mm. Find side length a.
23 a In triangle PQR, angle P = 45°. PR = 7 cm and PQ = 6 cm. Find side length QR.
b In triangle PQR, angle P = 50°. PR = 8 mm and PQ = 7 mm. Find side length QR.
24 a In triangle ABC, angle B = 70°. a = 5 cm and c = 4 cm. Find side length b.
b In triangle ABC, angle C = 65°. a = 4 mm and b = 7 mm. Find side length a.
110 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

For questions 25 to 27, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.10, applying the cosine rule to find the
unknown angle.
25 a In triangle ABC, a = 7 cm, b = 8 cm and c = 11 cm. Find angle A.
b In triangle ABC, a = 10 cm, b = 12 cm and c = 15 cm. Find angle A.
26 a In triangle PQR, PQ = 4.2 cm, QR = 5.1 cm and PR = 11 cm. Find angle Q.
b In triangle PQR, PQ = 16 cm, QR = 13 cm and PR = 17 cm. Find angle R.
27 a In triangle ABC, a = 5.7 cm, b = 8.1 cm and c = 6.6 cm. Find angle C.
b In triangle ABC, a = 1.4 cm, b = 2.5 cm and c = 1.9 cm. Find angle B.
For questions 28 to 30, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.11 to find the area of each triangle.
28 a In triangle ABC, a = 12 cm, b = 5 cm and angle C = 72°.
b In triangle ABC, a = 6 mm, b = 7 mm and angle C = 30°.
29 a In triangle PQR, PR = 19 cm, QR = 17 cm and angle R = 52°.
b In triangle PQR, PR = 3.5 mm, QR = 2.1 mm and angle R = 28°.
30 a In triangle ABC, a = 37 cm, c = 51 cm and angle B = 42°.
b In triangle ABC, b = 61 mm, c = 71 mm and angle A = 52°.
For questions 31 to 33, use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.12 to find the unknown value.
31 a In triangle ABC, a = 15.5 cm, b = 14.7 cm and the area is 90 cm2 . Find acute angle C.
b In triangle ABC, a = 4.8 mm, b = 5.2 mm and the area is 11 mm2 . Find acute angle C.
32 a In triangle PQR, PR = 12 cm, angle R = 40° and the area is 32 cm2 . Find length QR.
b In triangle PQR, QR = 8 mm, angle R = 35° and the area is 12 mm2 . Find length PR.
33 a In triangle ABC, a = 5.2 cm, angle B = 55° and the area is 15 cm2 . Find length c.
b In triangle ABC, a = 6.8 cm, angle B = 100° and the area is 28 mm2 . Find length c.
34 Find the length marked x in the diagram. 35 Find the angle marked θ in the diagram.

35° 20°

θ 20°
4 cm 3 cm

4 cm x

1x y
36 The diagram shows the line with equation = y 2
+ 3.
a Write down the coordinates of both axis intercepts.
b Find the size of the angle between the line and the x-axis.

x
5B Rules of trigonometry 111

37 a Draw a line with equation = − y 3x1, labelling both axis intercepts.

b Find the size of the angle that the line makes with the x-axis.
38 Find the length marked a. 39 Find the missing angles in this triangle.

43°

a 11 cm
4 5

35°
12 cm

40 Find the size of the angle CÂB. 41 For the triangle shown in the diagram:

C C

20
10
9 18
A 11 B

a Find the size of angle Ĉ.

A 16 B b Find the area of the triangle.

42 The area of this triangle is 241. Find the length of AB. 43 Find the length marked x and the angle marked θ.

A 9 cm
25°
θ

70°
3.5 cm
B 27 C

44 Find the acute angle that the line with equation + =4 x5 y40 makes with the x-axis.
y 1 x 1 intersect on the x-axis.
45 a Show that the lines = 2 x8 −and = y −
4
b Find the angle between the two lines.
46 Find the acute angle between the lines 2 x5− =y 7 and 4 x +
y= 8.
47 In triangle ABC, A = 40°, B = 60° and a = 12 cm. Find the length of side b.
48 In triangle ABC, A = 45°, b = 5 cm and c = 8 cm. Find the length of side a.
49 In triangle ABC, the sides are a = 4 cm, b = 6 cm, c = 8 cm. Find angle A.
50 Triangle XYZ has X = 66°, x = 10 cm and y = 8 cm. Find angle Y.
51 Triangle PQR has P = 102°, p = 7 cm and q = 6 cm. Find angle R.
52 In triangle ABC, B = 32°, C = 64° and b = 3 cm. Find side a.
112 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

53 Find the length of the side BC. 54 The area of this triangle is 26. θ is acute. Find the
value of θ and the length of AB.
A
C

θ
10 9 13
6 11

70°
B C
A B

55 Find the value of x. 56 Express h in terms of d.

d
x

10°
h
9 8

50°
40° 40°

57 In the diagram below, AC 8.

=

E y D
10°
F
4
h
30°
A x B C

a Express x and y in terms of h.

b Hence find the value of h.
5C Applications of trigonometry 113

5C Applications of trigonometry
There are many different situations that can arise in which the rules of trigonometry
can be applied. The best approach is to always draw a good diagram and look for
appropriate triangles, especially right-angled triangles.

n Angles between two intersecting lines in 3D shapes

The key idea when finding angles in 3D shapes is to look for useful triangles.

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.13

H G
For the following cuboid,

a find the acute angle HAG

b find the acute angle between AG and EC.

E F

D C
5 cm
3 cm

A 3 cm B

a H G

E F
Draw in the lines AH and
AG to form a right-angled
triangle (with GH) containing
the angle required D C
5 cm
3 cm

A 3 cm B

AH = AD2DH
+ 2
To find AH, work in the
right-angled triangle ADH = + 3252
= 34
114 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

In triangle AGH,
tan A = 3
34
Now work in the right-
angled triangle AGH A = tan −1 ⎛ 3 ⎞
⎝ 34 ⎠
=°27.2
angle HAG = 27.2°

b H G

E F
Draw in the diagonals M
AG and EC

D C
5 cm
3 cm

A 3 cm B

EC AC
= EC 2 2+
AC 2 = AB2 + BC2 and then use
= + (3
+232 )2 5
Pythagoras in triangle ACE
= 43
The diagonals are So, by symmetry AG = 43.
of equal length

If M is the point of intersection of AG and EC,

AM EM 43
then ==
2
By the cosine rule in AEM,
222
= EM +AE
cos M AM −
2( AM
)( ) EM
Now work in the triangle AEM 10.75 10.75
+ − 25
=
2 10.75
×× 10.75
Therefore, M 90.9
=°
So, acute angle between AG and EC is
You need the acute angle
180 90.9
− 89.1 =°
5C Applications of trigonometry 115

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.14

E
The diagram below on the right a square-based right pyramid.

a Find angle EBC.

b Find angle EBD.

c Find the height, h. 6 h

D C

A 4 B

a E

You could use the cosine rule

in triangle BCE, but it is easier
to put in the perpendicular 6
from E and work in the
right-angled triangle BEM

θ
B 2 M 2 C
In triangle BEM,
cos θ = BM
BE
θ
= cos −21 ⎛ ⎞
⎝6⎠
=°70.5
angle EBC = 70.5°
b Let N be the midpoint of DB, perpendicular
from E.
E

Work first in the base plane

and then in the triangle BEN 6 h
6
D
C

N 4

A 4 B
116 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

BD AB
= AD2 + 2

= + 4242
=42

BN = 1 BD So, BN 2=2
2
In triangle BEN,
BN
cos α =
BE
α
= cos −21 ⎛2 ⎞
⎝ 6 ⎠
= 61.9
°
c h BN
= BE 2 + 2
Use Pythagoras’ theorem
in triangle BEN = + 8 36
= 2 11

n Angles between a line and a plane in 3D shapes

You can form a right-angled triangle by
projecting the line onto the plane. The
angle you need will be in this triangle at
the point of intersection between the line
and the plane.
θ

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.15

Find the angle between the line AG and the plane CDHG in the diagram below.
H G

E F
D C
2 cm
3 cm
A 7 cm B
5C Applications of trigonometry 117

H G

E F
The angle between AG and the
base plane of the cuboid is θ D C
2 cm
θ 3 cm
A 7 cm B

AC AB
= BC2 + 2
First work in triangle ABC in
the base plane to find AC = + 7 232
= 58

In triangle ACG,

Then use the length of AC tan θ = 2

58
to work in triangle ACG
2 ⎞ 14.7
θ
= tan−1 ⎛ =°
⎝ 58⎠

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.16

D
Find the angle between the line AD and the plane ABC in the triangular-based right
pyramid shown on the right.

10 C

8
8

A 8 B

Let the perpendicular from D intersect the base

plane ABC at M and let N be the midpoint of AB:
D

In the base plane, AM

will bisect the angle at A
(which is 60° as triangle C
10
ABC is equilateral)

8
M

30°
A 4 N 4 B
118 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

In triangle AMN,
cos30 = 4
From the base plane, find AM AM

AM = 8 3
3
In triangle ADM,
cos θ = =AM 4 3
... and then use this in AD 10
the triangle ADM θ ⎛ ⎞
= cos −41 3
⎝⎜10 ⎠⎟
= °46.1

n Bearings and constructing diagrams from information

Bearings are a common way of describing the direction an object is travelling or the
position of two objects relative to each other. They are angles measured clockwise from
north.

Bearings are one of a large number of mathematical ideas which originated

from navigation. The word ‘geometry’ comes from the ancient Greek word for
‘measuring the Earth’. How important is it for all ships and aeroplanes to use the
same conventions when describing journeys?

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.17

A ship leaves a port on a bearing of 020° and travels 100 km. It unloads some of its cargo then
travels on a bearing of 150° for 200 km to unload the rest of its cargo. Find

a the distance it must now travel to return to the original port

b the bearing it must travel on to return to the original port.

NN N

A 150
100
20° α β
Start by drawing the
situation described 200
P

B
5C Applications of trigonometry 119

Split the angle PAB using

a vertical through A so a α = ° 20 by alternate angles.
you can relate α and β to β= −180
= °150 30
the information you have
So, PABˆ= 20+ =30° 50
By cosine rule in triangle PAB,
You can now work d 2 = 100 2200
+ −2× 100
× 2 200 cos50
in the triangle PAB
= 24 288.495 61
So,
d= 24 288.495 61
= 155 m
b By sine rule in PAB,
sin APB sin50
=
200 155.848

−1 ⎛
sin50
APB =
sin 200⎞
⎝155.848 ⎠
= 79.4
°

n Angles of elevation and depression

An angle of elevation is an angle above the horizontal and an angle of depression is an
angle below the horizontal. These are often used to describe the objects from a viewer’s
perspective.

WORKED EXAMPLE 5.18

When a man stands at a certain distance from a building, the angle
of elevation of top of the building is 21.8 °. When the man walks a
further 50 m away in the same direction, the new angle of elevation
is 11.3 °.
If the measurements are being taken at the man’s eye level, which is
1.8 m above the ground, find the height of the building. 21.8° 11.3°
1.8 m
50 m

Work first in the non-right-

angled triangle in order to find
the length that is shared with 10.5°
the right-angled triangle

158.2° 11.3°
B 50 C
120 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

Angles on a straight line ABCˆ= 180

− = 21.8
° 158.2
Sum of angles in a triangle BACˆ= 180
− 158.2 11.3
− =10.5
°
By sine rule,
AB 50
=
sin11.3 sin10.5
You will need the sine rule
AB = 50 sin11.3
sin10.5
= 53.8m

Now work in the right-

angled triangle

21.8°
D 53.8 B
AD
sin 21.8 =
53.7618

AD = 20.0 m
Therefore,
Add on the man’s height to get
the height of the building height of building = +20.0
= 1.8 21.8 m

Exercise 5C
Questions 1 to 5 refer to the cuboid shown on the right.
H G
Use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.13 to
find the required angles.
1 a AC = 7 cm, AE = 5 cm. Find angle ACE.
E F
b FH = 6 cm, HD = 10 cm. Find angle HFD.
2 a BD = 10 cm, AE = 3 cm. Find angle ACE. D C
b HC = 4 cm, CB = 5 cm. Find angle CEB.
3 a AE = 3 cm, AB = 4 cm, AD = 5 cm. Find angle HBA.
b AD = 4cm, DC = 10cm, DH = 6cm. Find angle GDF. A B
4 a AE = 3 cm, AB = 4 cm, AD = 5 cm. Find angle HFC.
b AE = 6 cm, AB = 3 cm, AD = 10 cm. Find angle GEB.
5 a AE = 3 cm, AB = 4 cm, AD = 5 cm. Find the acute angle between AG and HB.
b AE = 6 cm, AB = 3 cm, AD = 10 cm. Find the acute angle between CE and AG.
5C Applications of trigonometry 121

Questions 6 to 9 refer to a right pyramid with rectangular

base ABCD and vertex M. O is the centre of the base so
M
that OM is the height of the pyramid.
Use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.14 to
find the required lengths and angles.
6 a AC = 5 cm, OM = 6 cm. Find angle ACM.
b AC = 9 cm, OM = 4 cm. Find angle ACM. D C
7 a AB = 5cm, BC = 7cm, OM = 5cm. Find angle ACM. O
b AB = 4mm, BC = 8mm, OM = 5mm. Find angle
ACM. A B
8 a AB = BC = 12cm, AM = 17cm. Find angle ABM.
b AB = BC = 11cm, AM = 8cm. Find angle ABM.
9 a AB = 6cm, BC = 5cm, angle MAO 35 = ° . Find pyramid height OM.
b AB = 9 m, BC = 7 m, AM = 10 m. Find pyramid height OM.
Questions 10 to 12 refer to a cuboid as labelled in questions 1–5.
Use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.15 to find the smallest angle between the diagonal AG and the base
plane ABCD, given the following measurements.
10 a BH = 15, DH = 9 11 a AB = 5, AD = 8, AE = 7 12 a AE AF
= 6,AH
7, 11= =
b BH = 25, DH = 17 b AB = 8, AD = 3, AE = 9 b AE = 1.2, AF
2.1, =4.3 CF =
Questions 13 to 15 refer to a right pyramid as labelled in questions 6–9. Use the method demonstrated in Worked
Example 5.15 to find the angle between the edge AM and plane ABCD in each case.
13 a AB = BC = 7 cm, OM = 5 cm
b AB = BC = 7 mm, OM = 5 mm
14 a AB = 9 cm, BC = 4 cm, OM = 6 cm
b AB = 11 mm, BC = 12 mm, OM = 15 mm
15 a AB = 3 cm, BC = 7 cm, AM = 4 cm
b AB = 6 mm, BC = 8 mm, AM = 13 mm
Question 16 refers to a right pyramid with triangular base
ABC and vertex M. O is the centre of the base so that OM is M
the height of the pyramid.
Use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.16 to find
the angle between the edge AM and plane ABC in each case.
16 a ABC is an equilateral triangle with side length 5 cm,
OM = 4 cm.
C
b ABC is an equilateral triangle with side length 11 mm,
OM = 6 mm.
In each of questions 17 to 19, a drone is sent on two legs of a
journey. Use the method demonstrated in Worked Example 5.17 O
to calculate:
A B
i the distance
ii the bearing on which the drone must travel to return to its original position.
17 a 2 km north and then 1.8 km on a bearing 145°.
b 3.3 km south and then 2.1 km on a bearing 055°.
18 a 1.7 km east and then 2.3 km on a bearing 085°.
b 6.8 km west and then 9.1 km on a bearing 035°.
122 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

19 a 2.2 km on a bearing 130° and then 1.8 km on a bearing 145°.

b 13 km on a bearing 220° and then 17 km on a bearing 105°.
20 Viewed from 40 m away, a building has an angle of elevation of 55°. Find the height of the building.
21 For the cuboid shown in the diagram:
H G
a Find the length of HB.
b Find the angle between HB and BD.
E F

D C
5
9
A 12 B

22 The diagram shows a square – based pyramid.

E
a Draw a sketch of triangle ACE, labelling the lengths
of all the sides.
b Find the height of the pyramid.
c Find the angle between AE and EC. 10 cm
D C

7 cm

A 7 cm B

23 A cone has diameter 12 cm and vertical height 9 cm. Find the

angle θ between the sloping edge and the base.
24 From his tent, Mario can see a tree 120 m away on a bearing of
056°. He can also see a rock that is due east of his tent and due
south of the tree.
a Sketch and label a diagram showing this information.
b Hence find the distance from the rock to the tree.
θ
25 A ship sails from a port due north for 1.2 km. It then changes
direction and sails another 0.8 km on a bearing of 037°.
a Sketch and label a diagram showing this information.
b Find the final distance of the ship from the port.
26 Alec has an eye-level 160 cm above the ground. He stands 6.5 m from a tree. He can see T
the top of the tree at an angle of elevation of 62°.
Find the height of the tree.
27 From her window, 9 m above ground, Julia observes a car at an angle of depression of
12°. Find the distance of the car from the bottom of Julia’s building.
28 After recording the angle of elevation of the top of a statue at an unknown distance
from the statue’s base, a student walks exactly 5 m directly away from the statue along
horizontal ground and records a second angle of elevation. The two angles recorded are
17.7° and 12.0°. Find the height of the statue.
29 From the top of his lighthouse, the keeper observes two buoys, the nearest of which is
directly to the east of the lighthouse and the second buoy 18 m south of the first. The 62°
surface of the water is still.
If the angle of depression to the first buoy is 42.5° and the angle of depression to the
second buoy is 41.3°, find the height of the lighthouse above sea level, to the nearest metre. A B
5C Applications of trigonometry 123

30 A cuboid ABCD with sides 4 cm, 7 cm and 9 cm is shown H G

in the diagram.
a Find the length of the diagonal AG.
E F
b Find the angle between the diagonal AG and the base
ABCD.
c Find the angle between AG and the side AB.

7 cm

D C
4 cm
A 9 cm B

31 In a cuboid with base ABCD and upper surface H G

EFGH, the three face diagonals have lengths
AC = 13 m, AF = 7 m, CF = 11 m.
a Find the length of the body diagonal AG, giving E F
your answer to four significant figures.
b Find the smallest angle between line AG and the D C
base of the cuboid.

A B

32 The cuboid ABCDEFGH is shown in the diagram on the right.

a Find the lengths of AG and CE.
b Find the acute angle between AG and CE. H G
33 A dog runs 220 m on a bearing of 042° and then a further
180 m on a bearing of 166°. Find the distance and the bearing
on which the dog must run to return to the starting position. E F
34 A lighthouse is 2.5 km from the port on a bearing of 035°. An
island is 1.3 km from the port on a bearing of 130°. Find the
distance and the bearing of the lighthouse from the island. 3 cm D C
35 The Great Pyramid of Giza has a square base of side 230 m.
One of the sloping edges makes an angle of 42° with the base. 4 cm
Find the height of the pyramid. A 6 cm B
36 Ramiz stands at the point R, 19.5 m from the base B of a
vertical tree. He can see the top of the tree, T, at an angle of elevation of 26°.
a Find the height of the tree.
Mia can see the top of the tree at an angle of elevation of 41°.
b Find Mia’s distance from the bottom of the tree.
c Given that the distance between Mia and Ramiz is 14.7 m, find the size of the angle RBMˆ correct to the nearest
degree.
37 A visitor at an art gallery sits on the floor, 2.4 m from the wall, and looks up at a painting. He can see the bottom
of the painting at an angle of elevation of 55° and the top of the painting at an angle of elevation of 72°. Find the
height of the painting.
124 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

38 The Louvre pyramid in Paris is a square based pyramid made mainly of glass. The square base has sides of 34 m
and the height of the pyramid is 21.6 m.
a An air conditioning company recommend one unit per 1000 m3 of air volume. How many units are needed to
air-condition the Louvre pyramid? What assumptions are you making?
On one day, the external temperature is 20 degrees below the required internal temperature. In these conditions,
the rate at which energy is lost through the glass is 192 Watts per m2 .
b What is the total power required to heat the pyramid to offset the energy lost through the glass?
c Health and safety regulations say that scaffolding must be used to clean any glass building with a maximum
angle of elevation greater than 50°. Do the cleaners need to use scaffolding? Justify your answer.
39 Building regulations in a city say that the maximum angle of elevation of a roof is 35°. A building has a footprint
of 7 m by 5 m. The roof must be an isosceles triangle-based prism with a vertical line of symmetry.
a Find the maximum height of the roof.
b Find the maximum volume.
Only parts of the roof above 0.6 m are classed as usable.
c What percentage of the floor area is usable?
d What percentage of the volume is usable?
40 A cuboid ABCDEFGH with sides 4 cm, 7 cm H G
and 9 cm is shown in the diagram. A triangle is
formed by the diagonals BG, GE and EB of three
E F
neighbouring faces.
Find the area of the triangle BGE.
41 The base of a pyramid VABCD is a square ABCD
with side length 20 cm. The sloping edges have
length 23 cm. M is the midpoint of the edge AB and
7 cm
N is the midpoint of the edge BC. Find the size of the
angle MVN.
42 Amy cycles around the park. She cycles 120 m on a
D C
bearing of 070°, then 90 m in a bearing of 150° and
finally 110 m on a bearing of 250°. How far is she 4 cm
from her starting point? A 9 cm B

42
∞
TOOLKIT: Modelling
Find a local building and model it using some of the shapes you have met. Use
3
924
π trigonometry to estimate the dimensions of the shapes. Calculate the volume and
surface area of the building, trying to keep track of the estimated size of any errors in
your values.
Use these values to answer real world questions about the buildings such as:
n How much paint would be required to paint it?
n How much does it cost to maintain the building’s temperature?
n How long would it take to clean the building?
n How energy efficient is the building?
See if you can compare your answers to available data on these values.
Mixed Practice 125

Checklist
n You should be able to find the volume and surface area of three-dimensional solids:
Shape Volume Surface area
Sphere of radius r 4 3 4πr
2
πr
3
Cone of base radius r, height h 1 2 πrl+r π2
πr h
and slant height l 3
Pyramid of base area B and 1 Bh Area of triangular sides +B
height h 3

n You should be able to find the angle between two intersecting lines in two dimensions.
n You should be able to use the sine rule to find side lengths and angles in non-right-angled triangles:
a b c or, equivalently, A sin B
sin sin C
= = = =
sin A sin B sin C a b c
n You should be able to use the sine rule to find side lengths and angles in non-right-angled triangles:
222
a 2 = b+2c− 2 2bccos A or, equivalently, cos A =b c+ a−
2 bc
n You should be able to find the area of a triangle when you do not know the perpendicular height:
Area 1= ab C
sin
2
n You should be able to find the angle between two intersecting lines in three-dimensional shapes.
n You should be able to find the angle between a line and a plane in three-dimensional shapes.
n You should be able to construct diagrams from given information.
n You should be able to use trigonometry in questions involving bearings.
n You should be able to use trigonometry in questions involving angles of elevation and depression.

H G
n Mixed Practice
1 Viewed from 50 m away, a building has an angle of
elevation of 35°. Find the height of the building.
E F
2 The cube in the diagram has side 16 cm.
a Find the lengths of AC and AG.
b Draw a sketch of triangle ACG, labelling the lengths
of all the sides.
16 cm
c Find the angle between AC and AG.
D C
16 cm

A 16 cm B
126 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

3 The base of a pyramid is a square of side 23 cm. E

The angle between AC and AE is 56°.
a Find the length of AC.
b Find the height of the pyramid.
c Find the length of AE.

D C

A B

4 A cone has radius 5 cm and vertical height 12 cm.

Find the size of angle θ. θ

5 A and B are points on a straight line as shown y

on the graph on the right. 12
a Write down the y-intercept of the line AB.
b Calculate the gradient of the line AB. 10
The acute angle between the line AB and the
x-axis is θ. 8
c Calculate the size of θ.
6 (2, 5)

4
(8, 2)
2

t
−2 2 4 6 8 10 12
−2

Mathematical Studies SL May 2009 Paper 1 TZ1 Q4

Mixed Practice 127

B
6 The quadrilateral ABCD has AB = 10 cm. AD = 12 cm and
CD = 7 cm.
The size of angle ABC is 100° and the size of angle 100°
ACB is 50°. 10 cm
50°
a Find the length of AC in centimetres. C
b Find the size of angle ADC.
A
7 cm
12 cm

D
Mathematical Studies SL May 2010 Paper 1 TZ2 Q5

7 In triangle ABC, A = 50°, B = 70° and a = 10 cm. Find the length of side b.
8 In triangle ABC, A = 15°, b = 8 cm and c = 10 cm. Find the length of side a.
9 In triangle ABC, the sides are a = 3 cm, b = 5 cm and c = 7 cm. Find angle A.
10 Triangle XYZ has X = 42°, x = 15 cm and y = 12 cm. Find angle Y.
11 Triangle PQR has P = 120°, p = 9 cm and q = 4 cm. Find angle R.
12 In triangle ABC, B = 32°, C = 72° and b = 10 cm. Find side a.
13 After recording the angle of elevation of the top of a tower at an unknown distance from the tower’s
base, a student walks exactly 20 m directly away from the tower along horizontal ground and records
a second angle of elevation. The two angles recorded are 47.7° and 38.2°. Find the height of the tower.
14 All that remains intact of an ancient castle is part of the keep wall and a single stone pillar some
distance away. The base of the wall and the foot of the pillar are at equal elevations.
From the top of the keep wall, the tip of the pillar is at an angle of depression of 23.5° and the base of
the pillar is at an angle of depression of 37.7°.
The wall is known to have a height of 41 m. Find the height of the pillar, to the nearest metre.
15 a Sketch the lines with equations y = 1 x + 5and y = 10 x
− , showing all the axis intercepts.
3
b Find the coordinates of the point of intersection between the two lines.
c Find the size of the acute angle between the two lines.
H G
16 A square-based pyramid has height 26 cm. The angle between the height
and one of the sloping edges is 35°. Find the volume of the pyramid. E F
17 The base of a cuboid ABCDEFGH is a square of side 6 cm. The height of
the cuboid is 15 cm. M is the midpoint of the edge BC.
a Find the angle between ME and the base ABCD.
b Find the size of the angle HME.

15 cm

D C
M
A 6 cm B
128 5 Core: Geometry and trigonometry

18 In triangle ABC, AB =x AC
, = 2 x, BC x= + 4 and ˆBAC = 60
°. Find the value of x.
19 The area of this triangle is 84 units2 . Find the value of x.

x
150°

x−5

20 A 30 m tall tower and a vertical tree both stand on horizontal ground. From the top of the tower,
the angle of depression of the bottom of the tree is 50°. From the bottom of the tower, the angle of
elevation of the top of the tree is 35°. Find the height of the tree.
21 Tennis balls are sold in cylindrical tubes that contain four balls. The radius of each tennis ball is
3.15 cm and the radius of the tube is 3.2 cm. The length of the tube is 26 cm.
a Find the volume of one tennis ball.
b Calculate the volume of the empty space in the tube when four tennis balls have been placed in it.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2009 Paper 1 TZ1 Q13

22 The diagram shows a right triangular prism, ABCDEF, C

in which the face ABCD is a square.
AF = 8 cm, BF = 9.5 cm, and angle BAF is 90°.
B
a Calculate the length of AB.
M is the midpoint of EF.
b Calculate the length of BM.
c Find the size of the angle between BM and the face 9.5 cm
ADEF.
D E
M
A 8 cm F
Mathematical Studies SL November 2012 Paper 1 Q12

23 Part A V
The diagram on the right shows a square-based right
pyramid. ABCD is a square of side 10 cm. VX is the
perpendicular height of 8 cm. M is the midpoint of
BC.
a Write down the length of XM.
b Calculate the length of VM. cm

c Calculate the angle between VM and ABCD. 8

A B

X
M

D 10 cm C
Mixed Practice 129

Part B
A path goes around a forest so that it forms the
m
three sides of a triangle. The lengths of two sides 29
0
115°
are 550 m and 290 m. These two sides meet at an 55
FOREST
0
angle of 115°. A diagram is shown on the right. m

a Calculate the length of the third side of the

triangle. Give your answer correct to the
nearest 10 m.
b Calculate the area enclosed by the path that
goes around the forest.
Inside the forest a second path forms the three sides of another triangle named ABC.
Angle BAC is 53°, AC is 180 m and BC is 230 m.
c Calculate the size of angle ACB.
C

0 m
23 1
8
0
m
B
53°
A
Mathematical Studies SL November 2009 Paper 2 Q1

24 The diagram shows an office tower of total height 126 metres. V 22

It consists of a square-based pyramid VABCD on top of a cuboid .5
m
ABCDPQRS.
D C
V is directly above the centre of the base of the office tower.
The length of the sloping edge VC is 22.5 metres and the angle A B
that VC makes with the base ABCD (angle VCA) is 53.1°.
a i Write down the length of VA in metres. m
ii Sketch the triangle VCA showing clearly the length of VC 126

and the size of angle VCA.

b Show that the height of the pyramid is 18.0 metres correct to 3
significant figures.
c Calculate the length of AC in metres.
d Show that the length of BC is 19.1 metres correct to 3 S R
significant figures.
e Calculate the volume of the tower.
P Q
To calculate the cost of air conditioning, engineers must estimate
the weight of air in the tower. They estimate that 90% of the volume
of the tower is occupied by air and they know that 1 m3 of air weighs 1.2 kg.
f Calculate the weight of air in the tower.
Mathematical Studies SL May 2010 Paper 2 TZ1 Q4

25 Find the area of the triangle formed by the lines y = 8 - x, 2x - y = 10 and 11x + 2y = 25.