Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Your notes

Maths: Core
Trigonometry
Contents
Trigonometry to Find Lengths
Trigonometry to Find Angles

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 Trigonometry to Find Lengths
Your notes
SOHCAHTOA - Finding Lengths
What is trigonometry?
Trigonometry is the mathematics of angles in triangles
It looks at the relationship between side lengths and angles of triangles
It comes from the Greek words trigonon meaning ‘triangle’ and metron meaning
‘measure’

What are sin, cos and tan?

The three trigonometric functions sine, cosine and tangent come from ratios of side
lengths in right-angled triangles
To see how the ratios work you must first label the sides of a right-angled triangle in
relation to a chosen angle θ
The hypotenuse, H, is the longest side in a right-angled triangle
It will always be opposite the right angle
The side opposite θ will be labelled opposite, O
The side next to θ will be labelled adjacent, A
The functions sine, cosine and tangent are the ratios of the lengths of these sides as
follows

opposite O
sin θ = hypotenuse
= H
adjacent A
cos θ = hypotenuse
= H
opposite O
tan θ = adjacent
= A

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 Your notes

What is SOHCAHTOA?
SOHCAHTOA is a mnemonic that is often used as a way of remembering which ratio is
which
Sin is Opposite over Hypotenuse
Cos is Adjacent over Hypotenuse
Tan is Opposite over Adjacent
H is always the same but O and A change depending on which angle is labelled as θ

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How can I use SOHCAHTOA to find missing lengths?
STEP 1 Your notes
Label the sides of the triangle as H, O and A
H is the longest side opposite the right angle
O is opposite the given angle
A is next to the given angle
STEP 2
Identify which trigonometric ratio to use: sin, cos or tan
Write down the letter of the length you are given
Write down the letter of the length you want to find
Find the two letters in SOHCAHTOA to identify which ratio to use
If you have A and H then use cos
STEP 3
Substitute the values into the relevant trigonometric formula
Remember to put brackets around the angle

A 3
sin 50
( ) =7 or cos 40
( ) =H
STEP 4
Rearrange and solve for the unknown letter
You will either need to multiply or divide

A
sin 50
( ) =7 leads to A = 7 × sin 50 ( )

3 3
cos 40
( ) = H leads to H = cos 40 ( )

STEP 5
Type the expression into your calculator
The question might ask you to round your answer
If not then round to three significant figures

Examiner Tips and Tricks

SOHCAHTOA (like Pythagoras) can only be used in right-angled triangles
Ensure your calculator is set to measure angles in degrees

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 You should see the letter D or the word Deg at the top of your screen

Your notes

Worked Example
Find the length of the side x cm in the following triangle.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

First label the triangle

opposite
We know A and we want to know O - that's TOA or tan θ = adjacent
x
tan 43
( ) =9

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Multiply both sides by 9

9 × tan 43
( ) =x Your notes
Enter on your calculator

x = 8 . 3926...
Round to 3 significant figures

x = 8 . 39 cm

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 Trigonometry to Find Angles
Your notes
SOHCAHTOA - Finding Angles
How can I use SOHCAHTOA to find missing angles?
STEP 1
Label the sides of the triangle as H, O and A
H is the longest side opposite the right angle
O is opposite the given angle
A is next to the given angle
STEP 2
Identify which trigonometric ratio to use: sin, cos or tan
Write down the letters of the lengths you are given
Find the two letters in SOHCAHTOA to identify which ratio to use
If you have O and A then use tan
STEP 3
Substitute the values into the relevant trigonometric formula
The angle will be unknown

3
tan θ( ) =4
STEP 4
Substitute the fraction into the inverse trigonometric function
You normally need to press SHIFT on your calculator first

3 3
tan θ( ) = 4 leads to θ = tan−1 ⎛
⎜
⎜
4
⎞
⎟
⎟

⎝ ⎠

STEP 5
Type the expression into your calculator
The question might ask you to round your answer
If not then round to one decimal place

Worked Example
Find the value of the angle y ° in the following triangle.

Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

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 Your notes

First label the triangle

adjacent
We know A and H - that's CAH or cos θ = hypotenuse
8
cos y
( ) = 23
Use inverse cos to find y

8 ⎞⎟
y = cos−1 ⎜⎜
⎛
⎟

⎝
23 ⎠
Enter on your calculator

y = 69. 6455...
Round to 1 decimal place

y = 69 . 6°

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