SECTION 5.

5 The Law of Sines 439

SECTION 5.5 EXERCISES

In Exercises 1–4, solve the triangle. 25. B B

1. C 2. A 19 a 19 a
17 56° 56°
3.7 a b A 23 C A b C
15° 120°
60° 45° B a C (a) (b)
A c B 26. B B

3. B 4. C c c
81 81
119° 29° 119°
22 a
c 92 C b A C 89 A
35° 100° 40° 81° (a) (b)
C b A B c A
In Exercises 27–36, respond in one of the following ways:
In Exercises 5–8, solve the triangle. (a) State, “Cannot be solved with the Law of Sines.”
5. A = 40°, B = 30°, b = 10 (b) State, “No triangle is formed.”
6. A = 50°, B = 62°, a = 4 (c) Solve the triangle.
7. A = 33°, B = 70°, b = 7 27. A = 61°, a = 8, b = 21
8. B = 16°, C = 103°, c = 12 28. B = 47°, a = 8, b = 21
In Exercises 9–12, solve the triangle. 29. A = 136°, a = 15, b = 28
9. A = 32°, a = 17, b = 11 30. C = 115°, b = 12, c = 7
10. A = 49°, a = 32, b = 28 31. B = 42°, c = 18, C = 39°
11. B = 70°, b = 14, c = 9 32. A = 19°, b = 22, B = 47°
12. C = 103°, b = 46, c = 61 33. C = 75°, b = 49, c = 48
In Exercises 13–18, state whether the given measurements determine 34. A = 54°, a = 13, b = 15
zero, one, or two triangles. 35. B = 31°, a = 8, c = 11
13. A = 36°, a = 2, b = 7 36. C = 65°, a = 19, b = 22
14. B = 82°, b = 17, c = 15 37. Surveying a Canyon Two markers A and B on the
15. C = 36°, a = 17, c = 16 same side of a canyon rim are 56 ft apart. A third marker C,
located across the rim, is positioned so that ∠ BAC = 72°
16. A = 73°, a = 24, b = 28 and ∠ABC = 53°.
17. C = 30°, a = 18, c = 9
18. B = 88°, b = 14, c = 62 A

In Exercises 19–22, two triangles can be formed using the given meas- 56 ft
urements. Solve both triangles. C
B
19. A = 64°, a = 16, b = 17
20. B = 38°, b = 21, c = 25
(a) Find the distance between C and A.
21. C = 68°, a = 19, c = 18
(b) Find the distance between the two canyon rims. (Assume
22. B = 57°, a = 11, b = 10 they are parallel.)
23. Determine the values of b that will produce the given number 38. Weather Forecasting
of triangles if a = 10 and B = 42°. N N
Two meteorologists are 25 mi
(a) Two triangles (b) One triangle (c) Zero triangles apart located on an east-west road. C
24. Determine the values of c that will produce the given number The meteorologist at point A sights b a
of triangles if b = 12 and C = 53°. a tornado 38° east of north. The 38° 53°
h
meteorologist at point B sights the
(a) Two triangles (b) One triangle (c) Zero triangles same tornado 53° west of north. A B
25 mi
In Exercises 25 and 26, decide whether the triangle can be solved using Find the distance from each meteo-
the Law of Sines. If so, solve it. If not, explain why not. rologist to the tornado. Also find the distance between the
tornado and the road.
440 CHAPTER 5 Analytic Trigonometry

39. Engineering Design A

vertical flagpole stands beside S (ship)
A 33°
a road that slopes at an angle C 62°
of 15° with the horizontal. 62°
When the angle of elevation of
the Sun is 62°, the flagpole 20 mi
b 28° a
casts a 16-ft shadow downhill
along the road. Find the height 75° 15° 52°
of the flagpole. 105°
A B Horizontal B
16 ft

40. Altitude Observers 2.32 mi 46. Using Measurement Data A geometry class is divided
apart see a hot-air balloon into ten teams, each of which is given a yardstick and a protrac-
directly between them but at the tor to find the distance from a point A on the edge of a pond to a
angles of elevation shown in the tree at a point C on the opposite shore. After they mark points A
figure. Find the altitude of the and B with stakes, each team uses a protractor to measure angles
balloon. A and B and a yardstick to measure distance AB. Their measure-
ments are given in the table.

A B AB
28° 37°
79° 84° 26 ¿ 4–
A 2.32 mi B
81° 82° 25 ¿ 5–
41. Reducing Air Resistance A 4-ft airfoil attached to the 79° 83° 26 ¿ 0–
cab of a truck reduces wind resistance. If the angle between the 80° 87° 26 ¿ 1–
airfoil and the cab top is 18° and angle B is 10°, find the length 79° 87° 25 ¿ 11–
of a vertical brace positioned as shown in the figure.
A B AB
83° 84° 25 ¿ 3–
4 ft 82° 82° 26 ¿ 5–
18° 78° 85° 25 ¿ 8–
B 77° 83° 26 ¿ 4–
79° 82° 25 ¿ 7–

Use the data to find the class’s best estimate for the distance
AC.
C

42. Group Activity Ferris Wheel Design A Ferris

wheel has 16 evenly spaced cars. The distance between adja-
cent chairs is 15.5 ft. Find the radius of the wheel (to the near-
est 0.1 ft).
A B
43. Finding Height Two observers are 600 ft apart on
opposite sides of a flagpole. The angles of elevation from the
observers to the top of the pole are 19° and 21°. Find the Standardized Test Questions
height of the flagpole. 47. True or False The ratio of the sines of any two an-
44. Finding Height Two observers are 400 ft apart on gles in a triangle equals the ratio of the lengths of their
opposite sides of a tree. The angles of elevation from the opposite sides. Justify your answer.
observers to the top of the tree are 15° and 20°. Find the 48. True or False The perimeter of a triangle with two
height of the tree. 10-inch sides and two 40° angles is greater than 36.
45. Finding Distance Two lighthouses A and B are known Justify your answer.
to be exactly 20 mi apart on a north-south line. A ship’s captain You may use a graphing calculator when answering these questions.
at S measures ∠ASB to be 33°. A radio operator at B measures
∠ ABS to be 52°. Find the distance from the ship to each light- 49. Multiple Choice The 95°
length x in the triangle shown x 12.0
house.
at the right is 53°
(A) 8.6. (B) 15.0. (C) 18.1.
(D) 19.2. (E) 22.6.
 SECTION 5.5 The Law of Sines 441

50. Multiple Choice Which of the following three triangle (c) In terms of the given angle A and the given length AB, state
parts do not necessarily determine the other three parts? the conditions on length BC that will result in a unique tri-
(A) AAS (B) ASA (C) SAS angle being formed.

(D) SSA (E) SSS (d) In terms of the given angle A and the given length AB, state
the conditions on length BC that will result in two possible
51. Multiple Choice The shortest side of a triangle with triangles being formed.
angles 50°, 60°, and 70° has length 9.0. What is the length of
the longest side?
(A) 11.0 (B) 11.5 (C) 12.0
Extending the Ideas
56. Solve this triangle assuming that ∠B is obtuse. C
(D) 12.5 (E) 13.0 [Hint: Draw a perpendicular from A to the line
52. Multiple Choice How many noncongruent triangles through B and C.]
ABC can be formed if AB = 5, A = 60°, and BC = 8? 5
22°
(A) None (B) One (C) Two 8

(D) Three (E) Infinitely many B

Explorations A

53. Writing to Learn 57. Pilot Calculations Towers A and B are known to be
4.1 mi apart on level ground. A pilot measures the angles of
(a) Show that there are infinitely many triangles with AAA
depression to the towers to be 36.5° and 25°, respectively, as
given if the sum of the three positive angles is 180°.
shown in the figure. Find distances AC and BC and the height
(b) Give three examples of triangles where A = 30°, B = 60°, of the airplane.
and C = 90°.
C
(c) Give three examples where A = B = C = 60°. 25°
36.5°
54. Use the Law of Sines and the cofunction identities to derive the
following formulas from right triangle trigonometry:
A 4.1 mi B
opp adj opp
(a) sin A = (b) cos A = (c) tan A =
hyp hyp adj

55. Wrapping up Exploration 1 Refer to Figures 5.16

and 5.17 in Exploration 1 of this section.
(a) Express h in terms of angle A and length AB.
(b) In terms of the given angle A and the given length AB, state
the conditions on length BC that will result in no triangle
being formed.