A-Level Preparation Right-Angled

Trigonometry Answers
1. In each question, find the value of x. Give your answers to 3s.f.
a. O
sinθ
θ=
H
O
H = sinθθ
x 7
7cm

x = sin(30°)

x = 14.0cm
30°

b. A
cosθ
θ=
H

15
(HA )
θ = cos-1

x = cos ( )
cm -19
15

x = 53.1°
x
9cm
c. O
tanθ
θ=
A
O
A = tanθθ
27°
6.5
x = tan(27°)

x = 12.8m
x

6.5m
d. O
sinθ
θ=
H

12
mm
(HO)
θ = sin-1

x = sin ( )
4
4mm

-1
12

x = 19.5°
x

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 A-Level Preparation Right-Angled Trigonometry Answers
e. A
cosθ
θ=
H
A
H = cosθθ
9.2
x = cos(51°) 

x = 14.6m

51°

9.2m
f. O
tanθ
θ=
A

(OA)
θ = tan-1
12.5km

x = tan (
15 )
-112.5


x = 39.8° 
x
15km

2. Zara is an engineer. She is building a wall, which needs to be supported as it is built. The
ground is perfectly horizontal, the wall is perfectly vertical and the support is a straight steel
beam. For the wall to be safe, the angle between the beam and the ground must be less than
55°.
If the support beam is 12m long and the end of the support is 3.5m away from the base of the
wall, is the wall safely supported?

In a worded question, start by drawing

the situation:


12

A
m

cosθ
θ= 
H

x
x = cos-1(3.5
12 )
= 73.042...°

3.5m 73.0° > 55° so the wall is not safely

supported.

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 A-Level Preparation Right-Angled Trigonometry Answers
3. Look at the diagram below. Is x a right angle? You must justify your answer.

Right-angled trigonometry only works on

1.6m
Assuming the triangle is right-angled,
the hypotenuse is 2m and the adjacent
side is 1.6m, with respect to the angle
marked as 32°. This means, in a right- x
angled triangle, the top angle (which we
will call y) can be found by:

1.6
cosy = 2 

y = cos-1(0.8) = 36.9° (to 3s.f.)

4. Find the length of side x, giving your answer as a surd in its simplest form.

x = sin(45°) × 5
5
x = 2
5 2
x = 2 × 2
5m
x

2
x = 5 2 m

45°

5. A mnemonic that can help to remember the trigonometric ratios is: Sydney opera house can
always hold thousands of Australians. Try to make up your own mnemonic.
Example answers:
Some Old Hippies Can’t Always Hide Their Old Age
Sense Of Humour Can Always Help To Overcome Awkwardness
Summer On Holiday, Christmas At Home, Teachers Off Anyway

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