Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 43m
- 1. Measuring Angles39m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
7. Non-Right Triangles
Law of Cosines
Problem 7.69
Textbook Question
Textbook QuestionFind the area of each triangle ABC.
a = 76.3 ft, b = 109 ft, c = 98.8 ft
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Triangle Area Formula
The area of a triangle can be calculated using various formulas, one of which is Heron's formula. This formula is particularly useful when the lengths of all three sides are known. It states that the area A can be found using A = √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is the semi-perimeter of the triangle, calculated as s = (a + b + c) / 2.
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Semi-Perimeter
The semi-perimeter of a triangle is half the sum of its side lengths. It is a crucial component in Heron's formula for calculating the area. For triangle ABC with sides a, b, and c, the semi-perimeter s is computed as s = (a + b + c) / 2, which simplifies the area calculation by providing a single value to work with.
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Heron's Formula
Heron's formula allows for the calculation of the area of a triangle when the lengths of all three sides are known. It is particularly advantageous because it does not require knowledge of the height or angles of the triangle. By substituting the side lengths into the formula A = √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), one can efficiently determine the area without additional geometric information.
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