A triangle has sides A, B, and C. The angle between sides A and B is #pi/4#. If side C has a length of #5 # and the angle between sides B and C is #pi/12#, what is the length of side A?

1 Answer
Jan 19, 2016

#A = C sina/sinc;#

substitute the values
#A = 5 sin15/sin60#
#and A = 5((2sqrt2 +sqrt3)/3) #
Plug in your calculator if you like
Hope it helps

Explanation:

Using the triangle angle theorem
we find the third angle is 120 thus

#180 = anglea+angleb+anglec#
Thus,
#anglea = 15; angleb=45 and anglec = 120 #
Now you can use sin law to to compute side A
#A/sina = B/sinb =C/sinc#
Use the the 1st and third identities with respect to a, A, c, C
#A = C sina/sinc; substitute A = 5 sin15/sin120= 5 sin15/sin60= #
It uses the fact that #sin60 = sin120# and
and
#sin60 = (sqrt3)/2#
#sin15= ((sqrt3)+1)/((sqrt2)/2) # sothen