The Ambiguous Case

Ambiguous Case for the Law of Sines

There is another possible answer to this question and that is the co-terminal angle of
106.90. The sine function is positive in the first and second quadrant, but calculators are
designed to display the first angle as a result. To determine if the second angle is a
possible solution, add 390 and 106.90. The sum is less than 1800, so both results are
possible and acceptable solutions. If the sum of the two angles is greater than 1800, then
the larger angle is not an acceptable value. This is referred to as the ambiguous case for
the Law of Sines.

Example 1:

Given ABC with B  34 0 , b = 15cm, and c  20cm. , solve the triangle.

Solution 1:

b c

sin B sin C
15 20
0

sin 34 sin C

sin C 
 20  sin 34 0 
15
sin C  .7455
sin 1  sin C   sin 1  .7455 
C  48.2 0 or 131.8 0

If C = 48.20, then A = 97.80. This means that  A is the largest angle of the
triangle and side ‘a’ is the longest side. However, if C = 131.80, then  A = 14.20. In
this case  A is the smallest angle of the triangle and then side ‘a’ is the shortest side.
Therefore, the length of side ‘a’ must be calculated for each case.

b a b a
 
sin B sin A sin B sin A
15 a 15 a
0
 
sin 34 sin 97.8 0 OR sin 34 0
sin 14.2 0

a
15  sin 97.8 0  a
15 sin 14.2 0 
sin 34 0 sin 34 0
a  26.58cm. a  6.58cm.
 The two possible values for C creates two solutions for the measurements of the
triangle when it is solved. The two solutions are shown below.

A  97.8 0 A  14.2 0
B  34 0 B  34 0
C  48.2 0 C  131.8 0
OR Both solutions must be shown as the
a  26.58cm. a  6.58cm.
b  15cm. b  15cm.
c  20cm. c  20cm.
solution.

Sometimes both the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines can be used to determine
the measure of an angle or the length of a side. Students will use the one that they
are more proficient using.

Example 2: Given ABC with A  46 0 , b  32cm. , and c  53cm. , find the measure
of
C (nearest tenth).

Solution 2:

Before the measure of C can be found, the length of side ‘a’

must be determined.

a b 2  c 2  2bcCosA
a  32 2   53 2 
 2 32 53 cos 46 0 
a 1476.718807
a  38.43cm.

Now that the length of side ‘a’ has been determined, the measure of C can be found.
The lengths of the three sides are known so the Law of Cosines may be used or the Law
of Sines may be used. The choice is simply an individual preference.
 a2  b2  c2
CosC 
2ab

CosC 
 38.432    32 2   53 2
2 38.43 32
 308.1351
CosC 
2459.52
CosC  .1252
cos 1  CosC   cos 1   .1252
C  97.2 0

Exercises:

1. For each of the following triangles, determine the length of the indicated side or the
measure of the indicated angle.(nearest tenth).

a) Find ‘b’. b) Find B

c) Find ‘a’. d) Find A

Solutions:

a)
a b

sin A sin B
17 b
0

sin 20.7 sin 118 .3 0

b
17   sin 118 .30 
sin 20.7 0
b  42.35 cm.

b)

a2  c2  b2
CosB 
2ac

CosB 
 7    8 2   5 2
2

2 7  8
88
CosB 
112
CosB  .7857
B  38.2 0
 c) Find ‘a’.

a b 2  c 2  2bcCosA
a  6.7  2   8.4 
2

 2 6.7  8.4  cos 75.2 0 
a 86.6970
a  9.31 cm.

d) Find A
a b

sin A sin B
9.2 6.4

sin A sin 410

sin A 
 9.2  sin 410 
6.4
sin A  .9430
sin 1  sin A  sin 1  .9430
A  70.6 0
The Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines are also used to solve real-world problems
that can be represented by an oblique triangle.

Example 1:

An eight metre telephone pole has a very bad lean and creates an angle greater than 90
with the ground. A guide wire, 14 m long, is attached to the pole for support so the pole
will not fall down. The guide wire is anchored in the ground at a point 10m from the base
of the pole. Calculate the angle that the pole makes with the ground.

Solution 1:
 a2  c2  b2
Cos 
2ac

Cos 
 8  10  2  14  2
2

2 810 
 32
Cos 
160

Cos  0.2

cos 1  Cos   cos 1   0.2 

  101.5 0

The pole makes an angle of 101.50 with the ground.

Example 2:

A spider crawling down a wall spots its prey, a moth, on the ground at an angle of 160
with the wall. After crawling downward 16 cm, the moth still hasn’t moved, but now the
angle with the wall is 280. How far is the moth from the wall?

Solution 2:

Before the distance CD can be calculated, some measurements

must be determined.

ACD  180 0  (90 0  28 0 ) ACB  74 0  62 0

ACD  62 0 ACB  12 0

BCD  180 0   90 0  16 0 
BCD  74 0

The measurements of ABC will be used to calculate the length of ‘d’ ( AC ).

ABC
 b c

sin B sin C
b 16
0

sin 16 sin 12 0

b
16  sin 16 0 
sin 12 0
b  21.21cm.

ADC

CD
sin CAD 
AC
x
sin 28 0 
21.21
x The moth is 9.96cm. from the wall.
.4694 
21.21
x
 21.21 .4694   21.21
21.21
x  9.96cm

Exercises:

1. Josh, Mary and Evan are playing frisbee in the school field. Their current positions
form a triangle with the angle at Josh equal to 44o and the angle at Mary equal to 21o.
If Mary is 15 metres from Evan, how far apart are Josh and Mary?

2. While exploring the woods at the end of Bengal Road in Mira, two of Glace Bay’s
policemen, spotted a fire in the distance. From where they were standing, they
estimated an angle of elevation of 150 to the top of the tower. Moving 10 m closer to
the tower, they now estimate the angle of elevation to be 180. How high is the tower?

Solutions:

1.
The measure of E is 180 0   44 0  210   115 0
 e j

sin E sin J
e 15
0

sin 115 sin 44 0 The distance between Josh and Mary is 19.57m
e
15  sin 115 0 
sin 44 0
e  19.57 m

2.

Calculate the height of the tower BD.

BCA  180 0  18 0
BCA  162 0

ABC  180 0  162 0  15 0 

ABC  30

ABC BCD
 BD
a b sin C 
 BC
sin A sin B x
sin 18 0 
a 10 49.45
0

sin 15 sin 30 x
.3090 
a
10 sin 15 0  49.45
sin 3 0 x
 49.45 .3090   49.45
a  49.45m. 49.45
x  15.28m

The height of the tower is 15.28 m.