The Law

of SINES
The Law of SINES

For any triangle (right, acute or obtuse), you

may use the following formula to solve for
missing sides or angles:

a b c
 
sin A sin B sin C
Proof of Sine Law

Proof of Sine Law
Obtuse Triangles
The Law of SINES

For any triangle (right, acute or obtuse), you

may use the following formula to solve for
missing sides or angles:

a b c
 
sin A sin B sin C
Use Law of SINES when ...
you have 3 dimensions of a triangle and you need
to find the other 3 dimensions - they cannot be
just ANY 3 dimensions though, or you won’t
have enough info to solve the Law of Sines
equation. Use the Law of Sines if you are given:
 AAS - 2 angles and 1 adjacent/opposite side
 ASA - 2 angles and their included side
 SSA (this is an ambiguous case)
 Case 1:
Given two angles and a side
opposite to one of them (AAS)
You are given a triangle, ABC, with
angle
A = 70°, angle B = 80° and side
a = 12 cm. Find the measures of
angle C and sides b and c.
 Example 1 (con’t)
The angles in a ∆ total
B 180°, so angle C = 30°.
80° Set up the Law of Sines to
a = 12 find side b:
c

12 b

A 70° C sin 70 sin 80
b
12 sin 80  b sin 70
12 sin 80
b  12.6cm
sin 70
 Example 1 (con’t)
B Set up the Law of
Sines to find side c:
80°
a = 12
c
12 c

sin 70 sin 30
70° 30°
A
b = 12.6
C 12 sin 30  c  sin 70
12 sin 30
c  6.4cm
sin 70
 Example 1 (solution)
B

80° Angle C = 30°

a = 12
Side b = 12.6 cm
70° 30°
A b = 12.6 C
Side c = 6.4 cm
Case 2:
Given two angles and
the included side (ASA)
You are given a triangle,
ABC, with angle C = 115°,
angle B = 30° and side
a = 30 cm. Find the
measures of angle A and
sides b and c.
 Example 2 (con’t)
B
To solve for the missing
30°
c sides or angles, we must
a = 30 have an angle and
115° opposite side to set up
C A
b the first equation.
 Example 2 (con’t)
Set up the Law of Sines to
B
find side b:
30°
c 30 b

a = 30 sin 35 sin 30
C
115° 35°
A 30 sin 30  b sin 35
b
30 sin 30
b  26.2cm
sin 35
 Example 2 (con’t)
B
Set up the Law of Sines to
find side c:
30°
30 c
c

a = 30 sin 35 sin 115
C
115° 35° 30 sin 115  c  sin 35
b = 26.2 A
30 sin 115
c  47.4cm
sin 35
 Example 2 (solution)
Angle A = 35°
B
Side b = 26.2 cm
30°
c = 47.4 Side c = 47.4 cm
a = 30

115° 35° Note: Use the Law of

C b = 26.2 A Sines whenever you
are given 2 angles
and one side!
 The Ambiguous Case
(SSA)
When given SSA (two sides and an
angle that is NOT the included angle) ,
the situation is AMBIGUOUS. The
dimensions may not form a triangle, or
there may be 1 or 2 triangles with the
given dimensions. We first go through
a series of tests to determine how
many (if any) solutions exist.
 The Ambiguous Case
(SSA)
In the following examples, the given angle will
always be angle A and the given sides will be sides
a and b
‘a’ - we don’t know
C=? what angle C is so we
can’t draw side ‘a’ in
b
the right position
A B?
c=?
The Ambiguous Case (SSA)
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse
If angle A is obtuse there are TWO possibilities
If a ≤ b, then a is too short to If a > b, then there
reach side c - a triangle with is ONE triangle
these dimensions is impossible. with these
C=? dimensions.
C=?
a
b a
b
A B? A B?
c=? c=?
Situation I: Angle A is obtuse - EXAMPLE
Given a triangle with angle A = 120°, side
a = 22 cm and side b = 15 cm, find the
other dimensions.
Since a > b, these dimensions are possible.
To find the missing dimensions, use the
Law of Sines:
C
22 15

a = 22 sin120 sin B
15 = b 15sin120  22sin B
120°
A B
B  sin
1
15sin120 
 36.2
c  22 
 Situation I: Angle A is obtuse - EXAMPLE
Angle C = 180° - 120° - 36.2° = 23.8°
Use Law of Sines to find side c:
C
22 c

a = 22 sin120 sin 23.8
15 = b
c sin120  22sin 23.8
120°
A B 22sin 23.8
c c  10.3cm
36.2° sin120

Solution: angle B = 36.2°, angle C = 23.8°,

side c = 10.3 cm
 Situation II: Angle A is acute
If angle A is acute there are SEVERAL possibilities.

Side ‘a’ may or may not be long enough to reach side

‘c’. We calculate the height of the altitude from angle
C to side c to compare it with side a.
C=?

b a

A B?
c=?
 Situation II: Angle A is acute

First, use SOH-CAH-TOA to find h:

C=? h
sin A 
b
b a
h h  bsin A
A B?
c=?

Then, compare ‘h’ to sides a and b . . .

 Situation II: Angle A is acute

If a < h, then NO triangle exists with

these dimensions.

C=?

a
b
h
A B?
c=?
 Situation II: Angle A is acute
If h < a < b, then TWO triangles exist
with these dimensions.
C C

b b
a
h a h
A B A
c c B

If we open side ‘a’ to the If we open side ‘a’ to the

outside of h, angle B is inside of h, angle B is
acute. obtuse.
 Situation II: Angle A is acute

If h < b < a, then ONE triangle exists

with these dimensions.
Since side a is
C
greater than side b,
side a cannot open
b a
h
to the inside of h, it
can only open to
A B
c the outside, so
there is only 1
triangle possible!
 Situation II: Angle A is acute
If h = a, then ONE triangle exists
with these dimensions.
C If a = h, then angle
B must be a right
b angle and there is
a=h
only one possible
A triangle with these
c
B dimensions.
 Situation II: Angle A is acute -
EXAMPLE 1
Given a triangle with angle A = 40°, side a = 12 cm
and side b = 15 cm, find the other dimensions.

C=? Find the height:

a = 12 h  bsin A
15 = b
h h  15sin 40  9.6
40°
A B?
c=? Since a > h, but a< b,
there are 2 solutions and
we must find BOTH.
 Situation II: Angle A is acute -
EXAMPLE 1
FIRST SOLUTION: Angle B is acute.

C 12 15

sin 40 sin B
a = 12
1 15sin 40 
15 = b B  sin  53.5
 12 
h
40° C  180  40  53.5  86.5
A B
c c 12

sin 86.5 sin 40
12sin 86.5
c  18.6
sin 40
SECOND SOLUTION: Angle B is obtuse -
use the first solution to find this solution.
In the second set of possible
dimensions, angle B is
C
obtuse, because side ‘a’ is
1st ‘a’
15 = b
the same in both solutions,
a = 12 the acute solution for angle
A
40° B & the obtuse solution for
c B
1st ‘B’
angle B are supplementary.
Angle B = 180 - 53.5°
= 126.5°
 SECOND SOLUTION: Angle B is
obtuse
Angle B = 126.5°
C
Angle C = 180°- 40°- 126.5°
= 13.5°
15 = b
a = 12
c 12
40° 126.5° 
A
c B sin13.5 sin 40
12sin 13.5
c  4.4
sin 40
Situation II: Angle A is acute - EX. 1 (Summary)

Angle B = 53.5° Angle B = 126.5°

Angle C = 86.5° Angle C = 13.5°
Side c = 18.6 Side c = 4.4

C 13.5° C

86.5°
15 = b a = 12 15 = b
a = 12
40° 53.5°
A B 40° 126.5°
c = 18.6 A B
c = 4.4
Situation II: Angle A is acute - EXAMPLE 2

Given a triangle with angle A = 40°, side a = 12

cm and side b = 10 cm, find the other
dimensions.
C=?
Since a > b, and h is
a = 12
10 = b less than a, we know
h this triangle has just
40°
A
c=?
B? ONE possible
solution - side
‘a’opens to the
outside of h.
Situation II: Angle A is acute - EXAMPLE 2

Using the Law of Sines will give us the ONE

possible solution:
12 10

sin 40 sin B
C
1 10sin 40
B  sin   32.4
10 = b a = 12 12 
C  180  40  32.4  107.6
40°
A B c 12
c 
sin107.6 sin 40
12sin 107.6
c  17.8
sin 40
The Ambiguous Case -
Summary

if angle A is if a < b  no solution

obtuse if a > b  one solution (Ex I)
if a < h  no solution
if angle A is if h < a < b  2 solutions(Ex II-1)
acute one with angle B acute,
one with angle B obtuse
find the height, if a > b > h  1 solution (Ex II-2)
h = b*sinA If a = h  1 solution
angle B is right
The Law of Sines
a b c
 
sin A sin B sin C

Use the Law of Sines

to find the missing  AAS
dimensions of a  ASA
triangle when given
 SSA (the
any combination of ambiguous case)
these dimensions.
Exercises: Solve the ff SSA cases. Indicate whether
the given measurements results in no triangle, one
or two triangles and solve the remaining dimensions
of the resulting triangle/s (if any). Round the answer
to the nearest tenth.