Click here to view the embedded video.

A detailed tutorial on how to find the opposite and adjacent sides of a triangle. Step by step tutorial including several examples of finding the opposite and adjacent sides of a triangle for reference.

When using SOHCAHTOA, you will often see something such as “find the opposite side” or “find the adjacent side.” Unlike the hypotenuse, the opposite and adjacent sides change depending on what angle you are working with. The right angle is found opposite the hypotenuse and you will never be working it. Tip your triangle so that your right angle is balanced across the bottom and left, and your hypotenuse crosses the right. You will be working with the angles on the top and on the bottom right. The adjacent side is one of the sides that forms your angle – one of which is the hypotenuse, so it is the other side. And to find the opposite side, draw a straight line from your angle. The line it crosses should be the one directly across from your angle, and it is the opposite side.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Description

A detailed tutorial on the solving of SOHCAHTOA. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to solve SOHCAHTOA problems for reference.

Overview

SOHCAHTOA, often spaced out to spell SOH-CAH-TOA, stands for Sine = Opposite/Hypontenuse, Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent. You use it with an angle to help solve for the sine, cosine, or tangent of that angle. What Opposite, Adjacent, and Hyptonuse stand for are the sides of a triangle – the side exactly opposite your angle, the hypotenuse, and the third non-hypotenuse side that is next to your angle. Because of this, SOHCAHTOA can only be used with a right triangle. The values for opposite, adjacent, and hypotenuse are the length of the side of the triangle it stands for. It is not necessary to know the measure of the angle before using SOHCAHTOA.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A detailed tutorial on the use of the Pythagorean Theorem to solve for the sides of triangle. Step by step tutorial including serveral examples for reference. Knowledge of the Pythagorean Theorem and how to solve for sides of a triangle grade school geometry.

Overview

The Pythagorean Theorem is a common theorem in geometry. It can only be used to solve for the length of a side of a right triangle. It can not be used on any other triangle or any other shape. The Pythagorean Theorem can be expressed as an equation:

a^2 + b^2 = c^2

The variables a and b represent the long and short side of a right triangle. It does not matter which variable you choose to be which each. The variable c represents the hypotenuse. The hypotenuse is the long and slanted side of the right triangle. Remember, this theorem only helps you solve for the length of a side, not an angle. The Pythagorean Theorem is used often in upper-level classes as well as lower-level classes.