Question

In a right triangle the hypotenuse is 100meters,and alpha, the angle adjacent to the shorter leg. If cos alpha=1/2, find the measures of the two legs.

Answer 1

alpha = 60 degrees and the other acute angle is 30 degrees.

Since the hypotentuse is 100, the short leg is 100 sin 30 = 50 m. The longer leg is 100 cos30 = 86.6 m