anonymous 4 years ago HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH SIDE THETA SHOULD BE ON??

1. anonymous

IN A TRIANGLE

2. anonymous

for basic trig ratios it does

3. anonymous

i think. draw a picture and show me your triangle

4. anonymous

|dw:1322533988575:dw|

5. anonymous

sin C

6. anonymous

what's an easy way to figure out the opposite or adjacent?

7. anonymous

The two sides making an angle are adjacent to the angle. The third side, the one that doesn't touch the angle, is the opposite side.

8. anonymous

The adjacent leg is a non-hypotenuse side that shares the angle. For instance, $$\angle BAC$$ has the adjacent side $$\overline{BA}$$ and thus opposite side $$\overline{BC}$$.

9. anonymous

opposite is across from the angle and adjacent is the sides touching the angle.

10. anonymous

but they're both touching the angle

11. anonymous

but that's the hypotenuse?

12. anonymous

opposite and adjacent sides are both touching the angle

13. anonymous

oo. sry

14. anonymous

That was a bad example. $$\overline{BC}$$ is not touching $$\angle BAC$$.

15. anonymous

what?

16. anonymous

yakeyglee can you explain it for 5 year olds because i don't get what you typed

17. anonymous

The adjacent leg is a non-hypotenuse side that shares the angle. For instance, ∠BAC has the adjacent side BA−−− and thus opposite side BC−−−.

18. anonymous

19. anonymous

Do you see how $$\overline{BC}$$ is NOT touching $$\angle BAC$$?

20. anonymous

<bac? the angle whole angle or just one part?

21. anonymous

What do you mean just part of the angle? The angle formed by points B, A, and C, with A being the vertex. The angle at point A.

22. anonymous

|dw:1322534541597:dw| like this?

23. anonymous

Correct!

24. anonymous

However, we're considering just the angle part, not the sides itself. The actual angle part (where the bend is) is opposite $$\overline{BC}$$, yes?

25. anonymous

yes... but how do you know that bend part is the opposite? what about the other side where C is?

26. anonymous

|dw:1322534666075:dw|

27. anonymous

That one is adjacent to $$\overline{BC}$$ because it literally lies right next to $$\overline{BC}$$.

28. anonymous

Whereas $$\angle BAC$$ does not.

29. anonymous

so bc is where your angle lies? why not ba?

30. anonymous

$$\overline{BC}$$ is the leg next to $$\angle BCA$$ so thus it is the adjacent side to $$\angle BCA$$. The other leg ($$\overline{BA}$$) is NOT next to $$\angle BCA$$ so therefore it is the opposite leg.

31. anonymous

why is bca important? is it because it has the hypotenuse?

32. anonymous

No, because it's an angle in the triangle that's not the right-angle!

33. anonymous

huh?? what about bac?

34. anonymous

please don't give up on me :( i have a huge test tomorrow and i'll get an F if i don't get this

35. anonymous

Look at this picture and just memorize which sides correspond to which terms relative to the labeled angle. Beware that the letters are labeled slightly different in this picture than yours (so you must be able to identify which is which without angles and sides labeled -- if someone points to an angle in a right triangle, you should be able to say which is the adjacent and which is the opposite.). I honestly don't know how to explain this any clearer. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mVk-nEnsSXI/S_UDj_mE8lI/AAAAAAAAADI/X9ULOiOGIJ0/s1600/tric.png

36. anonymous

The labeled angle in that image would be your $$\theta$$.