## anonymous one year ago A scientist measures the angle x and the distance y between the Earth and the Sun. Using complete sentences, explain how the scientist can use only these two measurements to calculate the distance between the moon and the Sun.

1. anonymous

2. anonymous

@peachpi I'm sorry I keep asking you. I'm just really bad at geometry and I'm trying ot get out of this class today. Thank you for helping me understand how to do it instead of giving me the answer also

3. camerondoherty

Well let's start off with this c: It doesn't exactly ask you to solve. We're just explaining how, if they gave you the values for x and y, we would be able to find the value of the hypotneuse. If they gave us 2 angle values, how would we find the third? Do you know?

4. camerondoherty

It's alright if you don't know, I just want to know if you do.

5. anonymous

Not really

6. camerondoherty

Alright. We're given a 90 degree angle. If we were given x, we could do this All the angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees So, we would subtract. 180 - 90= 90 90 - x = (the last angle) See where I'm coming from?

7. anonymous

yes ish

8. camerondoherty

ish?

9. anonymous

But like. I don't know how to find x

10. camerondoherty

What part do you not understand? c:

11. camerondoherty

We can't, lol

12. anonymous

I still don't really know how to explain that xD it's a written question

13. camerondoherty

The problem is not to find x & y, but to show how to use x and y to find the hypotneuse of this triangle.

14. camerondoherty

Get it? cx

15. anonymous

ohh ok

16. camerondoherty

So, x is unidentified, we're using it as a variable. You know how all the angles in a triangle add up to 180, right?

17. anonymous

yes

18. anonymous

pythagorean theorum right?

19. anonymous

Or nah? lol

20. anonymous

Eh it's ok. I put that down. My teacher knows I'm stupid at math anyway.

21. camerondoherty

Alright. It is a right triangle. That means one of the angles is 90 degrees. 180 - 90 = 90 If we subtract 90 from x (which is unidentified) we would get that last angle And sorry, but it isn't the pythagorean theorem. cx If once we got x, we would use the law of sines to find the length of the moon to the earth. To find this we set this up. $\frac{ SinA }{ a }=\frac{ SinB }{ b }$Let me redraw the triangle to find the right Sorry had to take a very important call :c

22. camerondoherty

I'm so sorry >.<

23. Elsa213

It's okay, Cammy. c:

24. anonymous

Thank you though.