## anonymous one year ago A shooting star forms a right triangle with the Earth and the Sun, as shown below: 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 Earth and the shooting star.

1. anonymous

2. Nnesha

trig ratios ?

3. anonymous

I was thinking to use tangent ?

4. Nnesha

$\rm sin \rm \theta = \frac{ opposite }{ hypotenuse }~~~~ \cos \theta = \frac{ adjacent }{ hypotenuse } ~~\tan \theta = \frac{ opposite }{ adjacent }$ thats what you need to find distance

5. anonymous

you can not find the distance. you don't know the values of x and y.

6. Nnesha

to find length of missing side you should know one angle and one side

7. Nnesha

the question is how the scientist can use only these two measurements so we don't have to know the value of x and y

8. Nnesha

so which ratio would u use to find distance between the earth and shooting star?

9. anonymous

sinθ

10. Nnesha

..