Math Problem Statement

A new landowner has a triangular piece of land that she wishes to fence. Starting at the westmost corner, she measures the first side to be A = 80 m long and the next side to be B = 95 m long. The angles given are 21° and 11°. She needs to calculate the length and orientation of the third side (C).

Solution

The problem you provided shows a triangular piece of land with two known side lengths A=80mA = 80 \, \text{m}, B=95mB = 95 \, \text{m}, and two angles θ\theta and the interior angles of 1111^\circ and 2121^\circ. The question asks to find the third side CC and the angle θ\theta.

To solve this, we can use the Law of Cosines to find the unknown side CC:

C2=A2+B22ABcos(θ)C^2 = A^2 + B^2 - 2AB \cdot \cos(\theta)

But first, we need to calculate θ\theta. Since the total sum of angles in a triangle is 180180^\circ, we can find θ\theta as:

θ=1801121=148\theta = 180^\circ - 11^\circ - 21^\circ = 148^\circ

Now, we can apply the Law of Cosines to solve for CC.

Let me calculate that for you.The length of the third side CC is approximately 168.27m168.27 \, \text{m}.

Do you want further details or have any other questions?

Here are some related questions to expand your understanding:

  1. How is the Law of Cosines used in more complex geometries?
  2. Can the Law of Sines be used to find unknown angles and sides in this case?
  3. How do different methods of solving triangles compare in terms of complexity and applicability?
  4. What other real-life applications use the Law of Cosines for non-right triangles?
  5. How does angle measurement accuracy affect the outcome of triangular calculations?

Tip: Always ensure your calculator is in the correct mode (degrees/radians) when solving trigonometric functions based on the angle unit given in the problem.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Trigonometry
Law of Cosines
Geometry

Formulas

C^2 = A^2 + B^2 - 2AB * cos(θ)
Sum of angles in a triangle = 180°

Theorems

Law of Cosines

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12