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Mr Barton’s Maths Notes

Trigonometry

3. 3D

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3. 3D Trigonometry

The Secret to Solving 3D Trigonometry Problems

• 3D Trigonometry is just the same as bog-standard, flat, normal trigonometry

• All1.wePythagoras
need are the skills we learnt in the last two sections:

2. Sin, Cos and Tan

• The only difference is that is a little bit harder to spot the right-angled triangles

• But onceDraw
you spot them:
- Label them out flat
- Fill in your sides
- Work the information that you do know
- out what you don’t in the usual way!

• And if you can do that, then you will be able to tick another pretty tricky topic off your list!
Example 1

The diagram below shows a record breaking wedge of Cheddar Cheese in which rectangle PQRS
is perpendicular (at 900 to) to rectangle RSTU. The distances are shown on the diagram.
Calculate: (a) The distance QT (b) The angle QTR

S Q
2.5 m
R
T

4.9 m 7.8 m
U
Working out the answer (a):

The first thing we need to figure out is what we are actually trying to work out!
We need the line QT: P

S Q
2.5 m
R
T

4.9 m 7.8 m
U

Now, as I said, the key to this is spotting the right-angled triangles…


Well, I can see a nice one: TQR.
That contains the length we want, and we already know how long QR is…
So now all we need to do is work out length TR…
Working Out TR:
P
Okay, if you look carefully, you
should be able to see a right-angled
triangle on the base of this wedge of S Q
cheese
It’s the triangle TRU: 2.5 m
R
T
T
a c 4.9 m 7.8 m
?
4.9 m U

Well, we have two sides and we want to


U 7.8 m R
work out the Hypotenuse… This looks
b like a job for Pythagoras!
c 2  4.92  7.82
1. Label the sides
c  24.01  60.84
2
2. Use the formula: c2  a2  b2
c 2  84.85 3. Put in the numbers:

c  84.85
c  9.211...m
Working Out TQ: P

Okay, so now we have all we need to S Q


be able to calculate TQ.
Just make sure you draw the correct
2.5 m
right-angled triangle! R
T 9.21… m
Q 4.9 m 7.8 m
c ?
2.5 m U
b
T 9.21… m R Once again, we have two sides and we
a
want to work out the Hypotenuse… This
looks like a job for Pythagoras!
c 2  9.21...2  2.52
1. Label the sides
c 2  84.85  6.25
2. Use the formula: c2  a2  b2
c 2  91.1 3. Put in the numbers:

c  91.1
c  9.54m (2dp)
Working out the answer (b): P

Again, we must be sure we know


what angle the question wants us S
to find! Q
I have marked angle QTR on the 2.5 m
9.54 m
diagram  R
T 9.21 m
4.9 m 7.8 m
So now we draw our right-angled
U
triangle:
H Q
9.54 m O To calculate the size on an angle, we must
2.5 m use either sin, cos or tan, which means first
 we must label our sides!

T 9.21 m A R
Now, because we actually know all three
lengths, we can choose! I’m going for tan!
Tan θ = o ÷ a

Tan θ = 0.27144…
15.20 (1dp)
Example 2

The diagram below shows a plan of a tent that I am trying to erect before the rain comes. OP is
a vertical pole, and O is at the very centre of the rectangle QRST. The lengths and angles are
as shown on the diagram. Calculate the height of the vertical pole OP.

48o O R
T

5m 12 m
S
1. Working Out OT:
T
You should be able to see that if we can
work out OT, we will then have a right- a ? c
angled triangle which will give us OP! 5m
So, to get started we need to use the
base of the rectangle: R
S
Well, OT is half way along the line TR 12 m b
line, so it must be… 6.5m

P c 2  52  122
c 2  25  144
H O
? c 2  169
c  169
c  13m
48 0

T O 2. Working Out OP:


6.5 m A
And now we have a right-angled triangle
o = Tan θ x a where we know one length (TR), and we
know one angle (OTP)… so we can work
out any side using a bit of sin, cos or
tan!
7.22 m (2dp)
Good luck with
your revision!

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