What is an oblique triangle What does it mean to solve an ob

What is an oblique triangle? What does it mean to solve an oblique triangle? Write an example of an oblique triangle with two known angles and one know side (SAA). Show yoru classmates how to solve the triangle. Write another example for your classmates to work.

Solution

An oblique triangle is any triangle that is not a right triangle. It could be an acute triangle that is all threee angles of the triangle are less than right angles. Or it could be an obtuse triangle that is one of the three angles is greater than a right angle.

To solve an oblique triangle we generally use law of cosines and law of sines.

For Example:

if angle C = 60°, side a = 5, and sideb = 8, then the law of cosines says

c² = a² + b² – 2ab cos C

c² = 25 + 64 – 80 cos 60°.

Since the cosine of 60° is 1/2, that equation simplifies to c² = 49,

so c = 7.

Then using Law of sine we can find other two angles easily.