for a given right triangle side a=490 and side b=960 what is the measure of angle a to the nearest degree?

Question

trigonomatry:for a given right triangle side a=490 and side b=960 what is the measure of angle a to the nearest degree?

Answer 1

Usually in a right triangle, a and b are used for the legs and c for the hypotenuse.  If that's the case for this triangle, then you're looking to find the angle opposite the 490 leg given that you also know the length of the other leg (960).

 

So relative to angle a (actually should be written as angle A), you know the opposite and adjacent sides -- 490 and 960.  Opp / adj = tan A.  So:

 

490 / 960 = tan A

tan ^-1 (490/960) = A

27° = A, to the nearest degree