Grade 10 Academic (MPM2D) · Trigonometry

Primary trig ratios — find a missing angle

Use inverse trig ratios to find a missing angle of a right triangle given two sides, in a real context. Unlimited questions, five difficulty levels, and a full worked solution every time — free.

Practice this skill Curriculum: MPM2D-TR2.2

Try one

You are standing 12 m from the base of an office tower, which is 11 m tall. What is the angle of elevation from where you're standing to the top of an office tower? Round to the nearest degree.

tan(angle) = opposite / adjacent

Answer: 43

See one solved, step by step

A ladder 14 m long is placed so its base is 10 m from the wall. What angle does the ladder make with the ground? Round to the nearest degree.

cos(angle) = adjacent / hypotenuse
📘 Worked solution
1cos(angle) = 1014 = 0.7143Cosine relates the side adjacent to the angle to the hypotenuse.
2angle = cos-1(0.7143) = 44.42degUse the inverse cos (arccos) to undo cos() and find the angle.
3angle ~ 44degRound to the nearest degree.

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