Can You Solve This Without Trigonometry?

Geometry Level 1

Let A B C ABC be a triangle with B = 9 0 \angle B=90^\circ , C = 3 0 \angle C=30^\circ and A B = 5 AB=5 Find the length of the angle bisector from A A to B C \overline{BC} (right to 2 2 decimal places).


The answer is 5.77.

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3 solutions

First we have that A = 6 0 o \angle A=60^{o} , and the bisector intersects B C \overline{BC} at D D . As D A B = 3 0 o A D B = 6 0 o \angle DAB=30^{o} \rightarrow \angle ADB=60^{o} this means, if the bisector equals x x we have x 2 3 = 5 x = 10 3 3 \frac{x}{2}\sqrt{3}=5 \rightarrow x=\frac{10}{3}\sqrt{3}

If you take the length of BC = 12, then BD = 12-x, which means AD = 12-x. However if you put that into the Pythagorean theorem (5^2 + x^2 = (12-x)^2), it would give you a value of x=4.96 which obviously isn't possible given the hypotenuse of a right triangle must be the longest side. any idea why this approach doesn't work?

Zach Bamberger - 5 years ago

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It should work too, but you put the angle bisector as 12 x 12-x while its value is x x .

apply 30 60 90 theorem

Hemu Mayank - 4 years, 9 months ago

I used CAH here. Is that allowed?

Felix Castrillon - 4 years, 7 months ago

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I don't get it at all... What do you call CAH?

Hjalmar Orellana Soto - 4 years, 7 months ago

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Cos 30 = Adj/ Hyp

Felix Castrillon - 4 years, 7 months ago

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@Felix Castrillon But that's trigonometry.... it's not allowed

Hjalmar Orellana Soto - 4 years, 7 months ago

There's another way there, i have observe 2 equal proportions

mark kim neis - 4 years, 6 months ago

How do we go from knowing that A B D ABD is similar to A B C ABC (but rotated), to knowing that x 2 3 = 5 x = 10 3 3 \frac{x}{2}\sqrt{3}=5 \rightarrow x=\frac{10}{3}\sqrt{3} .

My initial response is to try to use Pythagorean Theorem; however, I only know the one side. Trig is considered "off limits" (and besides, it isn't currently fresh and geometry is pre-requisite).

Tyler Susmilch - 4 years, 2 months ago

Can we get the value without trig

Aarush Priyankaj - 2 years, 9 months ago

i guess u are taking the angle bisector. however if u take the edge (BC) bisector, the value of AD will be 6.614

Sumit Sharma - 5 years, 8 months ago

Why is angle DAB 30 degrees?

Ben Kynaston - 4 years, 8 months ago

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As A = 60 ° \angle A = 60° and A D \overline{AD} is the bisector, we have D A B = A 2 = 30 ° \angle DAB = \frac{\angle A}{2}=30°

Hjalmar Orellana Soto - 4 years, 8 months ago

We know that A = 6 0 \angle A=60^\circ . Divide this into two equal angles (see my figure). Let x x be the length of the angular bisector. Then,

cos 3 0 = a d j a c e n t s i d e h y p o t e n u s e = 5 x \large \cos 30^\circ=\dfrac{adjacent~side}{hypotenuse}=\dfrac{5}{x} \implies x = 5 cos 3 0 \large x=\dfrac{5}{\cos~30^\circ} \approx 5.77 \boxed{5.77}

when I say "Without Trig" I mean without trigonometry xD

Hjalmar Orellana Soto - 3 years, 12 months ago

Hey Bro even I found it in the same way

tkaran bala kumar - 3 years, 9 months ago

This is my own solution using my old account. I have a new account now.

A Former Brilliant Member - 1 year, 5 months ago

Using Trigonometry(CAH): c o s = a d j h y p cos=\dfrac{adj}{hyp}

Let A D AD be the length of the angular bisector. Since it is right triangle, B A C = 90 30 = 6 0 \angle BAC=90-30=60^\circ . We divide it by 2 2 , we get: D A C = B A D = 3 0 \angle DAC=\angle BAD=30^\circ . Then,

c o s 30 = 5 A D cos~30=\dfrac{5}{AD}

A D = 5 c o s 30 = 5.77 AD=\dfrac{5}{cos~30}=5.77 answer correct to two decimal places \boxed{\text{answer correct to two decimal places}}

read the problem's name...

Hjalmar Orellana Soto - 4 years, 1 month ago

Sin 60 = 5/x 0.866 = 5/x Therefore x= 5.773

Lkd Samte - 2 years, 4 months ago

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