D. The Tangent Ratio
Completion requirements
D. The Tangent Ratio
The ratio you have been using in much of this lesson is called the
tangent ratio. This ratio can be written as
or more simply as
.
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Tangent Ratio
The ratio of the side length opposite an angle to the side length adjacent to that angle in a right triangle |
The following video demonstrates the relationship between similar triangles and the tangent ratio: (Video under development)
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Example 1 |
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Determine the value of tan
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.
Notice that the tangent ratio always uses the two sides of the triangle that touch the right angle. The side opposite the right angle is called the
hypotenuse, and is not used with the tangent ratio.
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Hypotenuse
The longest side of a right triangle and the side opposite the right angle in a right triangle |