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Properties & Solution of Triangle,

Height & Distance
THE LAW OF SINES OR SINE RULE
The sides of a triangle are proportional to the sines of the angles opposite to them A
a b c
i.e., k , say F E
sin A sin B sin C
More generally, if R be the radius of the circumcircle of the triangle ABC , O
a b c B D C
2R
sin A sin B sin C

THE LAW OF COSINES OR COSINE RULE A

b2 c 2 a2
1. a 2 b 2 c 2 2bc cos A cos A
2bc
c b
c a2 b2
2
2. b 2 c 2 a 2 2ca cos B cos B
2ca
a b2 c 2
2 B a C
2 2 2
3. c a b 2ab cos C cos C
2ab
PROJECTION FORMULAE
1. a b cos C c cos B
2. b c cos A a cos C
3. c a cos B b cos A
APOLLONIUS THEOREM A

(a) m n AD 2 mb 2 nc 2 mCD 2 nBD 2 c b

2 2 2 2 2
(b) m n AD m n mb nc a mn

Apollonius theorem for medians B m D n C

In every triangle the sum of the squares of any two sides is equal to twice the
square on half the third side together with twice the square on the median A
that bisects the third side.
2
For any triangle ABC, b 2 c 2 2 h2 m2 2 m2 a by use of
2 c m b
cosine rule.
If be right angled , the mid point of hypotenuse is equidistant from the
three vertices so that DA = DB = DC. B h D h C
b 2 c 2 a 2 which is Pythagoras theorem. This theorem is very useful for
solving problems of height and distance.
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ANGLE BETWEEN MEDIAN AND THE SIDE OF A TRIANGLE
2b
sin sin C A
2b 2 2c 2 a 2

THE m – n Rule
If the triangle ABC , point D divides BC in the ratio m : n , and
ADC , then
B m n C
(i) m n cot m cot n cot ; D
(ii) m n cot n cot B m cot C .

NAPIER’S ANALOGY (LAW OF TANGENTS)

For any triangle ABC ,
A B a b C B C b c A
(i) tan cot (ii) tan cot
2 a b 2 2 b c 2
C A c a B
(iii) tan cot
2 c a 2
MOLLWEIDE’S FORMULA
1 1
cos A B sin A B
a b 2 a b 2
,
c 1 c 1
sin C cos C
2 2
AREA OF TRIANGLE
Let three angles of a be denoted by A, B, C and the sides opposite to these angles by letters a, b, and c
respectively
1. When two sides and the included angle be given: A
The area of triangle ABC is given by
1 1 1
bc sin A ca sin B ab sin C c b
2 2 2
1
i.e. Product of two side sine of included angle
2 B C
2. When three sides are given a
Area of ABC s s a s b s c
a b c
where semi perimeter of triangle s .
2
3. When three sides and the circum – radius be given :
abc
Area of triangle , where R be the circum-radius of the triangle.
4R
4. When two angles and included side be given :
1 2 sin B sin C 1 2 sin A sin C 1 2 sin A sin B
a b c
2 sin B C 2 sin A C 2 sin A B
HALF ANGLE FORMULAE
If 2s shows the perimeter of a triangle ABC then,
2s a b c
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B 1
log tan log s a log s c log s log s b
2 2
B B
log tan and can be determined with the help of tables.
2 2
B is determined.
(iii) To find C
A B C 180
C 180 A B , is determined.
Thus, A, B, C being known, the triangle is solve.
CASE II : Given two sides and the included angle ; to solve the triangle.
Proof : Let ABC be a triangle, in which sides b, c (b > c) and the included angle A are given.
The side a and angles B, C are to be determined.
(i) To find B and C.
B C b c A
tan cot [Napier’s Analogy]
2 b c 2
b c B C A B C B C
tan cot cot 90 tan
b c 2 B 2 2
B C B C
log tan log b c log tan log b c A
2 2
B C
log tan and
2 c b
B C
can be obtained with the help of tables.
2
B C
is known. …(1) B C
2 a
B C A
Also 90 A B C 180 …(2)
2 2
from (1) and (2), by addition and subtraction B and C are known.
(ii) To find a
a b
since [Sine formula]
sin A sin B
b sin A
a
sin B
log a log b log sin A log sin B
log a and a can be determined with the help of the table.
Thus, B, C and a are known, the triangle is solved.
Note: If C B , then use the formula
C B c b A
tan cot .
2 c b 2
CASE III : Given one sides and two angles ; to solve the triangle.
Proof : Let ABC be a triangle in which ‘a’ be the given side and B, C be the given angles.
Sides b, c and angle A are to be determined.
(i) To find A
A B C 180
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A 180 B C
A is known.
(ii) To find b
b a
Since
sin B sin A
a sin B
b [Sine formula]
sin A
log b log a log sin B log sin A
With the help of tables, log b and therefore, b is determined.
(iii) To find c
c a
Again [Sine formula]
sin C sin A
a sin C
c
sin A
log c log a log sin C log sin A
With the help of the tables, log c and therefore c is determined.
Thus, A, b, c being known, the triangle is solved.
CASE IV : When two sides and an angle opposite to one of them is given. (Ambiguous case)
Let the two sides say a and b and an angle A opposite to a be given.
Here we use a / sin A b / sin B .
sin B b sin A / a …(1)
We calculate angle B from (1) and then angle C is obtained by using
C 180 A B .
Also, to find side c, we use
a / sin A c / sin C C
c a sin C / sin A …(2)
From relation (1), the following possibilities will arise : a
Case I : When A is an acute angle. b b sin A
(a) If a b sin A , there is no triangle. When a b sin A , from (1),
sin B 1 , which is impossible. Hence no triangle is possible in this A B
case. A X
N
From the following fig., if
AC b ; CAX A ,
then perpendicular CN b sin A . Now taking c as centre, if we draw an arc of radius a then
if the line AX and hence no triangle ABC can be constructed in this case.
(b) If a b sin A , then only one triangle is possible which is right C
angled at B.
When a b sin A , then from (1),
sin B 1 , B 90
b a = b sinA
From fig. it is clear that
CB a b sin A .
A 90°
Thus, in this case, only one triangle is possible which is right angled
at B. A X
B
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(c) If a b sin A , then further three possibilities will arise : C
(i) a b . In this case, from (1),
sin B sin A
B A or B 180 A b a
But B 180 A A B 180 , which is not possible in a. b sinA
In this case we get A B . Hence, if b a b sin A then only A N
isosceles triangle ABC is possible in which A B. X
A B
(ii) a b . In the following fig., let AC b, CAX A , and C
a b , also a b sin A . Now taking C as centre, if we draw an arc
of radius a, it will intersect AX at one point B and hence only one
ABC is constructed. Also this arc will intersect XA produced at a b b
B ' and AB ' C is also formed but this is in admissible b sinA
(because CAB is an obtuse angle in this triangle). A N
Hence, if a b and a b sin A , then only one triangle is A X
B' B
possible.
C
(iii) b a i.e., b a b sin A .
C2
In the following fig., let C1
AC b, CAX A . b a
Now taking C as centre, if we draw an arc of radius a, a
then it will intersect AX at two points B1 and B2 . b sinA
A
Thus two triangles AB1C and AB2C are formed. A X
B2 N B1

Hence, if b a b sin A , then there are two triangles. C

Case II : When A is an obtuse angle. a

In this case, there is only one triangle, if a b. b sinA b
A
X
N A B
CIRCLE CONNECTED WITH TRIANGLE
1. Circumcircle of a triangle its radius A
The circum-radius of a ABC is given by
a b c F E
(i) R
2 sin A 2sin B 2sin C
O
C
abc B D
(ii) R area of ABC
4

2. Inscribed circle or in-circle of a triangle and its radius

The radius r of the inscribed circle of a triangle ABC is given by

(i) r
s
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A
A B C
(ii) r 4 R sin sin sin
2 2 2 s – a A/2 s–a
A B C F
(iii) r s a tan s b tan s c tan
2 2 2 r E
B C A C B A
a sin sin b sin sin c sin sin s–b
(iv) r 2 2 2 2 2 2 I s–c
A B C
cos cos cos
2 2 2
r B s–b s–c C
(v) cos A cos B cos C 1 D
R

A
3. Escribed circle of a triangle and their radii
In any ABC , we have
B C A/2
a cos cos
(i) r1 2 2 s
s a A s–c
cos B M C
2
A B s–c
s tan s c cot .
2 2 E1
C a F1 r1 r1
s b cot
2 B C
tan tan
2 2
I1
C A
b cos cos
2 2 B A C b
(ii) r2 s tan s c cot s a cot
s b B 2 2 2 C A
cos tan tan
2 2 2
A B
c cos cos
2 2 C A B c
(iii) r3 s tan s b cot s a cot
s c C 2 2 2 A B
cos tan tan
2 2 2
1 1 1 1
(iv) r1 r2 r3 r 4R (v)
r1 r2 r3 r
1 1 1 1 a 2 b2 c 2 1 1 1 1
(vi) (vii)
r2 r12 r22 r32 2
bc ca ab 2 Rr

(viii) r1r2 r2r3 r3r1 s2

A B C
(ix) 2 R 2 sin A.sin B.sin C 4 Rr cos .cos cos
2 2 2
A B C A B C A B C
(x) r1 4 R sin cos cos ; r2 4 R cos .sin .cos , r3 4 R cos cos sin
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
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PEDAL TRIANGLE
Let the perpendicular AD, BE and CF from the vertices A, B and C on the opposite sides BC, CA
and AB of ABC respectively, meet at O. Then O is the orthocentre of the ABC . The triangle DEF is
called the pedal triangle of ABC .
Orthocentre of the triangle is the incentre of the pedal triangle. If O is
A
the orthocentre and DEF the pedal triangle of the ABC , where AD, BE , CF
are the perpendiculars drawn from A, B, C on the opposite side BC, CA, AB
respectively, then F E
(i) OA 2 R cos A, OB 2 R cos B and OC 2 R cos C
(ii) OD 2 R cos B cos C , OE 2 R cos C cos A O
and OF 2 R cos A cos B B C
1. Sides and angles of a pedal triangle D
The angles of pedal triangle DEF are : 180 2 A, 180 2 B , 180 2C A
and sides of pedal triangle are : EF a cos A or R sin 2 A ;
FD b cos B or R sin 2 B ; DE c cos C or R sin 2C .
b cos B F E c cos C
If given ABC is obtuse, then angles are represented by
2 A, 2 B, 2C 180 and the sides are a cos A, b cos B, c cos C . O

2. Area and circum-radius and in-radius of pedal triangle B C

D
1 180 – 2A
Area of pedal triangle (Product of sides) (sine of included
2
angle)
1 2
R sin 2 A sin 2 B sin 2C
2
EF R sin 2 A R
Circum-radius of pedal triangle
2sin FDE 2sin 180 2 A 2
1 2
R sin 2 A.sin 2 B sin 2C
area of DEF 2
In-radius of pedal triangle
semi perimeter of DEF 2 R sin A.sin B.sin C
2 R cos A.cos B.cos C .
EX-CENTRAL TRIANGLE
Let ABC be triangle and I be the centre of incircle. Let I 1 , I 2 and I 3 be the centres of the escribed circle
which are opposite to A, B, C respectively then I1I 2 I 3 is called the Ex-central triangle of ABC .
I1 I 2 I3 is a triangle, thus the triangle ABC is the
I3 A I2
pedal triangle of its ex-central triangle I1 I 2 I3 .
The angle of ex-central triangle I1I 2 I 3 I 90 B / 2
90 C / 2
A B C
are 900 ,900 ,900
2 2 2 B C
A B C
II1 4 R sin , II 2 4 R sin , II3 4 R sin 90 A / 2
2 2 2
and sides are
B C A I1
I 1 I 3 = 4 R cos ; I1I 2 4 R cos ; I 2 I3 4 R cos .
2 2 2
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SOME IMPORTANT RESULTS
(1) (2) (3) P

H
h h
x

a d Q
a d
h sin H x cot tan A B
a h cot cot
sin .sin
a h cot cot , where by
h sin sin cosec - and
h a sin sin . cosec and

d h cot a sin cos cos ec d h cot a sin . cos .cosec

(6) (7) y

H
D
a

H
a sin C x B
H
sin If AB CD.Then, x y tan
2
P
(8) P (9)
N
N h
h
W E
W B E O
A
d B
A d
S d
S d P h
h cot 2 cot 2
2 2
cot cot P
(10) (11)
Q
h

A Q A B
a
a
AP a sin .cos ec ,
B
AQ a sin .cos ec
h AP sin sin .sin .cos ec and apply,
If AQ d AP cos cos .sin .cosec PQ 2 AP 2 AQ 2 2 AP. AQ cos
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