i.

'98
TIIEOIIY OF
AIlCIllTECTUUE.
Book II.
y
loiiiKi iroin iiie piiuciinch
lii siuniai n umgicr,. ^i. w.v, ^.^ ^..-
v.r.v
'<''
ji

he sine, CF or BK the cosine, AH tlie tangent, CII the secant, I)L the cotangent,
the cosecant, the radius being CA or CB or CD
;
the three similar triangles CFB,
lOlD. PRnn. II. To coiiijwte tlic tancievti; and secants.
Having, by the foregoing
problem, found tlie sines and cosines, the tangents and secants
are
e.isily" found from the principles of similar triangles. In the arc AB
{fg.
P,95.), wiiere
BF is the
-
-
and CL
CAH, CDL, give the following proportions;

I. CF : FB::CA : AH, by which we find that the tangent is a fourth proportional

to the cosine, sine, and radius.
II. CF :
CB::CA : CH, by which we find that the secant is a third proportional to
the cosine and radius.
III. BF : FC::CD : DL, by
which we find that the cotangent is a fourth proportional
to the sine, cosine, and radius.
IV. BF ; BC::CD : CL, by
which we find that the cosecant is a third proportional
to the sine and radius.
Observation 1. Tiiere are therefore three methods of resolving triangles, or the cases of
trio-onometry; viz. geometrical construction,
arithmetical comimtation, and instrumental
oiieration. The method of carrying out the first and the last does not need explanation :
tlie method is obvious. The second method, from its superior accuracy in practice, is that
wliereof we propose to treat in this place.
Observation 2. Every triangle has six parts, viz. three sides and three angles. And in all
eases of trigonometry, three parts must be
given to find the other three. And of the three
l)arts so given, one at least must be a side ; because,
with the same angles, the sides may be
greater or less in any proportion.
Observation 3. All the cases, in
trigonometry are comprised in three varieties only
;
viz.
1st. When a side and its opposite angle are given. 2d. When two sides and the con.
tained angle are given. 3d. When the three sides are given.
INIore than these three varieties there cannot
possibly be
;
and for each of them we shail
give a separate theorem.
1050.
Thkokem I. ]]lien a side andits opposite angle are two
of
the given parts.
Tiien the sides of the triangle have the same proportion to each other as the sines of
their opposite angles have. That is,
As any one side
Is to the sine of its o])posite angle,
So is any (.'ther side
To the sine of its opposite angle.
For let ABC
{fig.
397.)
be the proposed
triangle, having AB the greatest side, and BC
Ine least. Take AD as a radius e(|ual to BC, and let
fall tlie
perpendiculars DE, CF, wiiich will evidently be
the sines of the angles A and B, to the radius AD or
BC. Now the triangles ADE, ACF are
equiangular
;
they therefore have their like sides proportional, namely,
AC : CF:: AD or BC : DE, that is, the sine AC is to
the
sine of its opposite angle B as the side BC is to the
fik. 5u7.
sine of its opposite angle A,
_ _
...
Note 1. In practice, when an angle is sought, the
projiortion is to be begun with a side
opposite a given angle
;
and to find a side, we nmst begin with the angle opposite the
given side.
. ...
Note 2. By the above rule, an angle, when found, is ambiguous
;
that is, it is not certain
whether it be acute or obtuse, unless it come oat a right angle, or its magnitude be such as
to remove the
ambiguity ;
inasmuch as the sine answers to two angles, which are supple-
ments to each other ;
and hence the geometrical
construction forms two triangles with the
same i)arts,
as in an exami)le
which will foilov.-: and if tliere be no restriction or limitation
included in the question, either result may be
adopted. The degrees in a table answer-
in;; to the sine is the acute angle
;
but if the angle be obtuse, the degrees must be sub-
tracted from 180 degrees, and the remainder will be the obtuse angle. When a given
angle is obtuse, or is one of 90 degrees, no ambiguity can occur,
because
neither of the other angles can then be obtuse, and the
geometrical
construction will only form one triangle.
Example
1. In the plane triangle ABC,
Let A B be 345 feet,
BC 232 feet,
L A 37
20'
:
Required the other ])arts.
First, to the angles at C and B
{Ji(j.
?>'.)S.)