Find the hypotenuse of a right triangle given one leg and two angles.
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
4. Set up the equation: Using the $60^\circ$ angle, the opposite side is $4\sqrt{3}$ ft, and the hypotenuse is $f$. So, we have:
$$\sin(60^\circ) = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{f}$$
5. Solve for f: We know that $\sin(60^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$. Substitute this value into the equation:
$$\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{f}$$
To solve for $f$, we can cross-multiply:
$$f \cdot \sqrt{3} = 2 \cdot 4\sqrt{3}$$
$$f\sqrt{3} = 8\sqrt{3}$$
Now, divide both sides by $\sqrt{3}$:
$$f = \frac{8\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}}$$
$$f = 8$$
Alternatively, we could use the $30^\circ$ angle. The side adjacent to the $30^\circ$ angle is $4\sqrt{3}$ ft, and the hypotenuse is $f$. The cosine of an angle is the ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse: $\cos(\theta) = \frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}}$.
$$\cos(30^\circ) = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{f}$$
We know that $\cos(30^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$. Substitute this value:
$$\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} = \frac{4\sqrt{3}}{f}$$
This leads to the same equation as before, and thus the same result for $f$.