How do I know when to use sin, cos or tan?

  1. Check that your triangle is a right-angled triangle. Remember, you can only use pythagoras theorem or SOHCAHTOA on right-angled triangles.
  2. Label the sides O, H and A: opposite (the angle), hypotenuse (longest side), adjacent (to the angle). Label the opposite and hypotenuse first, that way you won't make a mistake on the adjacent which some students find confusing. 
  3. Cross out the irrelevant side and write out SOHCAHTOA
  4. Which combination do you have: OH, AH or OA? OH: use sine. AH: use cosine. OA: use tangent.
  5. Write out the formula relevant to the question: sin xo = O/H or cos xo = A/H or tan xo = O/A
  6. Substitute the values given in the question. There should only be one unknown. 
  7. Solve for the unknown by rearranging the equation. 
CS
Answered by Camilla S. Maths tutor

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