Help needed with basic Trig

I'm having issues with this....
You have right triangle ABC.
AB is the hypotenuse, C is the right angle, and CB is the shortest line, if that helps.
I can't really draw the triangle on this....
l B
l
l
l
l
l_________________-A=14 degrees
C
BC=2.3
BA=x
I need to write an equation using sine or cosine, and use it to find the value of x to the nearest tenth.
HOW THE HECK DO YOU DO THIS?!?!
And how do you tell sine from cosine?!?
I need to know how to do this by Sunday night at the latest, or else I'm dead. o_o Dead and doomed. Dooooooooooooooooooooooooomed.....

Well for starters here is a tip for you, remember this "SOH CAH TOA", it stands for:

Sine-Opposite over Hypotenuse

Cosine- Adjacent over Hypotenuse

Tangent-Opposite over Adjacent

Sorry but you'll have to give me a minute to come up with a good enough explaination to help you out. So just give a sec, my brain isn't exactly wanting to do math at the moment.

I'll help... I'm bored...

In this post the / is equivalent to a fraction bar or a division sign (which both mean the same anyway)

I'll do it for both Sine and Cosine...

Using your crappy drawing of a triangle...

(The angles in a triangle equal 180 degrees if you didn't realize)

76
|
|
2.3 |
|
|
|__________________14
90

You have to think of sines in the terms of theta, or the angle you are using. Using the information given, to find x (the hypotenuse), you would need to do this:

sin 14 = 2.3/x

The defintion of Sine is the side opposite of the angle/hypotenuse

that is what the sine of 14 is in this example The angle (14), the side opposite of the angle (the 2.3) and the hypotenuse (x). Using algebra (then a calculator), you simply put x on one side, and the other 2 terms on the other.

(sin 14)x = 2.3
x = 2.3/sin 14

You have to use a calculator to find sines and cosines. Unless you have a table of sines and cosines.

Using cosine, it's just using the other angle.

cos 76 = 2.3/x

Now, using Cosine of 76 (the angle) the rules change. Cosine is defined as the side adjacent to the angle/hypotenuse. The side adjacent (2.3) and the hypotenuse (x). Using algebra again:

(cos 76)x = 2.3
x=2.3/cos 76

If you did it right, they both equal the same number.

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouth ankyouthankyou!!!!!!

Don't mention it...

I eventually wanna teach that sorta stuff, so practice with it is a good thing

I'm doing Trigonometry right now too, and this is something our teacher taught us, to help us remember the ratios. Sine=Opposite/Hypotenuse, Cosine=Adjacent/Hypotenuse, and Tangent=Opposite/Adjacent. Together, they spell out SOH CAH TOA. It sounds like some phrase in a different language, but that's how I remember everything, SOHCAHTOA

Yeah, I have a sheet about SOH CAH TOA. When you have to use Law of Cosine, it makes all of those Trig formulas look like child's play.

SOH CAH TOA is standard teaching in Trig

when you get to learning about which Trig Function is positive and negative in each quadrant... my teacher taught us "A Sh***y Trig Course" It was funny.

I don't mean do get off topic, but what great do you start doing this?

I started in...7th...maybe sixth...I don't remember...

Uh...yeah way off topic.

Originally Posted by Lozzie

SOH CAH TOA is standard teaching in Trig

when you get to learning about which Trig Function is positive and negative in each quadrant... my teacher taught us "A Sh***y Trig Course" It was funny.

Hah. We got the PG version "All Students Take Calculus."

I remember learning SOH CAH TOA in eighth grade while taking ninth grade math. That's New York for you.

I've learned both SOH CAH TOA and All Students Take Calculus.

My SOH CAH TOA teacher says you can remember it by thinkin that is the name of an Indian chief.

I remember learning SOH CAH TOA in eighth grade while taking ninth grade math. That's New York for you.

Dude, I live in New York, and I had to know it for the Eighth Grade Math Asessment!! I KNOW that because I just took the state test today! But sadly I am not in the accelerated math...I am in advanced eigth grade math though!!^_^