How to Work with 30-60-90-Degree Triangles - dummies

# How to Work with 30-60-90-Degree Triangles

All 30-60-90-degree triangles have sides with the same basic ratio. Two of the most common right triangles are 30-60-90 and the 45-45-90 degree triangles. If you look at the 30–60–90-degree triangle in radians, it translates to the following:

In any 30-60-90 triangle, you see the following:

• The shortest leg is across from the 30-degree angle.

• The length of the hypotenuse is always two times the length of the shortest leg.

• You can find the long leg by multiplying the short leg by the square root of 3.

Note: The hypotenuse is the longest side in a right triangle, which is different from the long leg. The long leg is the leg opposite the 60-degree angle.

The figure illustrates the ratio of the sides for the 30-60-90-degree triangle.

A 30-60-90-degree right triangle.

If you know one side of a 30-60-90 triangle, you can find the other two by using shortcuts. Here are the three situations you come across when doing these calculations:

• Type 1: You know the short leg (the side across from the 30-degree angle). Double its length to find the hypotenuse. You can multiply the short side by the square root of 3 to find the long leg.

• Type 2: You know the hypotenuse. Divide the hypotenuse by 2 to find the short side. Multiply this answer by the square root of 3 to find the long leg.

• Type 3: You know the long leg (the side across from the 60-degree angle). Divide this side by the square root of 3 to find the short side. Double that figure to find the hypotenuse.

Finding the other sides of a 30-60-90 triangle when you know the hypotenuse.

In the triangle TRI in this figure, the hypotenuse is 14 inches long; how long are the other sides?

Because you have the hypotenuse TR = 14, you can divide by 2 to get the short side: RI = 7. Now you multiply this length by the square root of 3 to get the long side: