Question

fall 2025 geometry b wwva right triangle relationships and trigonometry the equation cos(35°) = can be used to find the length of bc. what is the length of bc? round to the nearest tenth.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall cosine formula

$\cos\theta=\frac{\text{adjacent}}{\text{hypotenuse}}$. Given $\theta = 35^{\circ}$ and hypotenuse $AB = 25$ in, and $\cos(35^{\circ})=\frac{BC}{AB}$.

Step2: Solve for $BC$

$BC = AB\times\cos(35^{\circ})$. Since $\cos(35^{\circ})\approx0.819$ and $AB = 25$ in, then $BC=25\times0.819 = 20.475\approx20.5$ in.

Answer:

$20.5$ in