16Hit1600
Geometry and TrigonometryVery hardSine from tangent

Geometry and Trigonometry practice question

In right triangle ABC, angle C is the right angle and tan A = 2. What is the value of sin A?

  1. A. 2√5/5Correct
  2. B. √5/5
  3. C. 1/2
  4. D. √5/2

Answer: A. 2√5/5

tan A = opposite/adjacent = 2, so take opposite = 2 and adjacent = 1. The hypotenuse is √(2² + 1²) = √5. Then sin A = opposite/hypotenuse = 2/√5 = 2√5/5.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. √5/5
√5/5 = 1/√5 is cos A (adjacent/hypotenuse), not sin A.
C. 1/2
1/2 is adjacent/opposite, which is tan B (or 1/tan A), not a sine.
D. √5/2
√5/2 is hypotenuse/opposite — the ratio for sin A turned upside down.

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