Question

In a right triangle, the side opposite angle φ has a length of 29.0 meters, the side adjacent to angle φ has a length of 49.5 meters, and the hypotenuse has a length of 57.4 meters. What is the value of cot(φ)?

Answer 1

We need to find:

`\cot\varphi`

We have the following configuration:

Also:

`\cot\varphi=\frac{\text{ adjacent leg}}{\text{ opposite leg}}`

In this problem, we have:

`\begin{gathered} \text{ adjacent leg }=49.5 \\ \\ \text{ opposite leg }=29.0 \end{gathered}`

Thus, we obtain:

`\cot\varphi=(49.5)/(29.0)\cong1.7`

Therefore, the answer is approximately 1.7.