Final answer:
The equations for a right triangle's sine, cosine, and tangent of angle a are 'sin a = b/c', 'cos a = a/c', and 'tan a = b/a' respectively; 'sin b = cos a = a/c'; and the Pythagorean theorem confirms these relationships with 'a² + b² = c²'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the calculation of trigonometric functions for a right-angled triangle with sides labeled a, b, and c, where c is the hypotenuse, a and b are the lengths of the other two sides, and angles are labeled as ABC with A being the right angle.
- Sine of angle a (sin a) is equal to the length of the opposite side (b) divided by the length of the hypotenuse (c), so sin a = b/c.
- Cosine of angle a (cos a) is equal to the length of the adjacent side (a) divided by the length of the hypotenuse (c), so cos a = a/c.
- Tangent of angle a (tan a) is equal to the sine of angle a divided by the cosine of angle a, which is also equal to the length of the opposite side divided by the length of the adjacent side (b/a), so tan a = b/a.
- The sine of angle b (sin b) is equal to the length of the opposite side (a) divided by the length of the hypotenuse (c), so sin b = a/c.
These equations rely on the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, a² + b² = c². Moreover, the values of sin, cos, and tan functions must be consistent with the principles stated, as these are fundamental to trigonometry and geometry.