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Why does sin30° equal 1/2?

User James Willock
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2 Answers

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18 votes

Explanation:

Take an equilateral triangle of side.

Bisec it through a vertex and the midpoint of the opposite side.

You now have two right-angled triangles with angels 30° , 60°, 90° with the edge opposite the 30° of length 1/2 and hypotenuse 1. So

sin (30°) = 1/2/1= 1/2.

Answer: The right angled triangle you describe has angels of 45 degrees, not 30 degrees.

What you proved is sin 45 = 1\2 , which is correct.

User Elisha Senoo
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18 votes
18 votes

Explanation:

it's easy to prove in any right triangle with a 30° angle, the side opposite to that angle is half the hypotenuse. CA (1/2)BC, CA/BC=1/2

User El Tea
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