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What is the method to find the height of a 3D triangle using trigonometry?

To determine the height of a triangle in three-dimensional space, we can utilize trigonometric ratios that involve the angles and side lengths of the triangle.

Let’s delve into the details. A 3D triangle is defined as a triangle situated in three-dimensional space. To find its height, we first need to identify a base and the corresponding height from a vertex perpendicular to this base. For instance, consider a triangle with vertices labeled as AA, BB, and CC. If we wish to find the height from vertex AA perpendicular to the base BCBC, we can follow these steps:

  1. Calculate the Length of Base BCBC: If we have the coordinates of points BB and CC, we can apply the distance formula to find the length of the base BCBC:

    BC=(x2x1)2+(y2y1)2+(z2z1)2BC = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2 + (z_2 - z_1)^2}
  2. Determine the Angle at Vertex AA: We will denote this angle as BAC\angle BAC. If we know the lengths of sides ABAB and ACAC, we can employ the cosine rule to compute this angle:

    cos(BAC)=AB2+AC2BC22ABAC\cos(\angle BAC) = \frac{AB^2 + AC^2 - BC^2}{2 \cdot AB \cdot AC}
  3. Calculate the Height from AA to Base BCBC: With the angle BAC\angle BAC determined, we can use the sine function to find the height hh from vertex AA to the base BCBC:

    h=ABsin(BAC)h = AB \cdot \sin(\angle BAC)

Alternatively, if the area of triangle ABCABC and the length of base BCBC are known, we can utilize the formula for the area of a triangle:

Area=12BCh\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \cdot BC \cdot h

By rearranging this formula, we can solve for hh:

h=2AreaBCh = \frac{2 \cdot \text{Area}}{BC}

These methods provide a systematic approach to finding the height of a triangle in 3D space using trigonometric principles, leveraging angles, side lengths, and the area of the triangle.

Answered by: Prof. Michael Lewis
IB Physics Tutor
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