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JEE Main 2026 Preparation: Question Papers, Solutions, Mock Tests & Strategy Unacademy » JEE Study Material » Mathematics » Cosine rule

Cosine rule

The rule of cosines is a relationship between the lengths of a triangle's sides and the cosine of one of its angles. We can now get distance and angle values that we couldn't get any other way by using trigonometry. When computing the third side of a triangle given two sides and their enclosed angle, and when computing the angles of a triangle if all three sides are known, the rule of cosines comes into play. In this article we will focus on the cosine rule.

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Introduction

The law of cosines, often known as the cosine rule, is a formula that links the cosine to the three side lengths of a triangle. The rule of cosine aids in determining the link between the lengths of a triangle’s sides and the angles’ cosine. The Pythagoras theorem, which applies to a right triangle, is generalised by the cosine law in trigonometry.

Rule of cosine- statement

The square of any one of a triangle’s sides is equal to the difference between the sums of squares of the other two sides and double the product of the other sides and the cosine angle included between them, according to the rule of cosine.

The cosine rule has two applications:

  • If we know the three side lengths of the given triangle, we can apply the cosine rule to get the three unknown angles.
  • If we know two side lengths and the angle between them, we can apply the cosine rule to get the third side length of a triangle.

Cosine rule side formula

Consider the ABC oblique triangle below. A non-right triangle is known as an oblique triangle. Keep in mind that the side lengths are written in lowercase letters, while the angles are written in upper case letters.

Conclusion

We learn about the cosine rule in this article. In trigonometry, the square of the length of any side of a triangle is equivalent to the total of the squares of the lengths of the other sides minus twice the product of the other two sides multiplied by the cosine of the angle between them. If all three sides of the triangle are known, the cosine rule can be used to calculate any of the angle measures. The cosine rule can also be used to compute the length of the third side if two sides and their angles are known.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the JEE Examination Preparation.

What is the cosine rule?

Ans. The Cosine Rule states that the square of the length of any side of a triangle is equal to the sum of the squar...Read full

SOH CAH TOA stand for?

Ans.  SOH: Sin(θ) = Opposite / Hypotenuse...Read full

What is the Rule of Cosines Formula's Application?

Ans. When two sides and an included angle are known, the rule of cosines formula is used to identify the missing sid...Read full

Is it possible to apply the cosine law to all triangles?

Ans. The law of cosine is not limited to right triangles; it is used to any type of triangle in which an unknown sid...Read full

When should the law of cosines be applied?

Ans. When we know the lengths of the other two sides and the angle between them, we can apply the cosine law to find...Read full

How do you calculate the cosine value?

Ans.The length of the neighbouring side divided by the length of the hypotenuse side is the value of a cosine functi...Read full

Ans. The Cosine Rule states that the square of the length of any side of a triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other sides minus twice the product of the other two sides multiplied by the cosine of angle included between them in trigonometry.

 

Ans.  SOH: Sin(θ) = Opposite / Hypotenuse. CAH: Cos(θ) = Adjacent / Hypotenuse. TOA: Tan(θ) = Opposite / Adjacent.

 

Ans. When two sides and an included angle are known, the rule of cosines formula is used to identify the missing side of a triangle, i.e. in the situation of an SAS triangle.

 

 

Ans. The law of cosine is not limited to right triangles; it is used to any type of triangle in which an unknown side or angle must be determined.

 

Ans. When we know the lengths of the other two sides and the angle between them, we can apply the cosine law to find the third side of a triangle.

Ans.The length of the neighbouring side divided by the length of the hypotenuse side is the value of a cosine function of an angle, according to this formula.

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