MA30-11 Maths Coming soon
Trigonometry in 3D and complex figures
MA30-11
This lesson is coming soon.
In this lesson
Identify the flat two-dimensional right-angled triangle hidden inside an unfamiliar or complex 3D solid, and apply trigonometry to it while keeping intermediate lengths exact until the final step.
What it covers
- Identify a right-angled triangle embedded inside a complex or unfamiliar 3D solid - a triangular prism, a composite solid, or a non-square-based pyramid, rather than a plain labelled cuboid
- Apply trigonometry, and Pythagoras where needed, to that triangle once it has been correctly identified
- Carry exact or unrounded intermediate lengths through a multi-step calculation, avoiding the documented accuracy loss from rounding too early
- Build the confidence to attempt this question type at all, since the evidence shows most students don't even try
Key words
For: AQA GCSE 8300, Edexcel GCSE 1MA1, Eduqas GCSE C300, OCR GCSE J560
On the specification
| Board | Spec | Statement |
|---|---|---|
| AQA GCSE 8300 | G20 | Know the formulae for: Pythagoras’ theorem, a² + b² = c² and the trigonometric ratios, sinθ = opposite/hypotenuse, cosθ = adjacent/hypotenuse and tanθ = opposite/adjacent |
| Edexcel GCSE 1MA1 | G20 | Know the formulae for: Pythagoras’ theorem a² + b² = c², and the trigonometric ratios, sin θ = opposite/hypotenuse, cos θ = adjacent/hypotenuse and tan θ = opposite/adjacent; apply them to find angles and lengths in right-angled triangles in two-dimensional figures |
| Eduqas GCSE C300 | HG20 | Know the formulae for: Pythagoras' theorem, a² + b² = c², and the trigonometric ratios, sin θ = opposite/hypotenuse, cos θ = adjacent/hypotenuse, tan θ = opposite/adjacent, apply them to find angles and lengths in right-angled triangles in two dimensional figures and, where possible, general triangles in two and three dimensional figures |
| OCR GCSE J560 | 10.05b | Know and apply the trigonometric ratios, sin θ, cos θ and tan θ and apply them to find angles and lengths in right-angled triangles in 2D figures. |
For teachers
This GCSE Maths lesson teaches trigonometry in 3D and complex figures. By the end, students should be able to identify the flat two-dimensional right-angled triangle hidden inside an unfamiliar or complex 3D solid, and apply trigonometry to it while keeping intermediate lengths exact until the final step. It works through two worked examples and the mistakes examiners report.