Transcript text: Find the angle measure of $\theta$.
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify the sides of the right triangle
In the given right triangle, we have:
Opposite side to angle \( \theta \): \( 12 \) (side \( BC \))
Adjacent side to angle \( \theta \): \( 7 \) (side \( AB \))
Step 2: Use the tangent function
The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side. Therefore, we can write:
\[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}} = \frac{12}{7} \]
Step 3: Calculate the angle using the arctangent function
To find the angle \( \theta \), we take the arctangent (inverse tangent) of \( \frac{12}{7} \):
\[ \theta = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{12}{7}\right) \]
Using a calculator:
\[ \theta \approx \tan^{-1}(1.714) \approx 59.74^\circ \]