In a right triangle, the sine of an angle is defined as the ratio of which two sides?

In a right triangle, the sine of an angle is defined as the ratio of which two sides?

• A. The ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse
• B. The ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side
• C. The ratio of the opposite side to the longest side
• D. The ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side

Answer: (C)

In a right triangle, the sine of an angle is the ratio of the length of the side opposite that angle to the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle, which is the longest side). So sine = opposite / hypotenuse. This makes the sine value always between 0 and 1 for angles between 0° and 90°. For context, the other standard ratios are cosine = adjacent / hypotenuse and tangent = opposite / adjacent, while the reciprocal of sine is cosecant = hypotenuse / opposite.

In a right triangle, the sine of an angle is the ratio of the length of the side opposite that angle to the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle, which is the longest side). So sine = opposite / hypotenuse. This makes the sine value always between 0 and 1 for angles between 0° and 90°.

For context, the other standard ratios are cosine = adjacent / hypotenuse and tangent = opposite / adjacent, while the reciprocal of sine is cosecant = hypotenuse / opposite.