Boneyard Tools

Right Triangle Calculator

Enter any two values of a right triangle and get the rest. Use two legs, a leg with the hypotenuse, or one side with angle A to find every side and angle.

How to solve a right triangle

  1. Enter exactly two known values for the triangle.
  2. Use two legs, a leg and the hypotenuse, or a side with angle A.
  3. Read the remaining sides, both acute angles, the area and the perimeter.

Examples

Two legs (3-4-5 triangle)

legA = 3, legB = 4
hypotenuse 5, angle A 36.87, angle B 53.13, area 6

Leg and angle

legA = 5, angle A = 30 degrees
hypotenuse 10, legB 8.6603, area 21.6506

Frequently asked questions

What is a right triangle?

A right triangle has one 90 degree angle. The two shorter sides are the legs and the longest side, opposite the right angle, is the hypotenuse.

How many values do I need to solve a right triangle?

You need exactly two, and at least one must be a side length. Two legs, a leg and the hypotenuse, or one side and angle A all work.

Which angle is angle A?

Angle A is the acute angle opposite leg a. Angle B is opposite leg b, and the two acute angles always add up to 90 degrees.

Why can a leg not equal the hypotenuse?

The hypotenuse is always the longest side. If a leg is equal to or longer than the hypotenuse, no real right triangle exists, so the input is rejected.

Are angles in degrees or radians?

Angle A is entered in degrees, so 30 means 30 degrees. It is converted to radians internally before any sine, cosine or tangent is taken.

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