Question in-the

4.2 Right Triangles & Trigonometry - Trig ratios (sin, cos, tan) in right triangles
0:00
The figure presents triangle P Q R, where side P R is horizontal, and point Q is directly above point P. Angle P is a right angle. Angle R is labeled 30 degrees and side Q R is labeled 8.

In the right triangle shown above, what is the length of line P Q ?

Enter your answer:

In the right triangle shown above, what is the length of ?

Hard-difficulty · SAT Math · Right Triangles & Trigonometry — Trig ratios (sin, cos, tan) in right triangles. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 4. Triangle PQR has given angle measures of 30° and 90°, so the third angle must be 60° because the measures of the angles of a triangle sum to 180°. For any special right triangle with angles measuring 30°, 60°, and 90°, the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is 2x, where x is the length of the side opposite the 30° angle. Segment PQ is opposite the 30° angle. Therefore, 2(PQ) = 8 and PQ = 4.