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15Right triangle trig, finding angle A

In right triangle ABC, ∠C = 90°, AC = 8 and AB = 17. Find ∠A in degrees. Give the answer to 1 decimal place.

Angle A is about 61.9°. AC (8) is adjacent to A and AB (17) is the hypotenuse, so cos A = 8/17, giving A = cos⁻¹(8/17) ≈ 61.9°. Check: 17·cos(61.9°) ≈ 8.00, matching AC.

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