Thread: Diagram and Trig/Pre-Calc prob... really confusing...

At a criminal trial, the witness gave the following testimony: "the defendant was 20 ft from the victim. I was 50 ft from the defendant and 75 ft from the victim when the shooting occurred, I saw the whole thing."
a) Use the law of cosines to show that the testimony has errors.
b) How else could you know that the testimony has errors?

Thanks!!!

Hello, aioria1995!

Did you make a sketch?

At a criminal trial, the witness gave the following testimony:
"The defendant was 20 ft from the victim.
I was 50 ft from the defendant and 75 ft from the victim when the shooting occurred."

a) Use the Law of Cosines to show that the testimony has errors.

Code:

              20
    D o  *  *  *  *  *  o V
       *              *
        *           *
      50 *        * 75
          *     *
           *  *
            o
            W

But must be betweeen and

The witness' description is impossible.

b) How else could you know that the testimony has errors?

Lengths of 20, 50, and 75 cannot form a triangle.

Code:

              *       *
         20 *             *    50
          *                   *
        *                         *
      *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
                    75