Skip to main content
Interactive math tool

Law of Sines: Circumcircle Proof a = 2R sin A

Circumcircle, chord midpoint, and right triangle OMB — see sin A = (a/2)/R. Toggle to verify the cosine law too.

The geometric heart of the law of sines is the circumcircle: the central angle is twice the inscribed angle, the perpendicular from O bisects the chord, hence a = 2R sin A.

How it works

  1. Open the scene (sine mode by default).
  2. Watch the circumcircle, center O, midpoint M, and green right triangle OMB.
  3. Drag A/B/C and compare (a/2)/R with sin A in the panel.
  4. Switch to cosine mode to check the residual near 0.

When to use which

SAS → cosines; ASA/AAS → sines.

FAQ

What about right triangles?

With a right angle, the cosine law reduces to Pythagoras — compare with the Pythagorean tool.

Is this tool free?

Yes. It runs in the browser with no install.

Good for class demos?

Yes — project it and ask what changes when you drag a parameter.

How do I write the formula afterward?

Open the equation editor or symbol sheet and copy a clean expression.

Open sines & cosines tool