How Do You Find a Missing Side of a Right Triangle Using Tangent?

Identify the variables, identify the given values and use a formula to find the missing length in this right triangle problem. What formula? The tangent ratio, which is normally used to show a ratio between two sides of a right triangle, but can also be used to find a missing side length. Tangent (A) equals the length of the opposite side divided by the length of the adjacent side. Plug in the values and solve.