Triangles Review: Which Triangle Rule to Use?

We have four different rules for triangles - how do we know which one to use? The information below may be helpful...

First, determine if your triangle is a right triangle or not. If you have a right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem or SOHCAHTOA. Use Pythagorean if you have two sides and are missing a third side. Use SOHCAHTOA if you have an angle measure and a side.

If you don't have a right triangle, you can use either the law of sines or law of cosines. If you have angle-side-angle, use the law of sines. If you have side-angle-side or side-side-side, use the law of cosines (for the angle, make sure you leave the variable next to cosine).

If you have side-side-angle, then the triangle cannot be solved, so don't use any triangle rules!