A 10-inch offset at 30 degrees is being made. What is the distance between center-to-center bends?

• A. 12 inches
• B. 16 inches
• C. 24 inches
• D. 20 inches

Answer: (D)

In an offset with a given angle, the offset distance forms the side opposite the bend angle in a right triangle, while the distance between the centerlines of the bends is the hypotenuse. So the center-to-center distance equals the offset divided by the sine of the angle.

Compute: 10 inches / sin(30°) = 10 / 0.5 = 20 inches.

Therefore, the distance between center-to-center bends is 20 inches. Using cosine would give about 11.6 inches, and using tangent would give about 17.3 inches, neither of which match the correct geometry.