Is this question solvable using the law of sines and cosines?

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  1. Is it possible to (analytically) calculate the area of the following triangle using the rules of sines and cosines?
  2. Is it possible to calculate it using only the rule of sines?

The data given is: $BD$ is a median to $AC$, $\angle ABD = 50^\circ$, $\angle DBC = 18^\circ$ and $BD = 4.2~\text{cm}$.

It seems to me that some data is missing.

Am I right? enter image description here

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Hint: extend $BD$ to $E$, such that $DE = BD$. You should be able to find enough information in the triangle $\triangle BCE$ to calculate its area.

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Let $x = AB$ , $ y = BC$, $\beta = \angle BDA $

Then

$\text{Area} = \dfrac{1}{2} (4.2) ( x \sin(50^\circ) + y \sin (18^\circ) ) = \dfrac{1}{2} x y \sin(68^\circ)\hspace{15pt} (1) $

And from the law of sines we have

$\dfrac{ x }{\sin \beta } = \dfrac{AD}{\sin(50^\circ)}$

$\dfrac{y}{\sin \beta } = \dfrac{DC}{\sin(18)^\circ}$

So by dividing these two equations we get

$ \dfrac{x}{y} = \dfrac{ \sin(18^\circ)}{ \sin(50^\circ) } \hspace{15pt} (2)$

Equation $(2)$ implies that

$ y = \left(\dfrac{ \sin(50^\circ)}{ \sin(18^\circ) } \right) x \hspace{15pt} (3)$

Substituting for $y$ from $(3)$ into $(1)$, and dividing by $x$ (because $x$ cannot be zero), results in

$ (4.2) ( 2 \sin(50^\circ) ) = x \dfrac{\sin(68^\circ) \sin(50^\circ) }{\sin(18^\circ)} $

Hence,

$ x = \dfrac{ 8.4 \sin(18^\circ) }{\sin(68^\circ)} $

and, consequently,

$ y = \dfrac{ 8.4 \sin(50^\circ) }{ \sin(68^\circ)}$

And finally, the area is

$\text{Area} = \dfrac{1}{2} x y \sin(68^\circ) = 35.28 \dfrac{ \sin(18^\circ) \sin(50^\circ) }{ \sin(68^\circ)} \approx 9.0074$