Trigonometry
Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics that deals with the study of triangles and their relationships with angles, sides, and trigonometric functions. Trigonometry has various real-world applications such as in navigation, engineering, physics, and architecture.
Key Concepts
- Trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant, and cotangent
- Right triangles: opposite, adjacent, and hypotenuse
- Unit circle: a circle with a radius of one
- Trigonometric identities: Pythagorean identity, reciprocal identities, quotient identities, and co-function identities
- Law of sines and law of cosines
- Radians and degrees
- Trigonometric graphs
- Applications of trigonometry
Definitions
- Sine: The ratio of the opposite side to the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
- Cosine: The ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse of a right triangle.
- Tangent: The ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side of a right triangle.
- Cosecant: The reciprocal of the sine function.
- Secant: The reciprocal of the cosine function.
- Cotangent: The reciprocal of the tangent function.
- Law of sines: A relationship between the ratio of the length of a side of a triangle to the sine of the angle opposite that side.
- Law of cosines: A relationship between the angle and the length of the sides of a triangle using the cosine function.
Important Information
- Trigonometry is used extensively in science and engineering fields.
- An understanding of trigonometry is essential for higher level mathematics and physics courses.
- Trigonometry can be applied to various real-world problems such as calculating distances, angles, and trajectories.
Takeaways
- Trigonometry involves the study of triangles and their relationships with angles and sides.
- Trigonometry uses six trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant, and cotangent.
- The laws of sines and cosines can be used to solve problems involving non-right triangles.
- Trigonometry has numerous real-world applications in various fields.