Monday, August 1, 2011
SOH-CAH-TOA This simple mnemonic (which bears a resemblance to a Native American name) is used to remember how to compute the sine, cosine and tangent of a right-angled triangle and the relationships between them. When labeling a triangle, it is imperative to take note of the following parts: Hypotenuse (H) - the longest side of the triangle Angle (θ) - theta is often used to name the acute angle of a triangle one’s trying to find the sine/cosine/tangent of, however this is not always the case; any consistent labeling is fine Adjacent (A) - the side of the triangle next to the selected angle Opposite (O) - the side of the triangle opposite the selected angle  Note: Do not think that the way the pictured triangle above is the only way you can label a triangle. The opposite and adjacent can easily switch places if the other angle is selected! Opposite Sin θ = ----------------- Adjacent Adjacent Cos θ = ----------------- Hypotenuse   Opposite Tan θ = ----------------- Hypotenuse

SOH-CAH-TOA

This simple mnemonic (which bears a resemblance to a Native American name) is used to remember how to compute the sine, cosine and tangent of a right-angled triangle and the relationships between them.

When labeling a triangle, it is imperative to take note of the following parts:

  • Hypotenuse (H) - the longest side of the triangle
  • Angle (θ) - theta is often used to name the acute angle of a triangle one’s trying to find the sine/cosine/tangent of, however this is not always the case; any consistent labeling is fine
  • Adjacent (A) - the side of the triangle next to the selected angle
  • Opposite (O) - the side of the triangle opposite the selected angle 

Note: Do not think that the way the pictured triangle above is the only way you can label a triangle. The opposite and adjacent can easily switch places if the other angle is selected!

              Opposite

Sin θ = -----------------

              Adjacent


              Adjacent

Cos θ = -----------------

             Hypotenuse


              Opposite

Tan θ = -----------------

             Hypotenuse
Posted at 6:14 PM 148 notes Tags: adjacent cosine hypotenuse math opposite phyrics pythagoras theorem ratio right angle science sine sohcahtoa tangent theta triangle trigonometry science education information knowledge sayitwithscience

Notes

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