Basic Trigonometry

Trigonometry

(from Greek trigōnon, "triangle" and metron, "measure"^[1]) is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships involving lengths and angles of triangles.  The special functions Sine, Cosine and Tangent help to find the angle or the length of the triangle.  They are simply one side of a triangle divided by another.

Basic Trigonometry Rules:

·         These formulas ONLY work in a right triangle.

·         The hypotenuse is always across from the right angle.

·         Questions usually ask for an answer to the nearest units.

·         You will need a scientific or graphing calculator.

      1) The side across the right angle is called the                

           hypotenuse (H). 
      2) The side across the angle θ is called the Opposite (O).
      3) The side adjacent to the angle θ is called Adjacent (A).

The Sine, Cosine and Tangent functions express the ratios of sides of a right triangle.

You may visit the following link to read more about Basic Trigonometry:

www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/trigonometry.html

You may also find the following tutorial videos helpful:

1. Basic trigonometry: Introduction to trigonometry

and also this video