Math Is Fun Forum

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Sin, Cos, and Tan

hi ok, I need help on Sin, Cos, and Tan and i dont get really how they work on the calculator either can someone give me a very in-depth tutorial but plz dont make it like collage level vocabulary

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Hi Aartt;

Welcome to the forum. That is a very tough question. Can you give some hint as to what you are confused about?

Try this first:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/trigonometry.html

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

when do you know if you have to use sin tan or cos and how does it work on  a calculator (just asking)

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

I get how it finds angles but im learning a programming language and it says like math.cos(2) how does that work?

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Hi;

That looks like java. What it is saying is what is the cosine of 2 radians. That is the math part.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

i think so
but actually its lua not java

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Have you looked at the site I gave you?

Here is another:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/sine-cosine-tangent.html

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

ok ive only read the example one and it shows you how you find the sin tan and cos but why do you use them and when? im sorry if theyve the tutorial has already answered my question but im kinda of a bad reader.

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Basically they are used for determining unknown lengths and unknown angles in triangles. They are everywhere in math and can be used in navigation, physics, astronomy, programming, etc. Do you remember what a right triangle is?

---

In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

ya a right triangle is made up of a right angle and two other angles so ya

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Do you remember SOHCAHTOA?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

i havent learned it yet but i saw it somewhere i think it was sin = opp/hyp cos = adj/hyp and tan = opp/adj right?

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

That is correct and what does that mean as far as a right triangle is concerned?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

well i dont get how the opposite thing works or the adjecent thing works either but i know the hypotenuse is always the longest

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Take a look this triangle, what does angle A equal?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

what triangle and gtg now ill be back in the afternoon bye

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

oh
ill figure that out later bye

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

The triangle at the bottom of my post. Where did he go? He was this close to doing his first bit of trigonometry and whoosh he disappeared!
Let that be a lesson to all of mankind. Trigonometry will make you vanish!

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,626

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

hi bobbym,

How are you?  Haven't had a chat for a while.

I don't see a triangle at the bottom of your post.

Arhhh! Now I see it, but the poster has gone instead.  Perhaps it's one of those fairy stories where two are never seen together.

Bob

Last edited by Bob (2010-12-14 04:24:01)

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

I found him. He was sent to the vending machine. He may return but I promise no more trigonometry until he nails his shoes to the floor. That way the evil trig will not send him to the vending machine.

I appear to be well Bob, and how are you?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,626

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

hi bobbym,

I'm well and very busy.  When I stopped paid teaching I wanted to carry on with my 'tech crew' who do lights, sound and graphics for shows.  We did Aladdin recently and got snowed off for a dance show.  Then we did the school Christmas concert, plus a primary school nativity.  That was last Friday.  One of my crew fell over in the playground and I had to take him to hospital with a broken arm! **

Tomorrow we are entertaining at a pensioners' dinner, Thursday school disco, Friday end of term Christmas services.

How I ever found the time to teach, I don't know!  But it's great fun for me and keeps me off the streets!

Bob

ps.  ** He had the broken arm, not me.  It would be dangerous driving to hospital with a broken arm! 

Last edited by Bob (2010-12-14 05:03:52)

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

hi im back and for the triangle question im guessing you have to use cosine.. right? and im guessing the angle is umm lets see uhh im confused i did the 3/5 and i got 0.6 but that definattly isnt the answer cause the angle looks way bigger helpz D:

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Hi;

Do not go by the drawings they are not to scale. Remember sohcahtoa?

You can get all of this from that drawing.

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.

Aartt

Member

Registered: 2010-12-14

Posts: 136

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

ok but what do i now do ? i get how to find the tan sin and cos but what now?

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Im a 6th grader(ya your all thinking what is he doing here. My answer is I <3 Math and i cannot get enough) I also like Science like Chemistry and Physics(even though i know about nothing about them i still love them because the include the word "MATH" )

bobbym

bumpkin

From: Bumpkinland

Registered: 2009-04-12

Posts: 109,606

Re: Sin, Cos, and Tan

Let's choose:

sin(A) = 4 / 5 = .8. To get the A out of that sine you use arcsin. Got an arcsin key on you calculator?

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In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.