Archive for the ‘Trigonometry’ Category
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
How to Find the Absolute Value of a Complex Number
Description
A detailed tutorial on the absolute value of a complex number. Step by step tutorial including several examples on the absolute value of a complex number for reference.
Overview
The absolute value of a complex number is a little different than the absolute value of a real number, because complex numbers deal with imaginary numbers. However, the answer is still a non-negative real number, just like the numbers you deal with in other math classes every day. Say that a complex number z is equal to a + bi, where i is an imaginary number. The |z| is equal to the square root of a^2 plus b^2. In other words, square both a and b, add them together, and find the square root in order to have to absolute value of a complex number z.
Tags: a, absolute, add, addition, b, complex, imaginary, number, real, root, square, squareroot, sum, trigonometry, z
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Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
How to Calculate the Angle of Depression
Description
A detailed tutorial on calculating the angle of depression. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the angle of depression for reference.
Overview
The angle of depression is the angle at which a person must be looking in order to see an object that is lower than the observer. Typically, the angle of elevation is a term used in trigonometry, when calculating angles of a right triangle. In a right triangle, the angle of elevation is the angle between the hypotenuse and the base, when the base of the triangle is actually located at the top of the figure. It can be calculated by using SOHCAHTOA and solving for the sine, cosine, or tangent.
Tags: angle, calculate, cosine, depression, horizontal, line, lower, object, point, right, sine, SOHCAHTOA, tangent, triangle, trig, trigonometry
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Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
How to Calculate the Angle of Elevation
Description
A detailed tutorial on how to calculate the angle of elevation. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the angle of elevation for reference.
Overview
The angle of elevation is the angle at which a person must be looking in order to see an object that is higer than the observer. Typically, the angle of elevation is a term used in trigonometry, when calculating angles of a right triangle. In a right triangle, the angle of elevation is the angle between the hypotenuse and the base. It can be calculated by using SOHCAHTOA and solving for the sine, cosine, or tangent.
Tags: angle, calculate, cosine, elevation, higher, horizontal, line, object, point, right, sine, SOHCAHTOA, tangent, triangle, trig, trigonometry
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Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
How to Find the Opposite and Adjacent Sides of a Triangle
Description
A detailed tutorial on how to find the opposite and adjacent sides of a triangle. Step by step tutorial including several examples of finding the opposite and adjacent sides of a triangle for reference.
Overview
When using SOHCAHTOA, you will often see something such as “find the opposite side” or “find the adjacent side.” Unlike the hypotenuse, the opposite and adjacent sides change depending on what angle you are working with. The right angle is found opposite the hypotenuse and you will never be working it. Tip your triangle so that your right angle is balanced across the bottom and left, and your hypotenuse crosses the right. You will be working with the angles on the top and on the bottom right. The adjacent side is one of the sides that forms your angle – one of which is the hypotenuse, so it is the other side. And to find the opposite side, draw a straight line from your angle. The line it crosses should be the one directly across from your angle, and it is the opposite side.
Tags: adjacent, angle, cosine, hypotenuse, opposite, pythagorean theorem, side, sine, SOHCAHTOA, tangent, trig, trigonometry
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Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
How to Graph the Cotangent Function
Description
A detailed tutorial on solving the graph of the cotangent function. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to solve the graph of the cotangent function for reference.
Overview
The graph of cotangent is very closely related to the graph of tangent and the graph of x cubed. The graph occurs in periods of pi, just like the tangent function. When graphing both the cotangent function and the tangent function together, they criss-cross to form an intricate looking curve. This is because tangent and cotangent are the opposite of each other - tangent is equal to one over cotangent.
Tags: amplitude, asymptote, cotangent, function, graph, intervals, period, pi, tangent, trigonometric, trigonometry, x, y
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Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
How to Graph the Cosecant Function
Description
A detailed tutorial on solving the graph of the cosecant function. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to solve the graph of the cosecant function for reference.
Overview
The graph of cosecant is very closely related to the graph of secant. The graph appears to be many concave up and concave down curves placed in periods of 2pi. In reality, the local maximums and minimums on the graph of cosecant match up with the local maximums and minimums on the graph of sine, making it easy to line them up together. This is because sine and cosecant are the opposite of each other – sine is equal to one over cosecant.
Tags: amplitude, asymptote, cosecant, function, graph, intervals, maximum, minimum, period, pi, secant, sine, trigonometric, trigonometry, x, y
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Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
How to Graph the Secant Function
Description
A detailed tutorial on solving the graph of the secant function. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to solve the graph of the secant function for reference.
Overview
The graph of secant is very closely related to the graph of cosecant. The graph appears to be many concave up and concave down curves placed in periods of 2pi. In reality, the local maximums and minimums on the graph of secant match up with the local maximums and minimums on the graph of cosine, making it easy to line them up together. This is because cosine and secant are the opposite of each other - cosine is equal to one over secant.
Tags: amplitude, asymptote, cosecant, cosine, function, graph, intervals, maximum, minimum, period, pi, secant, trigonometric, trigonometry, x, y
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Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
How to Graph the Tangent Function
Description
A detailed tutorial on solving the graph of the tangent function. Step by step tutorial including several examples of how to solve the graph of the tangent function for reference.
Overview
The graph of the tangent function looks a great deal like the graph of x cubed – just repeated several times. The graph of tangent is drawn in a period of pi – meaning a “line” is put down every pi spaces for a guideline on where to draw the graph – and hits all of the major points of the graph, also in intervals of pi. There is no amplitude of the tangent function because it extends up to both negative infinity and positive infinity in vertical directions.
Tags: amplitude, asymptote, function, graph, infinity, intervals, negative, period, pi, positive, tangent, trigonometric, trigonometry, vertical, x, y
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Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
An Overview of Basic Graphs
Description
A detailed tutorial on seven different basic graphs. Step by step tutorial including several visual examples of seven different basic graphs for reference.
Overview
A lot of time in any math class is devoted to the subject of graphs and graphing. But forming a graph when you are only given an equation can be difficult – unless you have some basic graphs memorized. Once you have these seven graphs memorized, it is very easy to follow the patterns in the equation and and simply fix your basic graphs to fit these new requirements. The basic graphs are the most basic patterns that x can be found in on any function – this is x, x squared, and x cubed. There is also the absolute value of x, the natural log of x, and the exponential function of x. The last one is one divided by x, which while not being a basic form of x, is a very important form.
Tags: absolute value, basic, cubed, divided, equation, exponent, exponential function, function, graph, logarithm, natural log, squared, trigonometry, x, y
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Thursday, October 8th, 2009
An Introduction to the Law of Tangents
Description
A detailed tutorial on the Law of Tangents. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the Law of Tangents for reference.
Overview
The Law of Tangents refers to the lengths of the three sides of a triangle and the tangents of the angles. This can be used with respect to any triangle, not just right triangles. While the Law of Tangents is not as well known as the Law of Sines or the Law of Cosines, it is useful. The Law of Tangents can be used whenever either two sides and an angle, or two angles and a side, are known on any given triangle. The proof of this law starts with the Law of Sines. The Law of Tangents is as follows:
![\frac{a-b}{a+b} = \frac{\tan[\frac{1}{2}(\alpha-\beta)]}{\tan[\frac{1}{2}(\alpha+\beta)]}.](http://s.wordpress.com/latex.php?latex=%5Cfrac%7Ba-b%7D%7Ba%2Bb%7D%20%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B%5Ctan%5B%5Cfrac%7B1%7D%7B2%7D%28%5Calpha-%5Cbeta%29%5D%7D%7B%5Ctan%5B%5Cfrac%7B1%7D%7B2%7D%28%5Calpha%2B%5Cbeta%29%5D%7D.&bg=ffffff&fg=000000&s=0 "\frac{a-b}{a+b} = \frac{\tan[\frac{1}{2}(\alpha-\beta)]}{\tan[\frac{1}{2}(\alpha+\beta)]}.")
Tags: angle, ASA, law, law of cosines, law of sines, law of tangents, length, Math, right, side, SSA, tangent, tangents, triangle, trigonometry
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