Posts Tagged ‘pythagorean theorem’
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
Posted in Trigonometry | No Comments »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Introduction to Fermat’s Last Theorem
Description
A detailed tutorial of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Step by step tutorial including several examples of Fermat’s Last Theorem for reference.
Overview
Fermat’s Last Theorem is one of the most well known mathematical theorems. Fermat’s Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than 2. Notice that the pattern for this theorem follows the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem had to be proved for odd prime numbers, as Fermat had only left that there was the special instance of n = 4 that works for this equation. Fermat first came up with the problem in 1637, but it was not solved until 1995. This theorem led to the developement of both algebraic number theory and the proof of the modularity theorem.
Tags: a, algebraic number theory, Andrew Wiles, b, c, Calculus, Fermat's Last Theorem, integers, Math, modularity theorem, n!, numbers, odd, Pierre de Fermat, positive, prime, pythagorean theorem
Posted in Calculus | No Comments »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Introduction to the Parallelogram Law
Description
A detailed tutorial of the parallelogram law. Step by step tutorial including several examples of the parallelogram law for reference.
Overview
The parallelogram law shows up in many forms, but the simplest form states that the sum of the squares of the lengths of the four sides of a parallelogram equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the two diagonals. Assuming that a rectangle has four corners A, B, C, and D, this can be expressed as:
Typically, the two diagonals of a parallelogram are not equal in length. If they are, then the equation simplifies to the Pythagorean theorem. A more complicated version of the parallelogram law is often found when calculating vectors.
Tags: diagonals, Geometry, law, length, Math, parallelogram, pythagorean theorem, rule, side, square, sum
Posted in Geometry | No Comments »
Thursday, September 17th, 2009
An Introduction to the Law of Cosines
Description
A detailed tutorial on the Law of Cosines and proving the Law of Cosines. Step by step tutorial including several examples of proving the Law of Cosines for reference.
Overview
The Law of Cosines is a formula that is used to relate the sides of a triangle to the cosine of one of its angles. The Law of Cosines can be expressed as:
Where a, b, and c are the sides of the triangle. If the triangle is a right triangle then this simplifies to the Pythagorean Theorem.
Tags: angle, cosine, cosine formula, cosine rule, law of cosines, Math, pythagorean theorem, side, triangle, trigonometry
Posted in Trigonometry | No Comments »
