Math help needed. Cosine and sine

[hrc200x]

Am taking a test in a couple weeks for a job and the study test I recieved has Cosine and sine on it. I tried a google search for them and found helpful links, but they seem to start out too in depth. Can anyone explain what it is and how its used? From what I gather its to find angles of triangles if one angle is given? Feel free to use diagrams and pictures.

[86trizinger]

Here is a decent link

http://www.algebralab.org/lessons/lesson.aspx?file=trigonometry_trigsincostan.xml

Been a long time since I have done this so it is a bit more trouble for me to teach it, especially if I teach you the wrong way. Are you allowed to use a calculator? If so this site is really helpful.. Plus there is some practice questions..


DON"T USE WIKIPEDIA it is usually wrong or will mislead you.

[vegas250rr]

this might help. I use these trig functions in my job quite often.

http://www.tiem.utk.edu/bioed/bealsmodules/triangle.html

[rdlsz24]

The goal is to use hypotenuse in a casual converstation with somebody and not crack a smile.

Rob

[sirceo26]

SOH CAH TOA

Sine= opposite/hypotenuse

Cos= adjacent/hypotenuse

Tan=opposite/adjacent

thats all I remember from algebra

[Custom200]

Heres a ryme my math teacher in high school taugt us to remeber Soh Cah Toa

Some old hippies cant afford hash tokes or acid

Hope it helps.lol

[MudBug]

cosine, tangent, and sine are all ways to find angles in a right triangle. The test may also trick you and they could say. Cosecant, Secant, and Cotangent. these are the reciprocal ratios. just remember cosecant = 1/sin Secant = 1/cos and Cotangent = 1/tan. hope this helps at all. SOH CAH TOA is very helpful

[hrc200x]

I'm starting to get the hang of it, but how do you when when to use cos, sin, or tan? Does it come down to what info is given to you, such as a leg measurment and one angle, or one angle and the hypotinuse length?

Also in their 3rd test question in that link couldn't you use COS?

Yes I can use a calculator on the test.

[Custom200]

Its based on what informationis given which is where the soh cah toa comes into it. Also do you have a graphing calculator. Those are great rigs like the Ti-85 i think the model is. Around 100 bucks and are awsome. Helped me a bunch.

[hrc200x]

Can someone explain what info has to be given as to which formula is used?

I have a TI-36x, so it does have SIN, COS, TAN and inverse of those three.

[MudBug]

it depends on what legs of the triangle you are given. you have to focus on one angle ( angle C in this case). say you use cos. adjacent side length over hypoteneuse length. if your looking for side AB, and side BC is 4, and the hypoteneuse is 5, you put in your calculator cos(4/5) the answer is side AB. so just use SOH CAH TOA and only use the one that you have the info for.