Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Functional Uses
for
Trigonometry
Andy Yerkes
Practical Applications of
Advanced Mathematics
Mrs. Goodrum and Mrs. Hunt
Functional 2
Abstract
Trigonometry is the study of triangles. All that is needed to make a triangle is three
points, and yet those three points can have an infinite number of uses. Although trigonometry
can easily be used in a classroom situation, using everything learned sitting in a desk is more
difficult in a more realistic situation. Anyone sitting in a classroom will ask, “When are we ever
going to use this?” The simple fact is that trigonometry is more important than many of us
realize. Using a theodolite, tape measure, and calculator, trigonometry can be a very versatile
Background
Trigonometry is the study of triangles and has been developed over many centuries. The
first people to use angles were the Babylonians. The Greeks were the first to go further in
developing trigonometry. They defined both sine and cosine functions, and further expanded on
the Babylonian measurement of 360 degrees for a circle. Hipparchus, a Greek astronomer
developed the first sine table, or a table for solving triangles. He was also the first to develop a
table of chords, which is a table that shows the angles in a circle for a large fixed radius (Joyce,
1996-1997). Some argue that trigonometry is based on chords, and he is therefore credited with
the founding of trigonometry. Ptolemy furthered Hipparchus’s work and derived the sine and
cosine rules, also developing a table of chords (History of Trigonometry, n.d.). During medieval
times, the Chinese were able to develop the tangent function. During this time, Europeans also
started developing in trigonometric aspects. They used the study for navigation and construction
of maps. Bartholomew Pitiscus was the first to consider solving plane trigonometry on the earth
instead of using trigonometry for astronomy. He also named the study “trigonometry”
(ThinkQuest, 2001).
There are a number of different theories and formulas involved with the following
investigation. For example, the law of cosines will be used in the project. In the triangle, the
lower case letters represent the sides of the triangle, and the capital letters are the opposite angles
This formula is used to find other parts of a triangle when two sides and the included angle of
those sides are known. The other form of the law is:
This formula is used to find the angles of a triangle when all three sides are known. Also note
This formula is used when there are two angles and an included side.
Finally, the definitions of the different trigonometric functions will be used. These definitions
only apply in using right triangles. The different sides of the triangle are the adjacent side which
is the one closest to the angle being used, the opposite side which is the side opposite of the
angle being used, and the hypotenuse, the longest side of the triangle. There are three functions
of trigonometry: sine, cosine, and tangent. Sine is opposite over hypotenuse. Cosine is adjacent
Research Question
Methods
To display different uses for trigonometry, a variety of problems were designed. Using a
theodolite, a tape measure, and a calculator, the problems were solved. A theodolite is a
surveying tool on a tripod for balance. There is a lens to look through and crosshairs in the lens
to level the lens out. To also assure the lens is on a level plane, the legs of the tripod are
adjustable, and there are liquid leveling instruments on the theodolite as well. The calculator is a
TI-83 which has graphing applications and all of the trigonometry functions mentioned (tangent,
Designed problems
Problem (1.) The Belk Tower is located in the central part of the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte’s campus. As a project, the senior class wants to give the tower a new coat
of white paint to give the tower a rejuvenated look. In order to do so, they need to know how tall
the tower is to determine whether or not they could use a cherry-picker to raise up the people
To find the height, a theodolite will be placed 125 feet away from the base of the tower.
The angle from the theodolite to the top of the tower will be found, and since the tower is an
upright structure, a right triangle is made. The angle found by the theodolite and the distance
between the theodolite and the tower can be used in a tangent function as followed to find the
height of the tower, with “y” being the tower’s height. The theodolite finds the zenith angle of
the triangle or the angle closest to the top of the tower. To find the angle closest to the theodolite,
one would subtract the angle found and the right angle from the triangle, 90 degrees, from 180
degrees, the sum of all of the angles. Since the theodolite is 4.5 feet tall, this height will be added
Functional 6
to the total answer and the height of the tower is found to be 144.79 feet. Note that in this
measurement, there is assumed to be a level plane between the theodolite and the tower. In a
reality situation, this would not happen, because the land that is usually being surveyed has many
dips and bows in it, throwing off the measurement. However it worked for the situation that was
designed because minute differences are irrelevant in determining whether or not a cherry-picker
could be used.
Problem (2.) A party is being planned in the breezeway of the Colvard building.
Admission is going to be charged, and to do so, every stairway and both exits will be temporarily
walled up, leaving a long, rectangular space. To find the area between the spaces, a tape measure
could not be used due to the size of the breezeway and the many stairways and poles obstructing
one’s procedures. A theodolite was placed on the corner of the building and measured the angle
from one corner to the other. The angle was found to be 77 degrees 27 minutes 30 seconds. The
distance between the theodolite and the opposite side was found to be 44.68 feet. Using a tangent
function, the distance from one end of the breezeway to the other is 200.85 feet. Since the
breezeway is a rectangle, the two distances of 44.68 feet and 200.85 feet were multiplied and the
tan(77.4583) = y / 44.68
y = 200.85 feet
Conclusion
setting. When a tape measure would not have been adequate to measure a distance, trigonometry
helped solve the problem. Being exposed to these types of situations puts the students out in a
situation where they get to use the knowledge from the classroom and apply it to a realistic
situation. Therefore, math becomes more than a mere subject from school; math becomes a vital
References
http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/trig/chords.html
History of Trigonometry
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/Mathematics/Trigonometry/history/Histor
y%20.html.
http://hypertextbook.com/eworld/chords.shtml#table
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0110248/trigonometry.htm