CONTENTS

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 ABSTRACT

Trigonometry is a discipline of mathematics associated with the application of certain

functions of angles to equations. In trigonometry, there are six derivatives of an angle that are
often utilised. Sine (sin), cosine (cos), tangent (tan), cotangent (cot), secant (sec), and
cosecant are their identities and acronyms (csc). In geometric figures, trigonometric functions
are being used to calculate hypothetical distances and angles from recognised or measurable
angles. In professions like astronomy, mapmaking, surveying, and artillery ranging finding,
trigonometry arose from the requirement to determine distances and angles. Plane
trigonometry deals with difficulties requiring angles and lengths in a single planar. Spherical
trigonometry considers solutions to comparable issues in more than one plane of three-
dimensional geometry.

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Introduction
Trigonometry, the branch of mathematics concerned with specific functions of angles and
their application to calculations. There are six functions of an angle commonly used in
trigonometry. Their names and abbreviations are sine (sin), cosine (cos), tangent (tan),
cotangent (cot), secant (sec), and cosecant (csc). These six trigonometric functions in relation
to a right triangle are displayed in the figure. For example, the triangle contains an angle A,
and the ratio of the side opposite to A and the side opposite to the right angle (the
hypotenuse) is called the sine(A), or sin A; the other trigonometry functions are defined
similarly. These functions are properties of the angle A independent of the size of the
triangle, and calculated values were tabulated for many angles before computers made
trigonometry tables obsolete. Trigonometric functions are used in obtaining unknown angles
and distances from known or measured angles in geometric figures.

Trigonometry developed from a need to compute angles and distances in such fields
as astronomy, mapmaking, surveying, and artillery range finding. Problems involving angles
and distances in one plane are covered in plane trigonometry. Applications to similar
problems in more than one plane of three-dimensional space are considered in spherical
trigonometry.

History of trigonometry
Classical trigonometry:

The word trigonometry comes from the Greek words trigonon (“triangle”) and metron (“to
measure”). Until about the 16th century, trigonometry was chiefly concerned with computing
the numerical values of the missing parts of a triangle (or any shape that can be dissected into
triangles) when the values of other parts were given. For example, if the lengths of two sides
of a triangle and the measure of the enclosed angle are known, the third side and the two
remaining angles can be calculated. Such calculations distinguish trigonometry
from geometry, which mainly investigates qualitative relations. Of course, this distinction is
not always absolute: the Pythagorean theorem, for example, is a statement about the lengths
of the three sides in a right triangle and is thus quantitative in nature. Still, in its original
form, trigonometry was by and large an offspring of geometry; it was not until the 16th
century that the two became separate branches of mathematics.

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Ancient Egypt and the Mediterranean world

The Egyptians defined the seked as the ratio of the run to the rise, which is the reciprocal of

the modern definition of the slope. (more) Several ancient civilizations—in particular, the
Egyptian, Hindu, and Chinese—possessed a considerable knowledge of practical geometry,
including some concepts that were a prelude to trigonometry. The Rhind papyrus, an
Egyptian collection of 84 problems in arithmetic, algebra, and geometry dating from about
1800 BCE, contains five problems dealing with the seked. A close analysis of the text, with its
accompanying figures, reveals that this word means the slope of an incline—essential
knowledge for huge construction projects such as the pyramids. For example, problem 56
asks: “If a pyramid is 250 cubits high and the side of its base is 360 cubits long, what is
its seked?” The solution is given as 51/25 palms per cubit, and, since one cubit equals 7
palms, this fraction is equivalent to the pure ratio 18/25. This is actually the “run-to-rise”
ratio of the pyramid in question—in effect, the cotangent of the angle between the base and
face. It shows that the Egyptians had at least some knowledge of the numerical relations in a
triangle, a kind of “proto-trigonometry.”

Trigonometry in the modern sense began with the Greeks. Hipparchus (c. 190–120 BCE) was
the first to construct a table of values for a trigonometric function. He considered every
triangle—planar or spherical—as being inscribed in a circle, so that each side becomes a
chord (that is, a straight line that connects two points on a curve or surface, as shown by the
inscribed triangle ABC in the figure). To compute the various parts of the triangle, one has to
find the length of each chord as a function of the central angle that subtends it—or,
equivalently, the length of a chord as a function of the corresponding arc width. This became
the chief task of trigonometry for the next several centuries. As an astronomer, Hipparchus
was mainly interested in spherical triangles, such as the imaginary triangle formed by

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 three stars on the celestial sphere, but he
was also familiar with the basic formulas
of plane trigonometry. In Hipparchus’s time these formulas were expressed in purely
geometric terms as relations between the various chords and the angles (or arcs) that subtend
them; the modern symbols for the trigonometric functions were not introduced until the 17th
century.

The first major ancient work on trigonometry to reach Europe intact after the Dark
Ages was the Almagest by Ptolemy (c. 100–170 CE). He lived in Alexandria,
the intellectual centre of the Hellenistic world, but little else is known about him. Although
Ptolemy wrote works on mathematics, geography, and optics, he is chiefly known for
the Almagest, a 13-book compendium on astronomy that became the basis for humankind’s
world picture until the heliocentric system of Nicolaus Copernicus began to supplant
Ptolemy’s geocentric system in the mid-16th century. In order to develop this world picture—
the essence of which was a stationary Earth around which the Sun, Moon, and the five
known planets move in circular orbits—Ptolemy had to use some elementary trigonometry.
Chapters 10 and 11 of the first book of the Almagest deal with the construction of a table of
chords, in which the length of a chord in a circle is given as a function of the central angle
that subtends it, for angles ranging from 0° to 180° at intervals of one-half degree. This is
essentially a table of sines, which can be seen by denoting the radius r, the arc A, and the
length of the subtended chord c, to obtain c = 2r sin A/2. Because Ptolemy used the
Babylonian sexagesimal numerals and numeral systems (base 60), he did his computations
with a standard circle of radius r = 60 units, so that c = 120 sin A/2. Thus, apart from
the proportionality factor 120, his was a table of values of sin A/2 and therefore (by doubling
the arc) of sin A. With the help of his table Ptolemy improved on existing geodetic measures
of the world and refined Hipparchus’s model of the motions of the heavenly bodies.

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In a right-angled triangle, we have the following three sides.
Perpendicular - It is the side opposite to the angle θ.
Base - This is the adjacent side to the angle θ.
Hypotenuse - This is the side opposite to the right angle.

Trigonometric Ratios:

There is basic six ratios in trigonometry that help in establishing a relationship between the
ratio of sides of a right triangle with the angle. If θ is the angle in a right-angled triangle,
formed between the base and hypotenuse, then
 sin θ = Perpendicular/Hypotenuse
 cos θ = Base/Hypotenuse
 tan θ = Perpendicular/Base
The value of the other three functions: cot, sec, and cosec depend on tan, cos, and sin
respectively as given below.
 cot θ = 1/tan θ = Base/Perpendicular
 sec θ = 1/cos θ = Hypotenuse/Base
 cosec θ = 1/sin θ = Hypotenuse/Perpendicular

Trigonometric Table:

The trigonometric table is made up of trigonometric ratios that are interrelated to each other –
sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant, cotangent. These ratios, in short, are written as sin,
cos, tan, cosec, sec, cot, and are taken for standard angle values. You can refer to
the trigonometric table chart to know more about these ratios.

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TRIGONOMETRIC TABLE:

Important Trigonometric Angles:

Trigonometric angles are the angles in a right-angled triangle using which different
trigonometric functions can be represented. Some standard angles used in trigonometry are
0º, 30º, 45º, 60º, 90º. The trigonometric values for these angles can be observed directly in a
trigonometric table. Some other important angles in trigonometry are 180º, 270º, and 360º.
Trigonometry angle can be expressed in terms of trigonometric ratios as,
 θ = sin-1 (Perpendicular/Hypotenuse)
 θ = cos-1 (Base/Hypotenuse)
 θ = tan-1 (Perpendicular/Base)

List of Trigonometric Formulas:

There are different formulas in trigonometry depicting the relationships between

trigonometric ratios and the angles for different quadrants. The basic trigonometry formulas
list is given below:
1. Trigonometry Ratio Formulas
 sin θ = Opposite Side/Hypotenuse
 cos θ = Adjacent Side/Hypotenuse
 tan θ = Opposite Side/Adjacent Side
 cot θ = 1/tan θ = Adjacent Side/Opposite Side
 sec θ = 1/cos θ = Hypotenuse/Adjacent Side
 cosec θ = 1/sin θ = Hypotenuse/Opposite Side
2. Trigonometry Formulas Involving Pythagorean Identities
 sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
 tan2θ + 1 = sec2θ
 cot2θ + 1 = cosec2θ

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3. Sine and Cosine Law in Trigonometry
 a/sinA = b/sinB = c/sinC
 c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C
 a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A
 b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac cos B
Here a, b, c are the lengths of the sides of the triangle and A, B, and C are the angle of the
triangle.
The complete list of trigonometric formulas involving trigonometry ratios and trigonometry
identities is listed for easy access. Here's a list of all the trigonometric formulas for you to
learn and revise.

Trigonometric Functions Graphs:

Different properties of a trigonometric function like domain, range, etc can be studied using
the trigonometric function graphs. The graphs of basic trigonometric functions- Sine and
Cosine are given below:

Graph Of Trigonometry Functions:

The domain and range of sin and cosine functions can thus be given as,
 sin θ: Domain (-∞, + ∞); Range [-1, +1]
 cos θ: Domain (-∞ +∞); Range [-1, +1]
Click here to learn about the graphs of all trigonometric functions and their domain and range
in detail- Trigonometric Functions

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Unit Circle and Trigonometric Values:

Unit circle can be used to calculate the values of basic trigonometric functions- sine, cosine,
and tangent. The following diagram shows how trigonometric ratios sine and cosine can be
represented in a unit circle.

Trigonometry Identities:

In Trigonometric Identities, an equation is called an identity when it is true for all values of
the variables involved. Similarly, an equation involving trigonometric ratios of an angle is
called a trigonometric identity, if it is true for all values of the angles involved.
In trigonometric identities, you will get to learn more about the Sum and Difference
Identities.
For example, sin θ/cos θ = [Opposite/Hypotenuse] ÷ [Adjacent/Hypotenuse] =
Opposite/Adjacent = tan θ
Therefore, tan θ = sin θ/cos θ is a trigonometric identity. The three important trigonometric
identities are:
 sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
 tan²θ + 1 = sec²θ
 cot²θ + 1 = cosec²θ

Applications of Trigonometry:

Throughout history, trigonometry has been applied in areas such as architecture, celestial
mechanics, surveying, etc. Its applications include in:
 Various fields like oceanography, seismology, meteorology, physical sciences,
astronomy, acoustics, navigation, electronics, and many more.

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  It is also helpful to find the distance of long rivers, measure the height of the
mountain, etc.
 Spherical trigonometry has been used for locating solar, lunar, and stellar
positions.

Real-Life Examples of Trigonometry:

Trigonometry has many real-life examples used broadly. Let’s get a better idea of
trigonometry with an example. A boy is standing near a tree. He looks up at the tree and
wonders “How tall is the tree?” The height of the tree can be found without actually
measuring it. What we have here is a right-angled triangle, i.e., a triangle with one of the
angles equal to 90 degrees. Trigonometric formulas can be applied to calculate the height of
the tree, if the distance between the tree and boy, and the angle formed when the tree is
viewed from the ground is given.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLES OF TRIGONOMETRY:

It is determined using the tangent function, such as tan of angle is equal to the ratio of the
height of the tree and the distance. Let us say the angle is θ, then
tan θ = Height/Distance between object & tree
Distance = Height/tan θ
Let us assume that distance is 30m and the angle formed is 45 degrees, then
Height = 30/tan 45°
Since, tan 45° = 1
So, Height = 30 m
The height of the tree can be found out by using basic trigonometry formulas.

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Before understanding the application of Trigonometry, we need to
understand some basic terms such as
 Line of Sight
 Angle of Elevation
 Angle of Depression

Line of Sight:

Consider a person looking at the top of the light tower as in the below figure:

Line of Sight – Trigonometry

In this figure, the line DE drawn from the eye of the boy to the top of the tower is called
a Line of Sight.

Angle of Elevation:

Consider a person looking at the top of the light tower as in the below figure:

Angle of Elevation – Trigonometry

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The angle between the line of sight and the horizontal level at the eye of the boy, ΔCDA
or ∠D, is called the angle of elevation.

When we measure the angle of elevation, the observer should raise their head and look
above the horizontal level.

Measure of Angle of Elevation

Here if one wants to calculate the height of the tower without actually measuring it then
what and how much information is required? The following detail is necessary to find out
the height of the tower without measuring it:
1. Distance, AB or CD, between the tower and the point where the boy standing.
2. The angle of elevation, ∠EDC, of the top of the tower.
3. The height of the boy DA.
In ΔCDE, the known ∠D is the opposite of the side CE, and it is known that the side CD.
So here is the trigonometry ratio, that can be used to apply all these three quantities.
Determine tan D or cot D as their ratio involves CD and CE.
While calculating the length of the tower or any other object, one should keep in mind the
length of the boy to add in the result get from the trigonometry ratio. By the following
example, this concept will more clear.

Angle of Depression:

Now consider a situation as in given figure 4, a person is looking towards a ball from a
balcony. Its line of sight is below the horizontal level. The angle between the line of sight
and the horizontal level is called the angle of depression.

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 Angle of Depression – Trigonometry
Thus, the angle of depression of the point on the object is the angle between the horizontal
level and line of sight when the point is the below horizontal level.

Measure of Angle of Depression

In the above figure, the person at point C, is looking towards the ball at B. CB is the line of
sight and AC is the height of the balcony.
In ΔBCD, ∠BCD is the angle of depression of point B. Here is the height of the balcony
AC = BD and the distance of the ball from the ground foot of the building AB = CD.
According to the given data, the trigonometry ratio can be used as it can involve both
known and unknown quantities.

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Applications of Trigonometry in Real Life:

It may not have direct applications in solving practical issues but is used in various field. For
example, trigonometry is used in developing computer music: as you are familiar that sound
travels in the form of waves and this wave pattern, through a sine or cosine function for
developing computer music. Here are a few applications where trigonometry and its functions
are applicable.

Trigonometry to Measure Height of a Building or a Mountain:

Trigonometry is used in measuring the height of a building or a mountain. The distance of a
building from the viewpoint and the elevation angle can easily determine the height of a
building using the trigonometric functions.

Example:

If the distance from where the building is observed is 90 ft from its base and the angle of
elevation to the top of the building is 35°, then find the height of the building.

Solution:

Given:

1. Distance from the building is 90 feet from its base.

2. The angle of elevation from to the top of the building is 35°.
Let us find the height of the building by recalling the trigonometric formulas. Here, the angle
and the adjacent side length are provided. So, using the formula of tan.

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tan 35°= Opposite side
Adjacent side

tan 35°= h/90

h = 90 × tan 35°

h = 90 × 0.7002

h = 63.018 ft

Thus, the height of the building is 63.018 ft.

Trigonometry in Aviation:
Aviation technology has evolved with many upgrades in the last few years. It has taken into
account the speed, direction and distance as well as the speed and direction of the wind. The
wind plays a vital role in when and how a flight will travel. This equation can be solved by
using trigonometry.

For example, if an aeroplane is travelling at 250 miles per hour, 55° of the north of east and
the wind blowing due to south at 19 miles per hour. This calculation will be solved using
trigonometry and finding the third side of the triangle that will lead the aircraft in the right
direction.

Trigonometry in Criminology:
Trigonometry is even used in the investigation of a crime scene. The functions of
trigonometry are helpful to calculate a trajectory of a projectile and estimate the causes of a
collision in a car accident. Further, it is used to identify how an object falls or at what angle
the gun is shot.

Trigonometry in Marine Biology:

Trigonometry is often used by marine biologists for measurements to figure out the depth of
sunlight that affects algae to photosynthesis. Using the trigonometric function and
mathematical models, marine biologists estimate the size of larger animals like whales and
also understand their behaviours.

Trigonometry in Astronomy:

Trigonometry is widely used in astronomy to find the distances and positions of the stars
and other heavenly bodies. We can measure the angle of various heavenly bodies from the

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Earth by knowing the time taken by the light from that body to reach the Earth’s surface
and the speed of light we can find its position in space using trigonometry.

Trigonometry in Navigation:
Trigonometry is used in navigating directions; it estimates in what direction to place the
compass to get a straight direction. With the help of a compass and trigonometric functions in
navigation, it will be easy to pinpoint a location and also to find distance as well to see the
horizon.

Other Uses of Trigonometry:

 The calculus is based on trigonometry and algebra
 The fundamental trigonometric functions like sine and cosine are used to describe the sound
and light waves
 Trigonometry is used in oceanography to calculate the heights of waves and tides in oceans
 It used in the creation of maps
 It is used in satellite systems
 It is used in criminology to study crime scenes.
 It is used by marine biologists to study the depth of oceans and others
 It is used to study waves and their properties.
Thus, here we have discussed Trigonometry and its importance along with the applications of
this branch of mathematics in daily life, about which every student of Maths is expected to
know.

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