Finding Trig Ratios of Any Angle: A General & Easy Way

  • Context: High School 
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    Ratios Trigonometric
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around methods for finding trigonometric ratios of any angle, particularly without relying on traditional sine, cosine tables, or calculators. Participants explore various approaches, including geometric methods and series approximations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks if there is an easy way to find trigonometric ratios without using tables or calculators.
  • Another suggests using a unit circle and measuring coordinates, noting that this method may not be very accurate.
  • A participant proposes using Taylor expansion approximations for calculating trigonometric values.
  • Some participants mention using double angle identities to derive values from known angles on the unit circle.
  • Links to external resources are shared, including a method called CORDIC and series definitions for trigonometric functions.
  • One participant warns against using certain Taylor series due to their slow convergence for accurate values.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various methods for finding trigonometric ratios, but there is no consensus on a single best approach. Multiple competing views on the effectiveness and accuracy of different methods remain.

Contextual Notes

Some methods discussed depend on the accuracy of geometric constructions or the convergence properties of series approximations, which are not fully resolved in the discussion.

The legend
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Is there any general and hopefully 'easy' way to find the trigonometric ratios of any angle? That is without using the sin, cos etc tables?

If not any angle ... atleast whole number angles?
 
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Do you mean also without a calculator?

If so, then the 'easiest' way that i can think of is to draw a unit circle on an x-y plane, use a protractor to draw a radius at the specific angle from the +x axis and then measure the x (cosine) and y (sine) coordinates of the point. Won't be the most accurate answer though, but it should be roughly around the correct value.

You could also use a Taylor expansion approximation and just take the first few terms?

Or else just use a calculator? Cant be easier than this :P
 
You can use the double angle identities and usually derive any angle just using the typical angles memorized using the unit circle.
 
yes, i did mean without a calc...
by the way what's this Taylor expansion approximation and how can i use it?
I did try googling but well didn't understand it.

The circle method is good though...
 
Feldoh said:
You can use the double angle identities and usually derive any angle just using the typical angles memorized using the unit circle.

hey i forgot that! :-p
But nice idea! :smile:

The double and triple angle identities would be angels! :biggrin:
 
The legend said:
A series for a good approximation of all trig values(time consuming though)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigonometric_function#Series_definitions

(found 'em by googling and seeing wikipedia...never knew they were such good info givers)

If you going to try Taylor expansion's you don't want to use those expansions. Those series converge very slowly to the correct values. You could probably find a faster approximation somewhere.
 

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