How do I put a Zenith Angle in my calculator?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the cosine of a zenith angle of 73 degrees, 17 minutes, and 30 seconds using a TI-89 calculator and a regular scientific calculator. The calculation involves converting minutes and seconds into decimal degrees, where 17 minutes equals 17/60 degrees and 30 seconds equals 30/3600 degrees. The final computed value is 0.446 degrees. Users are advised to utilize the DMS (Degrees, Minutes, Seconds) function available on Casio and Sharp calculators for accurate input and output.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of trigonometric functions, specifically cosine.
  • Familiarity with angle conversions from DMS to decimal degrees.
  • Experience using TI-89 or similar scientific calculators.
  • Knowledge of basic astronomy concepts related to zenith angles.
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn how to perform angle conversions using the TI-89 calculator.
  • Research the DMS function on Casio and Sharp calculators for trigonometric calculations.
  • Explore the implications of zenith angles in astronomy and insolation calculations.
  • Investigate advanced trigonometric functions and their applications in various scientific fields.
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Students and professionals in fields such as astronomy, physics, and engineering who require precise angle calculations and those using scientific calculators for trigonometric computations.

CaityAnn
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1.I am given a zenith angle of 73 (degrees) 17'30"



2. How do I compute (2360/5280)times cos(73 degrees, 17'30") with a ti 89 and a regular scientific calculator?



3. The solution is .446 degrees


Thank you sooo very much.
 
Last edited:
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have a look at this link:

http://id.mind.net/~zona/mmts/trigonometryRealms/degMinSec/degMinSec.htm

convert to degrees...

to convert minutes to degrees divide by 60...
so 17' = 17/60 degrees

to convert seconds to degrees divide by 3600...
30" = 30/3600 degrees

But I don't see where the 0.446 comes from...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Are you taking astronomy? Is the question about insolation?

Can you give the complete question?
 
on most casio and sharp calculators (FX series and DAL series, is what most students use in my part of the world), there is a button that looks like . , ,,
if your angle measurement is set to degrees, you can input DMS measurements like this:
73 (. , ,,) 17 (. , ,,) 30 (. , ,,) and it will do the calculation in DMS. On the casio it returns the andswer in DMS and you must press this button again when it displays the answer to show you in decimal degrees. Hope that helps. I have used a TI89 myself but can't think how it differs. I only have a TI83 to hand and that is very different to a TI89 I think
 

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