What are some real life scenarios where trigonometry is applied?

AI Thread Summary
Trigonometry is widely applied in real-life scenarios, particularly in engineering and construction, such as determining forces in beams and the structural integrity of bridges and buildings. It is also essential for calculating distances, such as ensuring a ladder reaches a gutter safely. Surveying utilizes trigonometric principles to measure land and angles accurately. In urban planning, like in New York City's Wall Street area, trigonometry helps determine building height limitations based on street width. Additionally, the Global Positioning System (GPS) relies on trigonometric calculations for accurate location tracking.
01
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
OK, here's the situation, for my first homework assignment for a new class I've got to write up a brief essay on how trigonometry is used in real life. Seeing as how I've not done anything even close to trig in quite some time, I'm clueless as to what it entails and was wondering if anyone could give me some examples of real life situations in which trig would be used.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
well..a place where trig can be used in real life, is in structures, like bridges or something. Maybe to determine the force of a beam or anything. Same goes with buildings and all too.
 
Simple things like working out the shortest distance between two points, working out whether your ladder is long enough to reach a gutter, that kind of thing. Have a look into surveying, that might give you some interesting leads.
 
IN NYC..in the wall street area, there is a certain # of stories that a building can go up, B4 there needs to be a tier..and its proportional to the width of the street, and to figure out how many stories you can go up before you go inwards, you need to form triangles and things. Hope you get what I am saying and it helps. :-p
 
The Global Positioning System! Of course, the trig is invisible to end users but it's there.
 
Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Thread 'Variable mass system : water sprayed into a moving container'

Starting with the mass considerations #m(t)# is mass of water #M_{c}# mass of container and #M(t)# mass of total system $$M(t) = M_{C} + m(t)$$ $$\Rightarrow \frac{dM(t)}{dt} = \frac{dm(t)}{dt}$$ $$P_i = Mv + u \, dm$$ $$P_f = (M + dm)(v + dv)$$ $$\Delta P = M \, dv + (v - u) \, dm$$ $$F = \frac{dP}{dt} = M \frac{dv}{dt} + (v - u) \frac{dm}{dt}$$ $$F = u \frac{dm}{dt} = \rho A u^2$$ from conservation of momentum , the cannon recoils with the same force which it applies. $$\quad \frac{dm}{dt}...
View full post »

Similar threads

Applications of the Helmholtz Coil: Shielding and Stabilizing Fields
Replies
3
Views
2K
Not your average car collision (very real life ) - no values supplied
Replies
1
Views
1K
Job Skills [Career] - What kind of life does a career in physics entail?
Replies
2
Views
3K
What Are Some Real-Life Applications of Electromagnetism?
Replies
1
Views
553
MHB My Failed University Life: Addictions, Depression, and Uncertain Future
Replies
1
Views
2K
Forces applied to occupants in car crash (important for assignment )
Replies
2
Views
2K
What are some real-life applications of lenses?
Replies
5
Views
4K
B What are some real world example of these equations?
Replies
8
Views
3K
I want to help Physics education. What should I do?
Replies
48
Views
883
How Can a Beam Diagram Be Applied to a Real-Life Load-Carrying Structure?
Replies
5
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top