Is Trigonometry that Hard as it Appears to Be?

Mathematics is a nightmare for most of the students. But there are students who love mathematics as a whole subject but hate some branch in it. Trigonometry is one such branch of Maths which is hated by many students. Trigonometry deals with the relations of the sides and angles of triangles with their relevant functions. It is basically the play with the triangles. Trigonometry has its application spread over various fields such as astronauts, physicists, surveyors, crime scene investigation, engineering and many more. Trigonometry helps you understand periodic movements. It also helps you to understand the problems of geometry.

Now, is Trigonometry really hard as many say it is? Frankly speaking, no it is not. All you need is to be thorough with the angles of the triangle, the Pythagoras theorem, the main functions used (Sine, Cosine and Tangent), its applications and the formulas. Trigonometry formulas are vast in number and are confusing for students because they fail or ignore to know how and why the particular formulas are supposed to be used. Any subject is not really hard when you understand the importance and the way of studying it. When the basement is strong, the building will also be strong. It is as simple as that. Below given are a few points you ought to keep in mind when you study trigonometry.

- Start by studying the sine and cosine first. Then studying the tangent and the other three trigonometric functions (Secant, Cosecant, Cotangent) will become easy.

- Know the standard X and Y coordinates and how they are used.

- Understand the meaning of basic words that are used here. Example:- Circle, unit, radius, centre, diameter, radians, arc length, angles, hypotenuse, etc.

- Learn the basic geometrical concepts such as acute angles, obtuse angles, reflex angles, supplementary angles, right angles, etc.

- Do not neglect Pythagoras theorem as this is fundamental for everything in trigonometry.

- Never try to memorize the equations. Try to understand how and why they are used in different scenarios (problems).

- Know the relationship between the trigonometric ratios and also about the concept of complementary ratios.

- Know the logic behind the derivations of theorems rather than just byhearting it. When you do this, you don’t need to remember every derivation, since you will be able to do it by yourself.

- Try avoiding calculator. Know the standard values by yourself (like sin0, cos0, tan45, tan90, etc).

- In your preparation, always start with the questions that are easy for you, have complete knowledge about it in depth and then move to the next level of questions.

- Finally, practice more and more. This will help you to learn how to implement the formulas in a proper way.  

Given the tips, we suggest that you practice different sums regularly so that you won’t forget the concepts, theorems, principles and the formulas easily. Even though this branch of Maths does not have its direct application, it is surely used in many fields. Let us see some of the uses of trigonometry in our daily life:-

1. It is used in measuring the height of the building and even mountains.

If you know the value of one side and the angle of depression from the top, you will be able to find the other side in the triangle.

2. When you understand the X-Axis and Y-Axis, you will be a pro in the video games you play. Example: Mario.

3. It is used in the various scenarios of constructions like roof inclination, height and width of the building, installing ceramic tiles, measuring areas, fields and plots, in the process of making the walls perpendicular or parallel, etc.

4. It is used in flight engineering. The Pilots have to take an account on distance, speed, direction and speed of the wind that helps them ride the flight easily.

5. It is also used in various subjects like Physics.

6. In criminology to calculate projectile’s trajectory, cause of car accident, etc.

7. In Marine Engineering to build and navigate marine vessels, to design the Marine ramp, etc.

8. In Oceanography to calculate the height of tides in oceans.

9. Trigonometry is also used in other branches of Maths like Calculus and Algebra.

10. It is used in Naval and Aviation industries.

11. It is used in the creation of Maps and also in satellite systems.

In conclusion, we want all the students out there to know that Trigonometry is not that difficult as it seems to be, and anyone can excel in this area if they make up their mind. Besides, it has a lot of applications in various fields and hence it is vital that you have good knowledge about it.

All the best for your exams!!