290 THEORY OF AllCIHTKCTURE.

Book IL
Se-t. III.
PLANE TRIGONOMETRY.
103.S. Plane Trij:jononictry is tliat branch of mathematics whose object is the investigation
and calculation of the sides and angles of plane triangles. It is of the greatest m]>ortancc
to the architect in almost every part of his practice ; but the elements will be sufficient for
liis use, without pursuing it into those more abstruse subdivisions which are essential in
the more abstract relations which connect it with geodisic operations.
10S4. We have already observed that every circle is supi)osed to be divided into 'J60
e(]ual parts, called degrees, and that each degree is subdivided into 60 minutes, these
minutes each into 60 seconds, and so on. Hence a semicircle contains 180 degrees, and a
quadrant 90 degrees.
10.35. The measure of an angle is that arc of a circle contained between those two lines
which form the angle, the angular point being the centre, and such angle is estimated by
the number of degrees contained in the arc. Thus, a right angle whose measure is a
quadrant or ([uarter of the circle is one of 90 degrees (Prop. 'J2. Geometry)
;
and the sum
of the three angles of every triangle, or two right angles, is e(]ual to 180 degrees. Hence
in a right-angled triangle, one of the acute angles being taken from 90 degrees, the other
acute angle is known; and the sum of two angles in a triangle taken from 180 degrees
leaves the third angle
;
or either angle taken from 180 degrees leaves the sum of the other
two angles.
10;3<). It is usual to mark the figure which denotes degrees with a small
:
thus,
60^
means 60 degrees; minutes are marked thus
':
hence,
45'
means 45 minutes; seconds are
marked thus
", 49"
meaning 49 seconds
;
and an additional conuna is sujieradded for thirds,
and so on. Thus,
58 14' 25"
is read 58 degrees, 14 minutes, 25 seconds.
1 0.S 7. The complement of an arc is the quantity it wants of 90
degrees. Thus, AD
(_/?(?. 395.)
being a quadrant, BD is the com-
plement of the arc AB, and, reciprocally, A B is the comjilement
of BD. Hence, if an arc AB contain 50 degrees, its complement
BD will be 40.
10.38. The supphmcnt of an arc is that which it wants of 180
degrees. Thus, ADE being a semicircle, BDE is the sujiplement
of the arc AB, which arc, recijirocaily, is the supplement of BDE.
Thus, if AB be an arc of 50 degrees, then its supplement BDE
will be ISO degrees.
1039. The line drawn from one extremity of an arc perpendicu-
lar to a diameter passing through its other extremity is called a
sine or right sine. Thus, BF is the sine of the arc AB, or of the Fig.
.>95.
arc BDE. Hence the sine (BF) is half the chord (BG) of the double arc (BAG).
1040. That part of the diameter intercejited between the arc and its sine is called the
versed sine of an arc. Thus, AF is the versed sine of the arc AB, and EF the versed sine
ofthearcEDB.
1041. The tangent of an arc is a line which touches one end of the arc, continued fron^.
thence to meet a line drawn from the centre, through the other extremity, which last line is
called the secant of the arc. Thus, AH is the tangent and CH the secant of the arc
AB. So EI is the tangent and CI the secant of the su])plemental arc BDE. The latter
tangent and secant are equal to the former
;
but, from being drawn in a direction opposite
or contrary to the former, they are denominated negative.
1042. The cosine of an arc is the right sine of the complement of that arc. Thus BF,
the sine of AB, is the cosine of BD.
1043. The cotangent of an arc is the tangent of that arc's complement. Thus AH, which
is the tangent of AB, is the cotangent of BD.
1044. The cosecant of an arc is the secant of its complement. Thus CH, which is the
secant of A B, is the cosecant of B D.
1045. From the above definitions follow some remarkable properties.
1. That an arc and its supplement have the same sine, tangent, and secant ; but the two
latter, that is. the tangent and the secant, are accounted negative when the arc exceeds a (pia-
draiu, or
90 degrees. II. Wlien the arc is 0, cr nothing, the secant then becomes the
radius CA, which is the least it can be. As the arc increases from 0, the sines, tangents, and
secants all increase, till the arc becomes a whole quailrant A.D
;
and then the sine is the
greatest it can be, being equal to the radius of the circle; under which circumstance the
tangent and secant are infinite. III. In every arc AB, the versed sine AF, and the
cosine BKor CF, are together equal to the radius of the circle. The radius CA, the
tangent AH, and the secant CH, form a right-ang'ed triiing'e CAH. Again, the radius,
sine, and cosine form another right-angled triangle CBF or CBK. So alao the radius,