NATURAL TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS: CSC, SEC & CO- TAN

After the entry of figures and (°’”) following alternately, press (1/x) after SIN, COS, or TAN to get
reciprocals CSC, SEC, or CO- TAN.

Example 1: Find the value of Nat Csc 29°.

Operation: 29 (°’”)(Sin)(1/x)
Display: 2.0626653

Alternate procedure when (1/x) is not used.

Operation: 1 (÷) 29(°’”)(Sin)(=)
Display: 2.0626653

Example 2: Given value of Nat Csc T= 2.0626653. Find the angle T.

Operation: Enter 2.0626653 (1/x)
Display: 0.4848096
Press: (Inv) (Sin) (Inv) (°’”)
Display: 29°00’00”

Example 2 may also worked out as follows

Operation: 1(÷) 2.0626653
Display: 0.4848096
Press: (Inv) (Sin) (Inv) (°’”)
Display: 29°00’00”

Exercises:
1. Find the value of Nat Sec 48°27.5’
Ans.: 1.50807
2. Given Nat Sec Ѳ= 1.5710252. Find the Angle Ѳ
Ans.: 50°28’
3. Find the value of Nat CoTan 17°36.3’
Ans.: 3.1514452
4. Given Nat CoTan Ѳ= 3.1514452. Find the Angle Ѳ.
Ans.: 17°36.18’

141
PROBLEMS:

1. A perpendicular flagstaff 35 ft. high cast a shadow on the ground 54 ft. long. Find the altitude of the
sun?

C Tan θ = Opp = a or 35
35’ Adj. c 54
a Nat Tab θ = 0.64815
B Ѳ θ = 32º56’57’’
c- 54’ Sun’s Altitude = 32º56’57’’

2. Running along off a coast, a lighthouse is listed as 145 ft. high, its vertical sextant angle was observed
to be 1º03’. How far of the lighthouse is the vessel?

Co-Tan A = b/ B
A c a
Co-Tan 1º03’ = b/ 145°
145
b = 145 x N Cot 1º03’ A 1°03’ C
= 145 x 54.5613 b
b = 7911.39 ft, distance off
3. The angle of elevation of a ship’s masthead is 126 feet above the sea is observed from a boat to be
141/2º above the horizontal plane of the observer’s eye. The observer’s eye is 6 feet above the sea. How
far is he from the ship?

Note: The ship’s mast is = 126’ – 6’= 120ft

B
c
120’ a 126’

A 14.5° C
6’ b

Nat Cot A = b ; Nat Cot 14.5º = Dist (b)

A 120
Distance = Nat Cot 14.5º x 120
Distance = 3.8667131 x 120
Answer : Distance = 464 feet

142
 PYTHAGORIAN THEOREM

1. Q. What is Pythagorean Theorem?

A. Pythagorean Theorem is the theorem of Pythagoras which states that: The square on the
hypotenuse of a right triangle s equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides.

2. Q. By means of Pythagorean Theorem. Find the hypotenuse of a right triangle where the legs are
equal to 7.85 and 9.03
A. Solution:
c²= a² + b²
= 7.85² + 9.03²
= 61.6225 + 81.5409
= 143.1634
c = √143.1634
c = 11.965

3. Q. In a right triangle having angles 90º, 45º of 11.5, find the altitude and the hypotenuse.
A. Solution: B a=b()
b = 11.5
c = b √2
a c = 11.5 x 1.414
c = 16.261
C A
b
4. Q. in a 90º, 60º and 30º triangle, the hypotenuse is equal to 7. Find the other two sides.
A. Solution: a =1/2c
a = 7(1/2)
B a = 3.5

60° c=7 b = a√3

b = 3.5 x 1.732
a b = 6.062

C b A

143
Q. two vessels A and B start from the same point. Vessel ‘A’ sails SW for 27.5 miles. ‘B’ sails NW 33.5
miles. How far are they part? B
33.5
A. solution by Pythagorean Theorem:
c² = a² + b²
= 33.5² + 27.5²
=1122.25 + 756.25
c² = 1878.60
c =v1878.50 = 43.34 miles 27.5
A
Q. Vessel A is in latitude 28°40’ N Longitude 20°W and vessel B is in Latitude 39°24’ N Longitude 20°W.
vessel A leaves at 1200H in a certain day steaming 090°T at 12 knots and B leaves at 1800H on the same
day, also steering 090°T. at what speed must vessel B steam so that both vessels maybe in the same
meridian at 1800H on the following day?

A. Solution: Given Speed A=12 knots, Sailing Time= 1200H- 2400H; 0000H- 1800H= 30 hours
Distance run = spd X S time 20°W
= 12 X 30
= 360 miles DLo=410.25
Note: in parallel sailing,
Distance run = Departure B 39°24’
DLo 1800H Dist=317.04 miles 1800H
Sec Lat A = ---------
Dep DLo=410.25
DLo 28°40’
Nat Sec 28°40’=------
360 1200H Dep= 360 miles 1800H
DLo = 1.139698 X 360

Vessel B: Sailing Time = DLo A = 410.29 miles

1800H – 1800H next day = 24 hours

Note: DLo of A = DLo of B

To find the Speed of B: (Find the departure made by B)

Cos Lat B = Dep/DLo X Nat Cos 39°24’ = Dep/410.29

Dep = Nat Cos 39°24’ X 410.29 = 0.7727335 X 410.29 = 317.04 miles

Speed B = Dist. (Dep) / sailing Time = 317.04/ 24 = 13.21 knots

144
Q. Under what conditions will the sun rise bearing East or 090ºT?
A. 1. Declination of the sun is 0º, observer is at the Equator.
2. The sun is situated at one of the equinoctial points that is either on the VERNAL EQUINOX or at the
AUTUMNAL EQUINOX when its declination is 0º, and its amplitude at rising is 0º.

Q. What is the difference between the theoretical sunrise and the observed sunrise?
A. Observed sunrise is the angular measurement of the sun’s altitude using sextant while the theoretical
sunrise is based on date taken from the Ephemaris or the Nautical Almanac.

Q. What is the duration of daylight and darkness at the poles?

A. During the period of Perpetual Apparition “where the sun never rise or set”, it is a period of about
three months. In the opposite pole it is that period of “Perpetual Occultation” for also about a period of
three months.

Q. What conditions make a body circumpolar?

A. When the celestial body remains above the horizon for 24 hours, it is said to be circumpolar.

Q. When are days and nights approximately equal in length in all parts of the world?
A. When the sun reaches the first point of Aires or the Vernal Equinox on or about March 21 each year.
And again on or about September 23 when it reaches the Autumnal Equinox. As these two instances, the
sun’s declination is 0º.

Q. Explain why planet Venus can only be observed as an evening and morning star but can never be
observed transiting the meridian at night.
A. It is due to the position of the sun in relation with the earth where the declination of Venus is at a
certain angle during early evening and early morning and never at midnight.

Q. If at ship it is desired to observe the sextant attitude of the sun at 0930H, where the time of sunrise is
0600H, what will be your adjustment on the limb for a direct sunlight?
A. 09h 30m – 06h 00m = 03h 30m: which will be observed to arc and is = 52º30’. Set the limb of the
sextant to this value 52º30’ and direct your sight to the visible horizon for the reflected image of the
sun.

145
Q. Under what condition does deviation change in name and amount?

A. The name from east to west or vice versa is changed depending upon the attraction of the
surrounding irons where deflection of the magnet will exist.

Q. How may the deviation of the compass be found?

A. 1. By ranges and bearings of two or more objects.

2. By comparison with the azimuth of star Polaris.

3. By comparison of the true and compass azimuth of the sun.

4. By “swinging” the ship on various compass heading.

Q. Distinguish between a small scale charts and large scale charts and state the use of each?

A. Small scale charts are used to plot true courses of the ship and to determine distances covered within
its route. Large scale charts are used when navigating along coastlines or when entering a harbor,
passages or bays where all observations are clearly indicated.

Q. Explain the Mercator Principle?

A. The principle of Mercator states that due to the convergence of the meridians towards the poles,
once these meridians are straightened into longitude, the latitude in the upper are stretched, hence the
existence of the meridional parts.

Q. What is the purpose of danger bearing?

A. It is to avoid obstructions such as shallow areas, shoals, rocks, etc. before alteration of ship’s course
could be made.

Q. What is twilight?

A. twilight applies to the light that received from the sun after sunset. It is due to scattering and
reflection of sunlight in the atmosphere. Evening twilight begins at sunset and the morning twilight ends
at sunrise. The three kinds of twilights are:

1. Civil Twilight- center of the sun is 6° below the horizon.

2. Nautical Twilight- center of the sun is 12° below the horizon.
3. Astronomical Twilight- center of the sun is 18° below the horizon.

In general the most effective period of observing stars and the planets occurs when the center of the
sun is between 3°- 9° below the celestial horizon. Hence the darker limit of the civil twilight occurs at
about the midpoint of this period.

146
Q. Construct a plane sailing triangle showing a course of 070°T with X departure and Y distance.
A. illustrate
Departure X

DLat
Dist. Y

Q. Name six proofs that the earth is round.

A. 1. It is circumnavigable. Many people have travelled continuously eastward.
2. The shadow of the earth on the moon during lunar eclipse always appears round.
3. A ship putting out of the sea disappears over the horizon.
4. The higher we go above the surface of the earth, the farther we can see distant objects.
5. The visible horizon is curve as shown by photographs taken from great altitudes.
6. As we travelled north or south, the stars ahead of us climb higher the sky and those behind
lowered

Q. Enumerate various nautical publications needed in the safe navigation of a ship?

A. 1. Notice to Mariners 4. Useful Tables
2. Tide and Current Tables 5. Nautical Almanac
3. Pilot charts 6. Sailing Directions

Q. What causes deviation? When is it named East and when is it West?

A. Deviation is due to the surrounding irons that attract the magnetic needle of the compass. A
deflection then is either on the right or left of compass north. When the angle of deflection of the
magnetic north is to the right of the compass north, deviation is named EAST and West when the
deflection is to the left of the compass north.

Q. What is the cause of variation? Why does it change in quantity? Why is it different in different in
places?
A. it is caused by the geographic and magnetic poles not coinciding. The variation of a place is that angle
between the true meridian and the magnetic meridian. The amount of variation depends on the
parallactic angle subtended by the magnetic and geographic poles and varies in navigable latitudes from
90°W. it is named EAST or WEST according or whether the needle point respectively to the right or left
of the true meridian.

147