MATHS PROJECT

History of trigonometry
i. Historical Background of Trigonometry
Early study of triangles can be traced to the 2nd millennium BC, in Egyptian
mathematics (Rhind Mathematical Papyrus) and Babylonian mathematics.
Trigonometry was also prevalent in Kushite mathematics.[1] Systematic study
of trigonometric functions began in Hellenistic mathematics, reaching India as part
of Hellenistic astronomy.[2] In Indian astronomy, the study of trigonometric functions
flourished in the Gupta period, especially due to Aryabhata (sixth century CE), who
discovered the sine function. During the Middle Ages, the study of trigonometry
continued in Islamic mathematics, by mathematicians such as Al-Khwarizmi and Abu
al-Wafa. It became an independent discipline in the Islamic world, where all
six trigonometric functions were known. Translations of Arabic and Greek texts led to
trigonometry being adopted as a subject in the Latin West beginning in
the Renaissance with Regiomontanus. The development of modern trigonometry
shifted during the western Age of Enlightenment, beginning with 17th-century
mathematics (Isaac Newton and James Stirling) and reaching its modern form
with Leonhard Euler (1748).

2. ANGLES

i. Definition
In Plane Geometry, a figure which is formed by two rays or lines that shares a
common endpoint is called an angle. The word “angle” is derived from the Latin word
“angulus”, which means “corner”. The two rays are called the sides of an angle, and
the common endpoint is called the vertex. The angle that lies in the plane does not
have to be in the Euclidean space. In case if the angles are formed by the
intersection of two planes in the Euclidean or the other space, the angles are
considered dihedral angles. The angle is represented using the symbol “∠”. The
angle measurement between the two rays can be denoted using the Greek letter θ, α,
β etc.

ii. Types and different system of measurement of angles

a. The angles are classified under the following types:

 Acute Angle – an angle measure less than 90 degrees

 Right Angle – an angle is exactly at 90 degrees
 Obtuse Angle – an angle whose measure is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180
degrees
 Straight Angle – an angle which is exactly at 180 degrees
 Reflex Angle – an angle whose measure is greater than 180 degrees and less than 360
degrees
 Full Angle – an angle whose measure is exactly at 360 degrees
 Positive Angle: If the angle goes in counterclockwise, then it is called a positive angle.
  Negative Angle: If the angle goes clockwise direction, then it is called a negative angle. 
b. Different system of measurement of angles==
(a) Sexagesimal System: In Sexagesimal System, an angle is
measured in degrees, minutes and seconds.
A complete rotation describes 360°. In this system, a right angle is
divided into 90 equal parts and each such part is called a Degree (1°);
a degree is divided into 60 equal parts and each such part is called a
Sexagesimal Minute (1’) and a minute is further sub-divided into 60
equal parts, each of which is called a Sexagesimal Second (1’’). In
short, 

1 right angle = 90 degrees (or 90°)

1 degree (or 1°) = 60 minutes ( or 60’)

and 1 minute ( or 1’ ) = 60 seconds ( or 60’’).

(b) Centesimal System: In Centesimal System, an angle is measured in

grades, minutes and seconds. In this system, a right angle is divided into
100

equal parts and each such part is called a Grade (1g); again, a grade is
divided into 100 equal parts and each such part is called a Centesimal
Minute (1‵) ; and a minute is further sub-divided into 100 equal parts, each
of which is called a Centesimal Second (1‶). In short,

1 right angle = 100 grades (or, 100g)

1 grade ( or 1g) = 100 minutes (or, 100‵)
and 1 minute (or 1‵) = 100 seconds ( or, 100‶).

(c) Circular System: In this System, an angle is measured in radians. In

higher mathematics angles are usually measured in circular system. In this
system a radian is considered as the unit for the measurement of angles.

Definition of Radian: A radian is an angle subtended at the center of a

circle by an arc whose length is equal to the radius.

iii. Clinometer (Construction and Working).

a. Clinometer Construction
1. Tie one end of the string to the weight.
2. Tie the other end of the string to the center hole in the base of the protractor. Make
sure the knot lines up with the center hole and not the outside or inside of the
protractor.
3. Tape the drinking straw to the flat edge of the protractor. Make sure the ends of the
straw lie flush with the corners of the protractor.
4. Turn the protractor upside down. The weight should pull down the string so that it
passes through the degree measures when the clinometer is turned.
b. Working of Clinometer
 Step 1: Pick a Spot

Pick a spot to measure your object (I measured a telephone pole).  You should be far enough away
from your object that you can see the top of it, and you need to be on level ground with the base of
the object.  I like to set something down by my feet once I've picked my spot, so that I can easily
come back to it.

Step 2: Measure Angle

Here's where we bust out our handy clinometer.  Look through the straw of your clinometer at the
top of the light pole (or whatever object you're measuring).  The weighted string should hang down
freely, crossing the protractor portion of the clinometer.  Read the angle shown, and subtract from
90° to find your angle of vision from your eye to the top of the pole (it can be helpful here to have an
assistant to read the measurement while you look through the straw).  Record your results on your
paper.

From my spot, my clinometer (read by my assistant) showed 55°.  Subtracting from 90°, that
indicated that I looked at an angle of 35° to the top of the telephone pole.

Step 3: Measure Distance

Once you have your angle of vision, use your tape measure to find the distance from the spot you're
standing to the base of the object you're measuring (an assistant comes in handy here, too).  We
must know how far away you are to accurately calculate the height.

My spot was 15.6meters from the base of the telephone pole I measured.

Step 4: Find Your Eye-height

The last piece of data you need to calculate the height of your object is the height from the ground
to your eye (your eye-height).  Have your assistant help you measure this using your tape measure.

My eye height was recorded for this example as 1.64 meters.

 Step 5: Draw a Picture

Time to move inside.  In calculating the height of the object you just measured, I find it helpful to
begin by drawing a picture and labeling it with all of the information I have.

Step 6: Model As a Triangle

The next step is to simplify your drawing to model your system as a right triangle.  Label your
triangle with the angle you read on your clinometer as well as the distance you were standing from
the object (we don't need the eye-height just yet).

Step 7: Solve for X

We can find x in this triangle (which represents the portion of the height from eye-level up) by using
some basic trigonometry, specifically the tangent ratio of the triangle:

tan(angle) = x / distance

Multiply by the distance on both sides and you get:

x = tan(angle) * distance

Use a calculator to multiply these together and get a decimal value (be sure your calculator is in
'degrees' mode, rather than 'radians'!).

In my example:

tan(35°) = x / 15.6

x = tan(35°) * 15.6

x = 10.92 meters
 Step 8: Combine With Eye Height

To find the height of your object, bring this x value back to the original drawing.  By labeling it, we
can see that the height of the object, h, is equal to the x value we just found plus the eye-height we
measured earlier:

h = x + (eye-height)

In my example:

h = 10.92m + 1.64m
h = 12.56m

3. Trigonometry

i. Meaning

Trigonometry (from Greek trigōnon, "triangle" and metron, "measure"[1]) is a branch

of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles.

ii. Definition
The word trigonometry is derived from the Greek words-tri(three),gonia (angle) and
metron (measure). Trigonometry is the study of relationship between the sides and
angles of a triangle. The earliest known work on Trigonometry was recorded by Egypt
and Babylon . In ancient India , astronomers used it to find out distances of stars and
planets from Earth . Trigonometry is the branch of maths used in surveying,
navigation , physics , engineering ,and in all applications of maths and in the analysis
of motion.
iii. Ratios of Trigonometry
a. There are six trigonometric ratios, sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant and
cotangent.
b. These six trigonometric ratios are abbreviated as sin, cos, tan, cosec, sec, cot

(write all the values of above in project)

4. DERIVATION OF TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS OF SPECIAL ANGLES

i. Derivation of Trigonometric ratios of 0O, 30O, 45O, 60Oand 90O.
5. REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS OF TRIGONOMETRY

i. Importance and use of trigonometry in solving problems of real life. Give

five examples with solutions.