Mastering Math: Supplementary Angles In Geometry, Trigonometry, And Physics

supplementary angles

Two angles whose sum is 180 degrees

Supplementary angles are two angles whose sum is equal to 180 degrees. In other words, if angle A and angle B are supplementary angles, then:

A + B = 180 degrees

For example, if angle A is 60 degrees, then angle B is 120 degrees because:

60 + 120 = 180 degrees

Supplementary angles can be found in many contexts, such as in geometry, trigonometry, and physics. In geometry, supplementary angles are often used to find missing angles in a shape. For example, if you know that two angles in a triangle are supplementary, you can find the third angle by subtracting the sum of the other two angles from 180 degrees.

In trigonometry, supplementary angles are used to find the values of trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine and tangent. For example, if you know that an angle is supplementary to another angle for which the sine is known, you can use the fact that the sum of the sines of supplementary angles is equal to one, to find the sine of the other angle.

In physics, supplementary angles are used to calculate the forces acting on an object. For example, if the direction of motion of an object changes by an angle of 90 degrees, then the force acting on the object is equal to the force required to make the object move in a straight line in the new direction plus the force required to overcome friction.

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