Mastering Trigonometric Ratios | A Mnemonic Device for Remembering SOH-CAH-TOA

How to remember sine, cosine, and tangent

To remember sine, cosine, and tangent, you can use the mnemonic device SOH-CAH-TOA

To remember sine, cosine, and tangent, you can use the mnemonic device SOH-CAH-TOA. This serves as a memory aid for the trigonometric ratios:

– SOH stands for “sine equals opposite over hypotenuse.”
– CAH stands for “cosine equals adjacent over hypotenuse.”
– TOA stands for “tangent equals opposite over adjacent.”

Here’s an explanation of each term:

– Sine (sin): In a right triangle, the sine of an angle is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the hypotenuse. It is often used to calculate the height of a point above a horizontal line or the angle of elevation or depression.
Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse

– Cosine (cos): The cosine of an angle is defined as the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to the angle to the length of the hypotenuse. It is frequently used to calculate the horizontal distance between two points or the angle of rotation.
Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse

– Tangent (tan): Tangent of an angle is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite to the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle in a right triangle. This ratio is useful for finding the slope of a line or determining the angle of inclination.
Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent

Remembering the mnemonic device SOH-CAH-TOA can help you recall these trigonometric ratios when working with right triangles and trigonometry problems. Practice using these ratios in different exercises to improve your understanding and memory of them.

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