Can trigonometry be used in everyday life?

Trigonometry may not have its direct applications in solving practical issues, but it is used in various things that we enjoy so much. For example music, as you know sound travels in waves and this pattern though not as regular as a sine or cosine function, is still useful in developing computer music. A computer cannot obviously listen to and comprehend music as we do, so computers represent it mathematically by its constituent sound waves. And this means sound engineers need to know at least the basics of trigonometry. And the good music that these sound engineers produce is used to calm us from our hectic, stress full life – All thanks to trigonometry.

Trigonometry can be used to measure the height of a building or mountains:

if you know the distance from where you observe the building and the angle of elevation you can easily find the height of the building. Similarly, if you have the value of one side and the angle of depression from the top of the building you can find and another side in the triangle, all you need to know is one side and angle of the triangle.

Trigonometry in video games:

Have you ever played the game, Mario? When you see him so smoothly glide over the road blocks. He doesn’t really jump straight along the Y axis, it is a slightly curved path or a parabolic path that he takes to tackle the obstacles on his way. Trigonometry helps Mario jump over these obstacles. As you know Gaming industry is all about IT and computers and hence Trigonometry is of equal importance for these engineers.

Trigonometry in construction:

In construction we need trigonometry to calculate the following:

• Measuring fields, lots and areas;
• Making walls parallel and perpendicular;
• Installing ceramic tiles;
• Roof inclination;
• The height of the building, the width length etc. and the many other such things where it becomes necessary to use trigonometry.

Architects use trigonometry to calculate structural load, roof slopes, ground surfaces and many other aspects, including sun shading and light angles.

Trigonometry in flight engineering:

Flight engineers have to take in account their speed, distance, and direction along with the speed and direction of the wind. The wind plays an important role in how and when a plane will arrive where ever needed this is solved using vectors to create a triangle using trigonometry to solve. For example, if a plane is travelling at 234 mph, 45 degrees N of E, and there is a wind blowing due south at 20 mph. Trigonometry will help to solve for that third side of your triangle which will lead the plane in the right direction, the plane will actually travel with the force of wind added on to its course.

Trigonometry in physics:

In physics, trigonometry is used to find the components of vectors, model the mechanics of waves (both physical and electromagnetic) and oscillations, sum the strength of fields, and use dot and cross products. Even in projectile motion you have a lot of application of trigonometry.