Trigonometry Uses and Importance in our Daily Life

Trigonometry is the division of mathematics that’s concerned with various properties of trigonometric functions and the applications of those functions to determine the unknown angles and sides of a triangle. Trigonometry is an important topic of mathematics that’s taught to students in their high school mathematics curriculum. Trigonometry is also of paramount importance in daily life. Today we’ll go through some historical uses of trigonometry in a nutshell and will also see the various applications of this topic in our daily life.

Historical Uses

Trigonometry was initially used in astronomy. Before the sixteenth century, the subject of astronomy was based completely on the concept that Earth is placed in the center of a number of nested spheres. Therefore, it can be said that trigonometry was mainly used for calculating the positions of planets and stars.

Modern trigonometry has many influences from the Babylonians, the Sumerian, the Greeks and Indian astronomers.

Importance of Trigonometry

We are actually surrounded by various applications of trigonometry on our daily life but honestly, we are not aware of this fact. It will be impossible to construct houses, cars etc. without the knowledge of trigonometry. We do not mean that the entire process is based on trigonometry but certain measurements and concepts are actually based on this important mathematics topic. Similarly, there are many other pieces of technology that are researched, manufactured and developed through the use of some trigonometric concepts.

Prominent Fields of Technology that Use Trigonometric Concepts

We are providing you with a handful of prominent technological fields that utilize trigonometric concepts. There are many more other than the ones mentioned below that use trigonometry but it’s impossible to get them all together within a single article. We are just mentioning those technological fields where there’s an extensive used of trigonometric concepts.

• Astronomy,
• Navigation,
• Optics,
• Acoustics (The science of studying mechanical waves in solids, liquids and gases that also topics like sound, infrasound, ultrasound and vibration),
• Electronics,
• Statistics,
• Number theory,
• Electrical engineering,
• Mechanical engineering,
• Computer graphics,
• Game development,
• Civil engineering,
• Medical imaging,
• Pharmacy,
• Cartography (creating maps),
• Seismology (It’s the science of studying earthquakes),
• Crystallography (The study of atom arrangements in a crystalline solid).

Applications of Trigonometry in More Detail

The primary objective of using trigonometry is generally found in certain studies involving measurement of accurate distances. Applications of trigonometry in navigation are mainly used by specific satellite systems and astronomy, aviation and naval industries, land survey, oceanography and cartography (a stream of science involved in the creation of maps).

We agree that an individual might not see the direct application of trigonometry in their daily life activities. But the usage of this topic of mathematics is hidden in that individual’s backgrounds in an abstract form. A simple example can be a mechanical structure, say a bridge or a building. The blue-print of this plan involves a huge amount of trigonometric concepts where the necessary measurements are done for incorporation into the plan. Trigonometry makes it possible for individuals to determine unknown sides and angles. This is of paramount importance for drafting the sketch of a plan. Similarly, there are many examples.

Have you ever wondered about the ways through which the height of Mt. Everest is measured? Remember, that the height was measured way before the first climb of the mountain. Do you think that a measuring tape is involved? It would be a tremendous job if the height is measured with a tape which should be the longest tape in the world. It would have been a humongous achievement. But sadly, it wasn’t the case. Human beings used a more clever method to measure the height of the mountain. Yes, you guessed it right! It’s trigonometry. The trigonometric concept used is “trigonometry and shadows”. You can go through this article to know about the ways through which the height of a structure is measured using trigonometry.

Trigonometry is extensively used to generate complex as well as detailed images through a computer. The generation of such a detailed image is done through a process known as triangulation. Several trigonometric concepts are used by this process.

Trigonometry is an important math topic that should be understood clearly at the primary stage of its introduction to develop a strong base on the subject. This will benefit the students in the long run. Afterschool online-math tutorials can also help students out to develop a strong base in mathematics through a number of fun activities and lessons. So, all you’ll be needing is a computer and an internet connection. After that you can actually learn almost anything. Best of luck with your lessons and if you are a high school student, we urge you to keep the practice of trigonometry in your daily study routine. Because practice makes a man perfect!

The content is written by Sarah Izyan for Wizert