Ratios of Right Triangles: Introduction

Surveyor

Have you ever seen surveyors outside in your town working?  Surveying is a scientific measuring process in which distances and angles can be found and then used to accurately map out land, buildings, streets, bridges, and other locations. It is a complicated process, but is based in the mathematical concepts we are learning here.  In order to use the triangles created when surveyors take measurements, they must understand the six trigonometric ratios we will learn in this section.  Once you learn them, you will be able to calculate various angles and sides that are not known.