Math
Soh-cah-toa.
Definition
A mnemonic for remembering the three basic trigonometric ratios in a right triangle. SOH means Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, CAH means Cosine = Adjacent/Hypotenuse, and TOA means Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 In a right triangle with an angle of 30°, if the hypotenuse is 10, then the opposite side is 10·sin(30°) = 5
- 2 Finding the height of a building by measuring the angle of elevation and your distance from it using tangent
Key Fact
sin = opp/hyp, cos = adj/hyp, tan = opp/adj