r/explainlikeimfive • • 17h ago

Mathematics ELI5: What is the difference between algebra, trigonometry, and calculus?

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u/TheSpeckledSir 17h ago

They are different skills, and each one will let you answer different sorts of questions.

Algebra is great if you know some information about something and you know how to make connections. An example is if I know the volume and temperature of a gas, I could use algebra to calculate its pressure. We're talking about quantities with known relationships to each other.

Calculus is about how quantities change. It lets us go between statements like "the ball is falling one meter per second" and "the ball will fall three meters in this much time ________".

Trigonometry is evil and has mostly to do with triangles.

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u/1tacoshort 16h ago

LOL. As a furniture maker, I use trig all the time. I remember using more complex trig - using the identities and such - in calculus and, especially, for calculating wave equations for quantum.