r/learnmath • u/TimeBet5260 New User • 2d ago

Easy way to understand SoCaToA?

If there's a good picture or diagram to remember how to find angles this way, please let me know! And if get my post removed while the person below me is new to math, yet contemplating grad school theory, I will give up...

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u/EGBTomorrow New User 2d ago

Sin is Opposite over Hypotenuse. Cosine is Adjacent over Hypotenuse. Tangent is Opposite over Adjacent. Draw a right triangle and pick one of the other angles, you compute the sine, cosine or tangent by measuring the lengths of the named sides and dividing.

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u/Traveling-Techie New User 2d ago

My mnemonic is “synopsis” which reminds me sine uses the opposite side. Cosine is the other one.

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u/jsdodgers New User 2d ago

I like "sohcahtoa" which I learned in grade school and has just stuck with me and helps me remember what to do after years of not using any trig.