Harlan,
I was checking your calculations, and I realized you used Gradians instead of
Degrees for your calculations of Sine and Cosine.
Using my calculations:
If the angle of decline from horizontal is 15 degrees, and the height of the
center of the headlight is 2 feet, the distance of the horizontal feet in
front of the car that the center of the beam will hit is equal to:
2(Tangent(90*-15*))= 7.464 feet. The length of the Hypotenuse is equal to:
2/(Cosine(90*-15*)=7.727 feet.
Now, to check my work, the Pythagorean Theorem: a^2 + b^2 = c^2
if a = 2 feet,
b = 7.464 feet,
c = 7.727 feet.
2^2 + 7.464^2 =? 7.727^2
4 + 55.71 =? 59.71
59.71 = 59.71
Not meaning to be rude or bomb the list, but being a Computer Science Major
with a Math Minor, and currently suffering through Calculus II, I love to take
the time to revert to things much simpler, such as Trigonometry, and my '77
MGB!
And now a question: All through school, I wondered if all that math was
relevant to the outside world.
How many true, real life calculations of this type is one forced to make in
one's life?
Sincerely,
Steve Sanchez
"Taking a brief respite from cramming for Calculus!"
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