Page images
PDF
EPUB

T. Davison, Lombard-street, Whitefriars, London.

COURSE

OF

MATHEMATICS, &c.

PLANE TRIGONOMETRY:

DEFINITIONS.

1. PLANE TRIGONOMETRY treats of the relations and calculations of the sides and angles of plane triangles.

2. The circumference of every circle (as before observed in Geom. Def. 56) is supposed to be divided into 360 equal parts, called Degrees; also each degree into 60 Minutes, and each minute into 60 Seconds, and so on. Hence a semicircle contains 180 degrees, and a quadrant 90 degrees.

3. The Measure of an angle (Def. 57, Geom.) is an arc of circle contained between the two lines which form any that angle, the angular point being the centre; and it is estimated by the number of degrees contained in that arc.

Hence, a right angle, being measured by a quadrant, or quarter of the circle, is an angle of 90 degrees; and the sum of the three angles of every triangle, or two right angles, is equal to 180 degrees. Therefore, in a right-angled triangle, taking one of the acute angles from 90 degrees, leaves the other acute angle; and the sum of the two angles, in any triangle, taken from 180 degrees, leaves the third angle; or one angle being taken from 180 degrees, leaves the sum of the other two angles.

[blocks in formation]

4. Degrees

4. Degrees are marked at the top of the figure with a small, minutes with', seconds with", and so on. Thus, 57° 30′ 12′′, denote 57 degrees 30 minutes and 12 seconds.

5. The Complement of an arc, is what it wants of a quadrant or 90o. Thus, if AD be a quadrant, then BD is the complement of the arc AB; and, reciprocally, AB is the complement of BD. So that, if AB be an arc of 50°, then its complement BD will be 40°.

6. The Supplement of an arc, is what it wants of a semicircle, or 180°.

F

K

Lli

Thus, if ADE be a semicircle, then BDE is the supplement of the arc AB; and, reciprocally, AB is the supplement of the arc BDE. So that, if AB be an arc of 50°, then its supplement BDE will be 130°.

7. The Sine, or Right Sine, of an arc, is the line drawn from one extremity of the arc, perpendicular to the diameter which passes through the other extremity. Thus, BF is the sine of the arc AB, or of the supplemental arc BDE. Hence the sine (BF) is half the chord (BG) of the double arc (BAG).

8. The Versed Sine of an arc, is the part of the diameter intercepted between the arc and its sine. So, AF is the versed sine of the arc AB, and EF the versed sine of the arc EDB.

9. The Tangent of an arc, is a line touching the circle in one extremity of that arc, continued from thence to meet a line drawn from the centre through the other extremity; which last line is called the Secant of the same arc. Thus, AH is the tangent, and CH the secant, of the arc AB. Also, EI is he tangent, and ci the secant, of the supplemental arc BDE. And this latter tangent and secant are equal to the former, but are accounted negative, as being drawn in an opposite or contrary direction to the former.

10. The Cosine, Cotangent, and Cosecant, of an arc, are the sine, tangent, and secant of the complement of that arc, the Co being only a contraction of the word complement. Thus, the arcs AB, BD, being the complements of each other, the sine, tangent, or secant of the one of these, is the cosine, cotangent, or cosecant of the other. So, BF, the sine of AB, is the cosine of BD; and вK, the sine of BD, is the cosine of AB: in like manner, AH, the tangent of AB, is the cotangent of BD; and DL, the tangent of DB, is the cotangent of AB: also, CH, the secant of AB, is the cosecant of BD; and CL, the secant of BD, is the cosecant of AB.

Corol.

« PreviousContinue »