According to the conventional definition, “trigonometry is the branch of mathematics that deals with the relationships that exist between the sides and angles of a triangle.”

Not your cup of tea, huh? Try the following steps:

1. Take chips and cut them into small pieces. Small enough to fit in your pocket and large enough to write a single trigonometric identity clearly.

2. Begin by writing 1 identity on the back of 1 token. An example would be Sin2 (theta) + Cos2 (theta) = 1. Now divide all the terms by Sin2 (theta). Do it yourself and see the result. Carefully copy your work onto the back of an index card. Write down today’s date. This process will take a maximum of 15 minutes.

3. Next time, divide all the terms by Cos2 (theta). Carefully write the work on the back of another card and note the date.

4. Make similar divisions of other identities.

5. If you do this once a day for just 3 weeks, you will know which formula to use when a trigonometry problem stares you in the face the next time. If you are still having problems, you can always ask your teacher at school or you can refer the problem to an online tutor. A good reasonable online math tutor should be able to help.

Let’s try to solve a simple problem based on the practical application of trigonometry:

Q) A kite is flying at a height of 75 meters from the ground, attached to a string inclined at a 60 degree angle to the horizontal. Find the length of the rope to the nearest meter.

Step 1: To get started, first draw the required diagram according to the problem.

P

month

Step 2: try to match the diagram with the given problem

Declare the necessary assumptions:

Let ‘P’ be the position of the kite and MP = 75 meters (the height of the kite)

And the string will stay at point O, the angle