The sine function, denoted as sin(a)
, is a fundamental function in trigonometry that describes the ratio of the length of the side opposite an angle a
in a right-angled triangle to the length of the hypotenuse of the triangle. When expressed as a fraction, sin(a)
is represented as:
sin(a) = \frac{opposite}{hypotenuse}
To simplify this concept further:
- The
opposite
side is the side that is directly across from anglea
. - The
hypotenuse
is the longest side of the right triangle, opposite the right angle.
For example, if we have a right triangle where:
- The length of the side opposite to angle
a
is 3 units. - The length of the hypotenuse is 5 units.
We can express sin(a)
as:
sin(a) = \frac{3}{5}
This fraction \frac{3}{5}
is already in its simplest form, meaning that 3 and 5 have no common factors other than 1.
In conclusion, the ratio for sin(a)
is simply the ratio of the side opposite angle a
to the hypotenuse, written as a fraction in its simplest form.