On Fri, 20 Nov 1998 14:00:06 -0500 Bill Saidel <saidel@crab.rutgers.edu>
writes:
>At 01:18 PM 11/20/1998 EST, you wrote:
>>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?
>
>42
In that case, "So long, and thanks for all the fish"
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