On 11/20/98 10:37 PM so and so (Rick Morrison) said. (And I quote:)
>
>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"
Gawd its been too long since I read that - have to dig it up and reread.
Thanks for the giggles.
Larry Macy
78 Midget
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
System Manager/Administrator
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 10 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104
In a world without walls or fences, what use do we have for windows or
gates?
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