1. What is the Adjacent Side Formula?

The adjacent side formula calculates the length of the side adjacent to a given angle in a right triangle using the cosine trigonometric function. It relates the hypotenuse and the angle to find the adjacent side length.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the trigonometric formula:

Where:

• \( S_{Adjacent} \) — Adjacent side to angle α (meters)
• \( S_{Hypotenuse} \) — Hypotenuse of the right triangle (meters)
• \( \alpha \) — Angle in degrees (converted to radians for calculation)
• \( \cos \) — Cosine trigonometric function

Explanation: The cosine of an angle represents the ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse in a right triangle.

3. Importance of Adjacent Side Calculation

Details: Calculating the adjacent side is fundamental in trigonometry and geometry applications, including construction, navigation, physics problems, and engineering designs involving right triangles.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the hypotenuse length in meters and the angle in degrees (0-360°). Both values must be positive numbers with the angle within the valid range.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the adjacent side in a right triangle?
A: The adjacent side is the side that forms the angle with the hypotenuse, excluding the opposite side and the hypotenuse itself.

Q2: Why convert degrees to radians?
A: Trigonometric functions in mathematical calculations typically use radians rather than degrees for more precise computations.

Q3: What are valid angle ranges?
A: The calculator accepts angles from 0° to 360°, covering all possible angles in a circle.

Q4: Can this formula be used for non-right triangles?
A: No, this specific formula applies only to right triangles where one angle is 90 degrees.

Q5: What if the angle is 90 degrees?
A: When α = 90°, cos(90°) = 0, so the adjacent side would be 0, which represents a degenerate triangle case.