Term | Definition |
Adjacent side | the leg next to an acute angle in a right triangle that is not the hypotenuse |
complementary angles | two angles whose sum is 90 degrees |
cosine | a trigonometric function of an acute angle in a right triangle that is the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to the length of the hypotenuse |
hypotenuse | the side opposite the vertex of the 90 degree angle in a right triangle |
opposite side | the side across from an angle |
ratio | the relation between two quantities; can be expressed in words, fractions, decimals, or as a percentage |
reciprocal | a number that, when multiplied by the original number, has a product of 1 |
right triangle | a triangle with one angle that measures 90 degrees |
scale factor | A multiple of the lengths of the sides from one figure to the transformed figure. If the scale factor is larger than 1, then the figure is enlarged. If the scale factor is between 0 to 1, then the figure is reduced. |
secant | the reciprocal of cosine |
cosecant | the reciprocal of the sine ratio |
cotangent | the reciprocal of tangent |
similar | Two figures that are the same shape but not necessarily the same size. Corresponding angles must be congruent and sides must have the same ratio. |
sine | a trigonometric function of an acute angle in a right triangle that is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the hypotenuse |
tangent | a trigonometric function of an acute angle in a right triangle that is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side |
theda | a Greek letter commonly used to refer to unknown angle measures |
trigonometry | the study of triangles and the relationships between their sides and the angles between these sides |
altitude | the perpendicular line from the vertex of a figure to its opposite side; height |
angle of depression | the angle created by a horizontal ine and a downward line of sight to an object that is below the observer |
angel of elevation | the angle created by a horizontal line and an upward line of sight to an object that is above the observer |