alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Can someone please give me a brief rundown of when an engineer might use trig functions, things like Sin^2 x + (1-Cos^2 x)?

My lad is onto these at uni, but is the sort of person that NEEDS to know what use something is before he can make sense of it.

I suggested looking at forces/stresses in rotating bodies like train wheels, jet impellors, huge fans etc? But I'm no engineer......

Thanks to anyone who replies (sensibly)

Noble.

Trig functions are pretty fundamental to any engineering - for example when resolving forces to determine the motion of an object/particle. If you had an object with two forces acting upon it at non horizontal angles, but also had friction (acting horizontally) the use of trig functions would help determine whether there'd be any motion of the object.

Anything involving circular motion will involve trigonometric functions, satellites use trig functions for determining your position (it's called trilateration, although most commonly used in cartesians - it still requires trig).

You can use trig to determine the height of a building if you know the angle of elevation from the ground to the top of the building - and your distance from the building. A very basic one, but I could go on all day about the uses of trig, in any mathematics or engineering degree it's about as fundamental as knowing how to add and subtract.

Graz

In electronics, and especially signal processing, all the time. Mainly because most radio carrier waves are sinusoidal in nature hence these functions are used to model them.

CREWJ

We use them pretty much everyday. This week I've been using trig functions for extracting forces for valve train systems.

Looking at gear forces from torques and the force acting on the shaft all include trig functions.

CrisPDuk

As Noble says, rig functions are pretty fundamental to everything in engineering, they are used to resolve loads and stresses on everything from simple platforms to satellite launch systems.

We use them to calculate dynamic loads on structures, vessels and pipelines for pneumatic conveying systems.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Thanks to all who have responded.
Pretty much makes sense.
If he can get his head round WHAT they are for, he will begin to see it better.

pslewis

Don't tell him this ....... but, in the real world, CAD Systems and Terraflop Computer Systems do all this for you - Finite Element Analysis and all that gubbins

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

He sounds quite similar to me, Jeff as once I understood a purpose for trig etc. I found the studies easier

DT-SPD

iTrader: (7)

Ive been an engineer for 16yrs and never had to use any trig. I guess it depends on what type of engineering but maths skills are not essential.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

What's your field? What sort of stuff do you design

Xx-IAN-xX

I would day the calcs relate to impact loads .live loads and shear loads . That said I'm not that bright and may be wrong

scubbay

iTrader: (61)

Pick up any decent textbook on engineering or a specific field within engineering and you will find no shortage of trig functions