Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 27, 2004 01:07am | #1

   OK, let's imagine a right triangle with one vertical side and one horizontal side. I'm not sure what the "angle of the hypotenuse" is, but I'm guessing it's the angle between the hypotenuse and the horizontal side. In that case divide the length of the vertical side by the length of the horizontal side. That gives you the tangent of the angle. Then press the key that says arctan or tan to the -1 exponent. That converts the tangent to the angle. It may not be a single key, on my calculator I press and release the blue shift key and then press the TAN key. Be sure you've got the calculator in degrees mode instead of radians or something even more outlandish.

   If you want the other angle, the one between the hypotenuse and the vertical side, divide the horizontal side by the vertical side and then take the arctan, or subtract the first answer you got from 90 degrees.

   
   

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   Edited 2/26/2004 5:08:15 PM ET by Uncle Dunc

1. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 27, 2004 02:37am | #2

   Thanks, Uncle D. Legs of my right triangle are 41.75 and 60.75. If I'm running the machinery right then the included angles appear to be ~34.5 and 55.5 degrees. Thanks!

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 27, 2004 02:50am | #3

   That's what I get.

   Glad I could help.

2. 
   Sphere | Feb 27, 2004 03:34am | #5

   sounds right close to a 8/12 pitch..close.

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   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

1. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 27, 2004 05:30am | #9

   It's a stair... 7-5/8" rise, 11-1/8" tread. I had to give the welder the angle so he could make the bends in the railings from level to pitch and back. Four of us standing around his shop, we all knew it was trig, none of us knew how to do it.

1. 
   caseyr | Feb 27, 2004 05:47am | #10

   All you really needed was an electronic digital level (such as the Smarttool) and you could have read the angle directly.  I found mine handy in calculating the slopes on my property for my site plan rather than having to break out the old transit, rod, chain, and calculator...

2. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 27, 2004 07:55am | #14

   I guess I've got plenty of tools to help figure an angle... protractors, levels, etc. I was just bemoaning the fact that I can't do the math. That's worth fixing...

3. 
   Sphere | Feb 27, 2004 05:48am | #11

   Ah ha..I knew it was close..stairs are comfey at that ratio..<G> different ways of lookin at it..I love a speed square..

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   Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

   Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

4. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 27, 2004 05:51am | #12

   dave... here's the neumonic.... SOHCAHTOA..

    sine = opposite / hypotneuse

   cosine = adjacent/ hypotenuse

   tangent = opposite / adjacent

   those trig functions are on all scientific calculators..

   but  after abgout 40 or so years i finally bought one of those Construction Master IV cals... very good instrument.. with a nice little book  to explain the whole thing..

   in CMIV all of tehose functions become rise and run buttons

    at HD they run about $39  including the Armadillo caseMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   briankeith | Feb 27, 2004 03:25am | #4

   Hi David,

   This might be something that would be helpful to you.

   Check it out.

   http://www.pagetutor.com/trigcalc/trig.html

   Lot less keystrokes, anyway

   View Image
1. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 27, 2004 05:26am | #8

   That's something I needed a hundred years ago! Thanks!

1. 
   briankeith | Feb 27, 2004 06:51am | #13

   You're welcome.

   Here is one that is great if you ever need to figure an octogon.

   Very cool! IMHO

   http://junior.apk.net/%7Ejbarta/octagon_layout/View Image

3. 
   steve | Feb 27, 2004 03:34am | #6

   tangent of the angle is opposite side divided by the adjacent side

   ie tan a =opp/adj

   so divide the lengths and find the angle using alt tan or something

   all of those functions are on your desktop, on my ME windows its "start","programs","accesories","calculator"

   you may have to switch to the scientific mode

   caulking is not a piece of trim

   
   

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   Edited 2/26/2004 7:38:41 PM ET by steve

1. 
   junkhound | Feb 27, 2004 04:41am | #7

   If you have an old copy of Win 95 or 3.1, in the "help" "about"  of calculator it gives my youngest kid's name.  They took his name off it for Win 98 and later after he 'retired' at the ripe ol' age of 24! He wrote if when 19 YO - BTW, dont' know if the errors have been fixed, but in '94 a Finnish guy sent my kid a paper listing over 1000 erroneous calcualtion results - all very subtle.  Kid said, 'ooh well I wrote that when i was akid<G>"  Makes one wonder about all the security issues out there now.  

1. 
   butch | Feb 27, 2004 02:02pm | #15

   Very interesting ,Junkhound.

   Do you care to elaborate on your "kid".

   You say he "retired at 24".

   What does he do with himself now with all this free time?

   Who was he working for, M.S.?