Murrumbidgee Regional High School - Wade

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Year 10 Uses Trigonometry in Field

Trigonometry in Field

Year 10 Math spent Friday afternoon on the football field putting their trigonometry skills to use. Armed with a tape measure and a clinometer, the students were tasked with calculating the height of the football goal posts.

Teachers Mr Gallagher and Ms Sahota measured out a distance from the football post. From there, the students then used the clinometer to measure the angle of elevation. With this information, the students then put their math theory into practice and calculated the height of the goal posts. Through the power of trigonometry, the students ended up calculating the height of the goal posts to be 12.4 meters.

“It’s great giving the kids the opportunity to put their mathematical skills into practice.” explains math teacher John Gallagher, “It’s one thing to do trigonometry on paper, but using math in a practical application really makes you think harder about why you’re doing it.”