# Triangle calculator



## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

does anyone have a link to a right angle triangle calculator that works in degrees AND minutes?


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## Dave Paine (Apr 21, 2018)

If you cannot find one I can create a simple spreadsheet.   I just need to know your inputs and outputs.

The nuance with spreadsheets is that the angle functions use radians, so the formula needs to include converting the angle to radians to use in the function.


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## Norseman C.B. (Apr 21, 2018)

This is a go to fer me,           theoreticalmachinist.com


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## Norseman C.B. (Apr 21, 2018)

Woops !             No triangle calc there after all, but some other useful info for sure......


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

what i have, on a right angle triangle, is all 3 angles and the hypotenuse. what i need is the height


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

Let me know if this works for you. You can change between inches and MM   https://www.visualtrig.com/ This calculator converts to Degrees minutes and seconds.  https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/degrees-to-degrees-minutes-seconds.html

Kevin


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

09kevin said:


> Let me know if this works for you. You can change between inches and MM   https://www.visualtrig.com/ This calculator converts to Degrees minutes and seconds.  https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/number/degrees-to-degrees-minutes-seconds.html
> 
> Kevin


unless i'm doing something wrong that site asks for the angle and the height (which is the variable i'm looking for) i have found sites for the parameters i need but they don't work in minutes. i found a math site but i don't understand the characters (symbols) they have for the calculations


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## whitmore (Apr 21, 2018)

cg285 said:


> what i have, on a right angle triangle, is all 3 angles and the hypotenuse. what i need is the height


That's an easy problem.   Height depends on what is 'down', though, is probably from the corner which is a right angle,
perpendicularly to the hypotenuse?
Height = (Leg1) * (Leg2)/Hypotenuse =   Hypotenuse * Cos(theta) * Sin(theta)
where theta is one of the angles other than the right angle (and it doesn't matter which).


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

It let me fill in the angle and the hypotenuse, if you get that to work then you can use the other calculator to convert to deg min and sec.


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

09kevin said:


> It let me fill in the angle and the hypotenuse, if you get that to work then you can use the other calculator to convert to deg min and sec.


 i guess i'm slow on this. it says:

_Only 2 entries will be active at any time. One green, the other blue. All other sides and angles are calculated from the current 2 active entries.  
_
where green is the angle and blue is the height - which is what i need


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

Can you give us the angle and hypotenuse length?


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

the angle is 5°43'
hypotenuse is not important - as it is a ratio to set the compound - so let's say 3"
it's to cut a precision taper on the lathe (fwiw)


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

sad part is i got all "A's" in math/geometry/trig in high school. a long, long time ago - then didn't have a need for it til fairly recently


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

I calculate the side opposite the 5 deg 43 min angle with a 3 inch hypotenuse is .29882.


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

09kevin said:


> I calculate the side opposite the 5 deg 43 min angle with a 3 inch hypotenuse is .29882.



 gut instinct says that is too much, maybe i need the other leg?


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

but maybe not . if the hypot was say 1/2 (1.5") would that figure change by 1/2 also?


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

Yes


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

i'll set it up tomorrow and see how it works out, thanks


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

You are welcome. Make sure and take some test cuts to see that the angle looks correct.


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## cg285 (Apr 21, 2018)

absolutely


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## 09kevin (Apr 21, 2018)

I haven't done trig for a while so if anyone sees a mistake please feel free to let us know.


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## Boswell (Apr 21, 2018)

I just plugged this into the GWizard triangle calculator and 5.7167 degree angle and 3" hypotenuse also = height of .29882


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## Bob Korves (Apr 21, 2018)

Use the height to create another triangle out of what you have and then use the other information you have to solve the equation.


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## Ray C (Apr 21, 2018)

Just use this online calculator to convert to the required units.   Note that each window has a drag-down so you can go back and forth as needed or, convert to fractional parts of minutes to seconds etc...  Once you have the units you want, just solve the triangle in your usual method.

BTW:  Converting degrees to Minutes is just base 60 integer division.   Likewise for converting the fractional portion of Minutes to Seconds.


https://www.google.com/search?q=con...ome..69i57.18047j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Ray


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## Dave Paine (Apr 22, 2018)

This is easily done in a spreadsheet.  A picture to illustrate.

Divide mins and secs by 60.   Add the values to the degree to get the angle as decimal.

Use RADIANS function to convert angle to radians then use SIN function.

Height  = Hypotenuse length * Sine(Angle in radians)


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## cg285 (Apr 22, 2018)

09kevin said:


> You are welcome. Make sure and take some test cuts to see that the angle looks correct.



that was real close then it occurred to me to sweep the existing female taper with an indicator and that brought it spot on.
i see now that converting the degrees and minutes to a decimal allows all the other online calculators to work


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