• @Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    1311 months ago

    I use trig every few years when buying a tv. Tv specs always list diagonal but rarely horizontal and vertical which is needed for knowing how a TV will fit in a space.

    • @lolcatnip@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      1311 months ago

      I’m trying to figure out how you need trig for that. Just the Pythagorean theorem and ratios seem sufficient to me.

      • @chumbalumber@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        link
        fedilink
        211 months ago

        Ratios can be used in trig – if it’s 1.5 times as long as it is tall, tan(\theta) = \frac{2}{3}, which then allows you to find the lengths of the other two sides easily so long as you have a calculator.

        • @lolcatnip@reddthat.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          211 months ago

          Right, but why bring theta into it at all? TV screens are as a hypotenuse (a²+b²) with a fixed ratio (a/b=16/9), so you just need to solve for a and b.

          • @chumbalumber@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            1
            edit-2
            11 months ago

            You don’t have to, but it seems perfectly easy since you don’t have to write anything down to solve it. c*sin(arctan(b/a)) gives b, and c*cos(arctan(b/a)) gives a. I’m not disputing that you can do it without, but I don’t think it’s necessarily any quicker or easier.

      • @Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        111 months ago

        I am trying to figure out why you’d even need that.
        The measurements of the product is usually written in the tech spec.

    • @ComicalMayhem@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      411 months ago

      I mean unless you’re able to do it in your head in less than a minute, bringing a tape measure would probably be faster and easier.

      • Annoyed_🦀 A
        link
        411 months ago

        Or just check the spec on the box/website.