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SOH CAH TOA: The Easiest Way to Remember Trigonometry Ratios (Even if You are not good in Math)
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Nathaniel
93 days agoSOH CAH TOA: The Easiest Way to Remember Trigonometry Ratios (Even if You not good in Math)
If you’ve ever struggled with sine, cosine, and tangent in math class…
This thread will finally make it click for you.👇
1. What is SOH CAH TOA?
It’s a shortcut to remember three key trig ratios in right-angled triangles:
Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse
Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent
This is not magic. It’s pure math power.
2. First: Know the 3 sides of a triangle
In any right-angled triangle:
🔹 Hypotenuse = the longest side (always opposite the right angle)
🔹 Opposite = the side directly across from the angle in question
🔹 Adjacent = the side next to the angle (but not the hypotenuse)
📌 Your angle matters. Sides are named relative to it.
3. Now let’s plug it into the SOH CAH TOA formula
SOH: sin(θ) = Opposite / Hypotenuse
CAH: cos(θ) = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
TOA: tan(θ) = Opposite / Adjacent
These are the only 3 trig functions you need to solve most SSCE/JAMB questions.
4. Quick Example:
Let’s say in a right triangle:
Opposite side = 3 cm
Adjacent side = 4 cm
Hypotenuse = 5 cm
Then:
sin(θ) = 3 / 5
cos(θ) = 4 / 5
tan(θ) = 3 / 4
You’ve just applied SOH CAH TOA. Easy, right?
5. Why do Nigerian students mix it up?
Because many just cram formulas without understanding:
What the triangle looks like
Which angle they’re calculating from
And which side is which
👉 The secret? Always draw your triangle and label the sides properly.
6. Funny Trick to Remember It Forever:
💡 Say this aloud:
> “Some Old Hags Can’t Always Hide Their Old Age”
🟢 SOH – Some Old Hags = sin = Opposite / Hypotenuse
🟡 CAH – Can’t Always Hide = cos = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
🔴 TOA – Their Old Age = tan = Opposite / Adjacent
It’s funny. It’s weird. But you’ll never forget again.
7. Common mistakes students make (avoid these):
❌ Using the wrong side as "opposite"
❌ Forgetting to check where the angle is
❌ Mixing up sine and cosine
❌ Solving without a calculator or table
✅ Always label the triangle.
✅ Use your calculator or 4-figure table to find sin, cos, or tan values.
8. BONUS TIP: For JAMB and WAEC
You can use SOH CAH TOA to:
Solve missing sides in triangles
Find angles (using inverse sin, cos, tan)
Answer word problems involving ladders, heights, shadows, etc.
Once you master SOH CAH TOA, no trig question can shake you.
9. Final Summary:
📌 SOH → Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse
📌 CAH → Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
📌 TOA → Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent
Draw. Label. Apply.
That’s the formula to acing your trigonometry questions.