[color=#1551b5][i]All too often, teachers just simply resort to having their students memorize the "SOH-CAH-TOA" acronym when it comes to working with the 3 main trigonometric ratios that are extensively used within the study of right-triangle trigonometry. [/i]
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[color=#0a971e]All too often, students use this acronym to either
(a) write the value of a trig ratio (often just expressed as a simplified fraction), or
(b) use a trig ratio (ex: "sin(56)") to solve for the length of an unknown side of a right triangle,
(without ever paying any actual attention to the true meaning of the decimal approximation of "sin(56)"). [/color]
[b]This applet helps students to meaningfully visualize the[color=#c51414][b] true conceptual meanings[/b] of the three trigonometric ratios. [/color][/b]