Inverse trigonometry functions are used by people in many different professions.

One of the most common uses for inverse trigonometry functions is in carpentry.

Suppose you want make sure that the end of a piece of wood molding is cut at a 45 degree angle.

How would you check to make sure?

You can measure the side lengths at the end of the molding and use an inverse trigonometric function to determine the angle of the cut.

θ

1 in.

1 in.

A good cut

Another area where inverse trigonometric functions can come in helpful is mountain climbing, where you might be interested in determining the elevation of a path on a mountain.

This can be useful information for determining which path might be best to take so that you do not overexert yourself on the climb.

Suppose you want to climb up a path that ends 200 feet above your current location and is 400 feet horizontally away from you.

However, you do not want to climb up an elevation greater than 40 degrees, should you make the climb?

You can model this problem using a right triangle and inverse trigonometric functions.

200

ft.

400 ft.

θ

You can make the climb.