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Sine Function
The "sine" function is the most-used trigonometric function in chemistry. "Sine" is represented by the Greek letter "theta," and is used by mathematicians to represent the value of one of the interior angles within a triangle. You can determine the value of sine if the legs and the hypotenuse of a triangle are known to you. The value of sine can be determined by dividing the "opposite" leg of the triangle by the hypotenuse of a triangle. The sine function is used in chemistry to ascertain the exact angle of a bond.
Covalent Bonds
A covalent bond is one way atoms join together to form molecules. When the electrons of two atoms form a covalent bond, the resulting molecule takes on a shape that is caused by the electrons being repelled from each others' negative charge. Chemists can represent how a molecule looks two-dimensionally by a diagram called a "Lewis Structure." However, chemists can represent the shape of the molecule most accurately in a three-dimensional model, which can be obtained using trigonometric functions. The molecule is represented within a triangular prism so that chemists can work out the equations that determine the interior angles and length of the triangle's three sides, which are called the opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse, when referring to a "right" triangle. Right triangles contain one internal angle of 90 degrees.
Bragg's Law
Bragg's Law is a principle in chemistry that describes the behavior of x-rays in relation to the lattice structure of a crystal. A crystal is a solid structure that some materials form into which contains reoccurring pattern planes within the interior or on the exterior of the material. When an x-ray hits one of the interior planes of the crystal, Bragg's Law predicts, with mathematical precision, the angle that the x-ray beam will be refracted off the interior of the crystal.
Spectrometry
Chemists rely on data obtained from the mass spectrometry analysis of different chemicals. A mass spectrometer is a device that analyzes the presence of different molecules, within a substance, and represents this data as a wave. Trigonometry is then applicable in understanding the properties of the wave. The sine function can be used to determine the wave's amplitude, which is the measure of a wave's highest point -- peak -- and lowest point -- trough.