Math Memory

[netmouse]

A friend's post reminded me how it can be hard to remember math definitions, and of one of my favorites to remember.

--Did you ever learn the soh-cah-toa mnemonic?

My math teacher once walked into the room with a bucket of water, took her shoe and sock off, dipped her toe into the water and gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. We all stared at her until she explained that this is an important geometry mnemonic - soak a toe (ah!)

Soh --Sine (Opposite over Hypotenuse)
Cah --Cosine (adjacent over Hypotenuse)
Toa --Tangent (opposite over adjacent)

(if this is unfamiliar, see the pretty picture and explanation)

Comments

[kyril.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was the teacher or my mental associations, but "Sohcahtoa" was an Indian princess or something.

I remember the phrase "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally" though I think I had drilled enough problems by the time I heard it to not need it.

Better Be Right Or Your Great Big Venture Goes West (resistor color codes) still comes to mind.

There's one for the planets but I don't remember it. Though now it can't end in "pizza" any more.

[metalfatigue]

Bad Booze Rots Our Young Guts, But Vodka Goes Well.

There's another one I know that's not appropriate for polite conversation.