How the small angle approximation can be used
In class, we discussed how the small angle approximation can be used to simplify a lot of math in astronomy. This approximation says that for “small” angles that are expressed in radians, we can say sinθ≈tanθ≈θ. a) (2 pts) Assume θ=0.00012345 radians. Directly calculate sin(θ) and tan(θ), quoting the values you get to 5 significant […]

