Trigonometry finds many "real world" applications, such as:

• surveying
• constructing objects in triangluar shapes, such as ramps
• constructing buildings, roofs
• determining the height a crane can reach
• game development / graphics engines (see my creative piece for an example of this!)
• indirect measurement via angles
• calculating viewing angles
• determining distance to a star
• signal processing in TV and radio
• modeling earthquakes

For example, when the height of some mountain is to be determined, but it cannot be measured directly, it can be measured indirectly through the use of trigonometry. To do this, one could stand some distance away from the spot directly below the mountain's summit, and measure the angle to the summit.

If, say, an angle of 39 degrees is measured from 2 miles away, the height could be determined like this:

height tan(39) = --------- 2 miles 2 miles * tan(39) = height height = approx. 1.62 miles