Scribd
Upload
501 views5 pages

Radian Measure

The document defines radian measure as the length of the arc of a circle sector with radius 1 that corresponds to the central angle. A full circle has an arc length of 2π radians, so 360° = 2π radians. Radians are the standard unit for measuring angles. The document provides examples of converting between degrees and radians using the formula, and finding coterminal angles.

Uploaded by

Charles Invento
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
501 views5 pages

Radian Measure

The document defines radian measure as the length of the arc of a circle sector with radius 1 that corresponds to the central angle. A full circle has an arc length of 2π radians, so 360° = 2π radians. Radians are the standard unit for measuring angles. The document provides examples of converting between degrees and radians using the formula, and finding coterminal angles.

Uploaded by

Charles Invento
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

Radian Measure

To assign a radian measure to an angle θ, consider θ to be a central angle of a circle of


radius 1, as shown in Fig.3.1. The radian measure of θ is then defined to be the length
of the arc s of the sector. Because the circumference of a circle is 2πr the
circumference of a unit circle (of radius 1) is 2π. This implies that the radian measure of
an angle measuring 360° is 2π. In other words, 360° = 2π radians.

The arc length s of the sector is the radian measure of θ.

Arc length is: s = r θ

Fig.1.1

The graphs below, Fig 3.2 and Fig 3.3 show the degrees of the unit circle in all 4
quadrants, from 0° to 360° and the relationship between radians and degrees
respectively.

Fig.1.2

Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2014 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc


Radian Measure

Fig 1.3

Radians is the standard unit of angle measure. The formula for calculating Radians is:

Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2014 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc


Radian Measure

Example 1:

Convert the following degrees into radians.

Degrees Formula Radians Simplified


0° (0°)*(π/180°) = 0 0
30° (30°)*(π/180°) = 30π/180 radians π/6
45° (45°)*(π/180°) = 45π/180 radians π/4
60° (60°)*(π/180°) = 60π/180 radians π/3
90° (90°)*(π/180°) = 90π/180 radians π/2
120° (120°)*(π/180°) = 120π/180 radians 2π/3
135° (135°)*(π/180°) = 135π/180 radians 3π/4
150° (150°)*(π/180°) = 150π/180 radians 5π/6
180° (180°)*(π/180°) = 180π/180 radians π
210° (210°)*(π/180°) = 210π/180 radians 7π/6
225° (225°)*(π/180°) = 225π/180 radians 5π/4
240° (240°)*(π/180°) = 240π/180 radians 4π/3
270° (270°)*(π/180°) = 270π/180 radians 3π/2
300° (300°)*(π/180°) = 300π/180 radians 5π/3
315° (315°)*(π/180°) = 315π/180 radians 7π/4
330° (330°)*(π/180°) = 330π/180 radians 11π/6
360° (360°)*(π/180°) = 360π/180 radians 2π/1= 2π

Practice Exercise:
Find the radian measure of the angles with the given degree measures.

a) 108° d) -30° g)-142.5°


b) 18° e) 1080° h) 40°
c) -150° f) -192° i) -100°

Answer:
a) 3π/5 d) –π/6 g) -28.5π/36
b) π/10 e) 6π h) 2π/9

Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2014 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc


Radian Measure
c) -5π/6 f) -16π/15 i) -1.8π

Practice Exercise 2:
Find the degree measure of the angles with the given radian measures.
a) 11π/ 6 d) -1.3 g) -π
b) -5π/4 e) π/10 h) 40π
c) 4 f) -7π/15 i) -2π

Answer:
a) 330° d) -74.5° g) -180°
b) -225° e) 18° h) 7200°
c) 229.2° f) -84° i) -360°

Example 2:
Find the coterminal angles for the following radian measures of angles:
a) 2π/3
b) 23π/4

Solution:
a) 2π/3 +(2π) = 8π/3
2π/3 +2(2π)= 4π+2π/3=14π/3
2π/3 +3(2π)= 6π+2π/3= 20π/3
b) 23π/4 = 5π+3π/4
The coterminal angles are therefore, 2πn+3π/4, for all positive integer n.

Example 3:
Find a positive and a negative angle
coterminal angle with a π/3 angle.

Solution:
A positive coterminal angle with π/3 is π/3 +
2π = 7π/3.
(Generally a positive coterminal angle to π/3 =
π/3 + 2πn, for n>0)

A positive coterminal angle with π/3 is π/3 -2π


= -5π/3.
(Generally a negative coterminal angle to π/3
= π/3 -2πn, for n>0)

See figure to the right.

Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2014 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc


Radian Measure

Practice Exercise 3:
The measure of an angle in standard position is given. Find two positive angles and two
negative angles that are coterminal with the given angle. (State your answers as a
comma-separated list.)

1) 350°
2) 450°
3) -200°
4) -5°
5) 7π/4
6) –π/4
7) 2π/3
8) -5π/2

Answer:
1. -10°, -370°, 710°, 1070°
2. -270°, -360°, 90°, 810°
3. -560°, -920°, 160°, 520°
4. -725°,-365°, 355°, 715 °
5. –π/4, -9π/4, 15π/4, 23π/4
6. -17π/4,-9π/4, 15π/4, 23π/4
7. -10π/6, --4π/6, 8π/3, 14π/3
8. –π/2, -9π/2, 3π/2, 7π/2

Tutoring and Learning Centre, George Brown College 2014 www.georgebrown.ca/tlc

You might also like