Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions

Objectives:
1. Convert an angle from radian measure to degree measure and vice versa.
2. Understand the relationship among all trigonometric functions and be able
to find the value of each of them.
3. Understand what complementary angles, cofunctions, coterminals,
reference angles mean, and be able to find them.
4. Be able to solve trigonometric problems and understand the applications
related to the real world.
5. Understand the domain and the range of all six trigonometric functions.
6. Understand the characteristics of all trigonometric functions.

5.1 Angles and Their Measures

Angle
 Formed by two rays that have a common end point: initial side and
terminal side.
 Initial side  starting side.
 Terminal side  ending side.
 Vertex  common end point.

An angle is in standard position if

 Its vertex is at the origin of a rectangular coordinate system.
 Its initial side lies along the positive x-axis.

Positive angles  counterclockwise rotation.

Negative angles  clockwise rotation.

Terminal side Quadrant

II I


III IV
vertex
Initial side

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Measuring Angles using Degrees

 Quadrantal angle  its terminal side lies on the x-axis or the y-axis
 Acute angle  (0    90)
 Right angle  One quarter of a complete rotation = 90
 Obtuse angle  (90    180)
 Straight angle  one –half a complete rotation = 180
 Coterminal angles  two angles with the same initial and terminal sides.
o An angle of x is coterminal with anlges of
x  k.360 with k is an integer

Examples: Find a positive angle less than 360 that is coterminal with a
a) 400 b)  135

Complements and Supplements

Complements: the sum of two positive angles is 90 degree.
 For an x , the complement is a 90  x angle.
Supplements: the sum of two positive angles is 180 degree.
 For an x , the supplement is a 180  x angle.
Examples: Find the complement and the supplement of the given angle.
a) 47.6 b) 95

Measuring Angles using Radians

One Radian is the measure of the central angle lf a circle that intercepts an arc
equal in length to the radius of the circle.

r r


 = one radian
r

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Radian measure of any central angle is the length of the intercepted arc divided
by the circle’s radius.
s

 s

r
O r

Computing Radian Measure

Examples: Find the radian measure of the central angle of a circle radius r that
intercepts an arc of length s.
a) r = 5cm, s = 30cm b) r =1m, s =0.6m

Relationship between Degrees and Radians

s the circle ' s circumference 2r

    2
r r r

 2  360    180
Conversion between Degrees and Radians

Using the basic relationship  radians = 180,

radian
1. To convert degrees to radians, multiply degrees by
180

180
2. To convert radians to degrees, multiply radians by
radian
3.
Degrees 0 30 45 60 90 180 360
Radians 0    
6 4 3 2 π 2π

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Examples: 1. Convert each angle in degrees to radians:

a. 18 b. 150 c. 300

2. Convert each angle in radians to degrees:

 11  4
a. b. c.
9 6 3

The length of a circular Arc

Let r be the radius of a circle and  the non-negative radian measure of a

central angle of the circle. The length of the arc intercepted by the central
angle is
s  r
Examples: Find the length of the arc on a circle of radius r intercepted by a
central angle .

a) radius = 16 in.  = 60 b) radius = 6 in.  = 45

5.2 Right Triangle Trigonometry

The Six Trigonometric Functions

Name Abbreviation Name Abbreviation

sine sin cosecant csc
cosine cos secant sec
tangent tan cotangent cot
B
hypotenuse
c a
opposite
 
A C
adjacent b

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Right Triangle Definitions of Trigonometric Functions

opposite a 1 c
sin    csc  
hypotenuse c sin  a
adjacent b 1 c
cos    sec  
hypotenuse c cos  b
opposite a 1 b
tan   cot   
adjacent b tan a

 the trigonometric function values of  depend only on the size of angle  and
not the size of the triangle.

Examples: Use the Pythagorean Theorem (c2 = a2 + b2) to find the length of the
missing side of each right triangle. Then find the value of the six trigonometric
function of .

a) b).
24

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 
25
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Function Values for Some Special Angles

1 2
sin 45   csc 45  2
2 2 2 45
1 2 1
cos 45   sec 45  2
2 2 45

tan 45  1 cot 45  1 1

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

3 1
sin 60  sin 30 
2 2 30
1 3
cos 60  cos 30  2 3
2 2
1 3
tan 60  3 tan 30   60
3 3 1

Fundamental Identities

Reciprocal Identities

1 1 1
sin   cos   tan 
csc sec cot 
1 1 1
csc  sec  cot  
sin  cos  tan

Quotient Identities

sin  cos 
tan  cot  
cos  sin 

Example:  is an acute angle, sin  and cos  are given. Use identities to find
tan , csc , sec  and cot . Where necessary, rationalize denominator.
2 5
a) sin   , cos  
3 3

Pythagorean Identities

sin 2   cos 2   1 1  tan 2   sec 2  1  cot 2   csc 2 

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Examples:
1.  is an acute angle and sin  is given. Use the Pythagorean identity to
find cos .
21
sin  
5
2. Use an identity to find the value of each expression.
a. cos 53 sec 53 b. csc 63  cot 63
2 2

Trigonometric Function and Complements

a
sin  
c c 90-
a
cos(90   )  a
c 
 sin   cos(90   )
b
sine and cosine are called cofunctions of each other.

Cofunction Identities

The value of a trigonometric function of  is equal to the cofunction of the

complement of .
sin  = cos (90- ) cos  = sin (90- )
tan  = cot (90- ) cot  = tan (90- )
sec  = csc (90- ) csc  = sec (90- )

If  is in radians, replaced 90 with
2
Examples: Find a cofunction with the same value as the given expression

a) sin 19 b) cot c) csc 35
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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

5.3 Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle

Let  be any angle in standard position, let P = (x, y) be a point on the terminal
side of . If r  x  y is the distance from (0, 0) to (x, y), so the six
2 2

trigonometric function  are defined by the

y x y
sin   cos   tan  ,x  0
r r x
r r x
csc  ,y 0 sec  ,x  0 cot   , y  0
y x y

Evaluating Trigonometry Functions

Example: Let P = (4, -3) be a point on the terminal side of . Find each of the
six trigonometric functions of .

Trigonometric Functions of Quadrantal Angles

 Quadrantal angle  its terminal side lies on the x-axis or the y-axis.

Examples: Evaluate if possible, the cosine function and the cosecant function
at the following four quadrantal angles.

a.  = 0 = 0 b.   90 
2
3
c.  = 180 =  d.   270 
2

The Signs of the Trigonometric Functions

If  is not a quadrantal angle, the sign of a trigonometric function depends on
the quadrant in which  lies.

Quadrant II Quadrant I
sine & cosecant All functions
positive positive

Quadrant III Quadrant IV

tangent & cotangent cosine & secant
positive positive

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Evaluating Trigonometric Functions

Examples: Find the exact value of each of the remaining trigonometric
functions of .

5 1
a. sin    ,  in quadrant III b. cos    ,180    270
13 3
3
c. tan  , sin   0 d. cot  = -2, sec  > 0
4
2
e. sin   , tan  0
3

Reference Angles

Let  be a non-acute angle in standard position that lies in a quadrant. Its

reference angle is the positive acute angle  ’formed by the terminal side of 
and the x-axis.



 ’
’

180 <  < 270

90 <  < 180  ’ =  - 180
 ’ = 180 - 

’

270 <  < 360

 ’ = 360 - 

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

Examples: Find the reference angle of each angle

5
a)  = 120 b)  = 300 c)  
4
d)  = -135 e)  = 440

Procedure for using Reference Angles to Evaluate Trigonometry Functions

The value of a trigonomertic function of any angle  is found as follows:
1. Find the associated reference angle,  ’, and the function value for ,’.
2. Use the quadrant in which  lies to prefix the appropriate sign to the
function value.

Examples: Find the exact value for each expression.

a) sin 405 b) cos 210 c) sec 240

3
d) tan (-120) e) sin
4

5.4 Trigonometric Functions of Real Numbers: Periodic Function

Trigonometric Function of Real Numbers
 A unit circle is a circle of radius 1, with center at the origin of a rectangular
coordinate system.
s  r  1.t  t
Definitions of the Trigonometric Functions in terms of a Unit Circle
If t is a real number and P = (x, y) is a point on the unit circle that corresponds
to t, then,
y
y
sin t = y cos t = x tan t 
x P = (x, y)
1 x
csc t  sec t 
1 cot t 
y x y t x
(1,0)

for tan t and sec t, x  0, for csc t & cot t, y  0. x2 + y2 =1

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Topic 5: Trigonometric Functions DIM5058

The domain & range of the sine function and the cosine function
 The domain of these functions is the set of all real numbers.
 The range of these functions is the set of all real numbers from –1 to 1,
inclusive.

Even & Odd Properties

The cosine and secant functions are even.
cos (-t) = cos t sec(-t) = sec t

The sine, cosecant, tangent and cotangent functions are odd.

sin (-t) = -sin t csc (-t) = -csc t
tan (-t) = -tan t cot (-t) = -cot t

Periodic Functions
A function f is periodic if there exists a positive number p such that
f(t + p) = f(t)
for all t in the domain of f. The smallest number of p for which f is periodic is
called the period of f.

Periodic Properties of the Sine and Cosine Functions

sin(t  2 )  sint and cos(t  2 )  cos t
The sine and cosine functions are periodic functions and have period 2.

Examples: Find the exact value of

7
a. cos 405 b. tan
3

Periodic Properties of the Tangent and Cotangent Functions

tan(t   )  tan t and cot(t   )  cot t
The tangent and cotangent functions are periodic functions and have period .

Repetitive Behavior of the Sine, Cosine, Tangent Functions

For any integer n and real number t,
sin(t  2 n)  sint, cos(t  2 n)  cos t, tan(t   n)  tant

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