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Unit 6 – TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

General Objective of the Unit:

At the end of the unit the student should be able to comprehend with
derivatives of the different trigonometric functions.

Specific Objectives:

At the end of the unit, the student is expected to:

1. Familiar with the derivatives of the six trigonometric functions;

2. Determine the derivatives of the different trigonometric functions; and
3. Solve applied problems related to the derivatives of the different
trigonometric functions.

Content:

Learning Activity 6.1: Familiarizing the derivatives of different

trigonometric functions

The derivative of
y  sin x
dy d
 sin x  cos x
dx dx

If u is a function of x , it follows the chain rule that

dy d  du   du 
 sin u   cosu 
dx dx  dx   dx 
The radian measure of angle is always used in calculus.

The derivative of cos x, tan x, etc :

The derivative of the other trigonometric functions may obtained directly

from the definition of the derivative but they are more easily from the formula
above.

To differentiate cos x , we may write

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d d    
cos x  sin   x    cos  x    sin x
dx dx  2  2 
If u is a function of x , we find by chain rule that

d du
cosu   sin u
dx dx
The remaining trigonometric functions may be differentiated by expressing
them in terms of the sine and cosine. If u is function of x , the results are:

d du
tan u  sec 2 u ,
dx dx
d du
cot u   csc2 u
dx dx ,
d du
sec u  sec u tan u
dx dx ,
d du
cscu   cscu cot u
dx dx .

Example 1: Differentiate y  cot 5 x.

du
Solution: Let u  5x and  5 , so that
dx

 cot 5x   csc2 5x5  5 csc2 5x

dy d
dx dx

Example 2: Differentiate y  2 csc1  3x.

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du
Solution: Let u  1 3x and  3 , to have
dx
dy d
 2 csc1  3x   2scs 1  3x  cot1  3x  d 1  3x 
dx dx dx
y '  2 csc1  3x  cot1  3x  3  6 csc1  3x  cot1  3 x 

Example 3: Differentiate x  sin 4 y cos4 y

Solution:
x  sin 4 y cos4 y  sin y cos y 
4

 4sin y cos y  sin y cos y 

dx 3 d

dy dx
3 
x'  4 12 sin 2 y  sin y cos y  cos y sin y 
d d
 dy dy 
 
x'  12 sin 3 2 y cos2 y  sin 2 y  12 sin 3 y cos 2 y

Example 4: Differentiate y  tanx sin x .

du d d
Solution: Let u  x sin x and  x sin x  sin x x  x cos x  sin x , thus
dx dx dx
we have

y  tanx sin x
 d d 
 sec 2 x sin x  x sin x  sec 2 x sin x  x sin x  sin x x
dy d
dx dx  dx dx 
y'  sec 2 x sin x x cos x  sin x  sin x  x cos x sec 2 x sin x 

Learning Activity 6.2: Graphing of trigonometric functions

In graphing of trigonometric functions consider the following steps:

1. When the curve crosses Ox or Oy axes.

2. Behavior of the curve for large values of x
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3. Determine the maximum and minimum points of the curve ( y'  0).
4. Inflection points ( y ' '  0)

Example 1: Sketch the curve y  cos x

Solution: The amplitude of the given function is 1 and the period is 2 and
the resulting is represented in Fig. 6.1.

a) When the curve crosses the x  axis ;

 3
cos x  0 ; x
2 2
,
b) For large values of x - not needed

c) Determining the maximum and minimum points of the curve.

y  cos x

y' 
dy
  sin x  0 ; x  0 ,  , 2
dx
d) Determining the inflection points:

3 
y' ' 
d
 sin x   cos x  0 ; x
dx 2 , 2

2
Fig. 6.1 Fig. 6.2

Example 2: Sketch the equation y  3 sin 13 x .

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Solution: The amplitude of the given function is 3 and the period

2
  6 (see Fig. 6.2), Then, we can obtain
1
3

a) When the curve crosses the x  axis :

sin 13 x  0 1
; 3 x  0 ,  , 2 ; x  0 , 3 , 6
b) not needed

c) The maximum and minimum points:

y  3 sin 13 x

 3 cos 13 13 x   cos 13 x  0

dy d
dx dx
1
3 x  12  3
, 2  ; x  32  9
, 2 
d) Inflection points:

y ' '   13 sin 13 x  0

1
3 x  0 ,  , 2 ; x  0 , 3 , 6

Learning Activity 6.3: Applying trigonometric functions in applied problems

Some problems may be solved conveniently using trigonometric functions.

The use of the concepts of maxima and minima with trigonometric functions may
be found easier in solving some applied problems of different variety.

Example 1: A rectangular plot of ground has two adjacent sides along

Highways 20 and 32. In the plot is a small lake, one end of which is 256 ft from
Highway 20 and 108 ft from Highway 32. Find the length of the shortest straight
path which cuts across the plot from one highway to the other and passes by the
end of the lake.

Solution: Referring to Fig. 6.3, we can have

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S  AP  PB  256 sec  108 csc

 256 sec tan   108 csc cot 

dS
d
256 sec tan   108 csc cot  0
256 sin 3   108 cos3 
0
sin  cos 
2 2

256 sin 3   108 cos3 

sin 3  108 27
  tan 3
 
cos3  256 64
3
tan  
4
3
  tan 1
4
5 5
S  256 sec  108 csc  256   108   500 ft
4 3

Fig. 6.3

lake Fig. 6.4

H
-
20

H - 32

Example 2: Find the acute angles of intersection of the curves y  2 sin 2 x

and y  cos 2 x on the interval 0  x  2 .

Solution: The graphs of these curves are represented in Fig. 6.4 and the
sequences of graphing are as follows:
y  2 sin 2 x ; if y  0 ; then sin x  0 and x  0 ,  , 2

y'  4 sin x cos x  2 sin 2 x  0 ; 2 x   , 3

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x  12  ,
3
2 
And for
y  cos 2 x ; if y  0 , then cos 2 x  0 and 2 x  12  ,
3
2  ;

x  14  , 34 

y'  2 sin 2 x  0 ; 2 x   , 3 ; x  12  , 32 
For the points of intersections of these curves, we get

2 sin 2 x  cos 2 x
2 sin 2 x  1  2 sin 2 x
4 sin 2 x  1
1
sin x 
2
x  16  , 56  , 76  , 116 
 1  3 
When x  1
;
y'  4 sin x cos x  4    3  m2
6
 
2 2 
 3
When x  16  ;
y'  2 sin 2 x  2    3  m1

 2 
m2  m1 3 3 2 3
tan      3
1  m1m2 1  3 3  2
  13   60
Example 3: A cylinder is inscribed in a given sphere. Find the shape of the
cylinder if its convex surface area is a maximum.

Solution: Let 2 y  the height of the cylinder and the diameter of the
cylinder  2 x ; and a  radius of the sphere. Then, we can have
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A  2xy  2 a cos a sin    2a 2 sin  cos

1
 2  a 2 sin 2  a 2 sin 2
2
A'  2a 2 cos 2  0

A'  2a 2 cos2   sin 2   0 
cos2   sin 2   0 or cos  sin 
Hence,

xy or the height is equal to the diameter

Example 4: A man in a motorboat at A receives a message at noon,

calling him to B . A bus making 40 mph leaves C bound for B at 1:00 PM (see
Fig. 6.5). If AC  30 miles, what must be the speed of the boat to enable the man
to catch the bus?

Solution: Let t  the time to travel from A to B and S  speed of the

boat. Then, we can have

y
S ; y  30 sec and x  30 tan 
t

Since time is equal to the ratio of distance and speed, thus we get

x  40 y 40 y
t
x
1 
y  S
40 S
;
40 S or
x  40
Then,
4030 sec  120 sec
 120 sec 4  3 tan  
1
S 
30 tan   40 4  3 tan 
dS
d

 120 sec 4  3 tan    13 sec 2   4  3 tan   sec tan   0
2 1

sec tan  3 sec3  3 sec 2 
 0 tan   0
4  3 tan  4  3 tan  2 or
4  3 tan 
Thus, we get
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3
30 
4 tan   3 tan 2   3 sec 2   0
  
x 4 9
t 1 

4 tan   3 tan 2   sec 2   0  40 40 16
4 tan   3tan   1  tan 2    0
9 25
2
t  1 
16 16
3
tan   5
4 30 
S      24 mph
y 4
5
sec  t 25
4
16

Fig. 6.5

References:

1. Love and Rainville. Differential and Integral Calculus.

2. Lethold, et al. Calculus with Analytic Geometry.
3. Peterson, Thurman S. Calculus with Analytic Geometry.