Section 5.

1 The Unit Circle

The Unit Circle

√ √ !
3 6
EXAMPLE: Show that the point , is on the unit circle.
3 3

Solution: We need to show that this point satisfies the equation of the unit circle, that is,
x2 + y 2 = 1. Since
√ !2 √ !2
3 6 3 6
+ = + =1
3 3 9 9
P is on the unit circle.
√
EXAMPLE: The point ( 3/2, y) is on the unit circle in Quadrant IV. Find its y-coordinate.
Solution: Since the point is on the unit circle, we have
√ !2
3
+ y2 = 1
2

√ !2
3 3 1
y2 = 1 − =1− =
2 4 4

1
y=±
2
1
Since the point is in Quadrant IV, its y-coordinate must be negative, so y = − .
2
EXAMPLE: √ √ !
24 26
(a) Is the point , on the unit circle?
7 7
√
(b) The point ( 35/6, y) is on the unit circle in Quadrant I. Find its y-coordinate.

1
EXAMPLE: √ √ !
24 26
(a) Is the point , on the unit circle?
7 7
√
(b) The point ( 35/6, y) is on the unit circle in Quadrant I. Find its y-coordinate.
Solution:
(a) Since
√ !2 √ !2
24 26 24 26 50
+ = + = 6= 1
7 7 49 49 49
P is not on the unit circle.
(b) Since the point is on the unit circle, we have
√ !2
35
+ y2 = 1
6

√ !2
2 35 35 1
y =1− =1− =
6 36 36

1
y=±
6
1
Since the point is in Quadrant I, its y-coordinate must be positive, so y = .
6

Terminal Points on the Unit Circle

Suppose t is a real number. Let’s mark off a distance t along the unit circle, starting at the
point (1, 0) and moving in a counterclockwise direction if t is positive or in a clockwise direction
if t is negative. In this way we arrive at a point P (x, y) on the unit circle. The point P (x, y)
obtained in this way is called the terminal point determined by the real number t.

2
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point on the unit circle determined by each real number t.
π 3π
(a) t = 3π (b) t = −π (c) t = − (d) t =
2 2
Solution:
(a) The terminal point determined by 3π is (−1, 0).
(b) The terminal point determined by −π is (−1, 0).
π
(c) The terminal point determined by − is (0, −1).
2
3π
(d) The terminal point determined by is (0, −1).
2

REMARK: Notice that different values of t can determine the same terminal point.

The terminal point P (x, y) determined by t = π/4 is the same distance from (1, 0) as from
(0, 1) along the unit circle.

Since the unit circle is symmetric with respect to the line y = x, it follows that P lies on the
line y = x. So P is the point of intersection (in the first quadrant) of the circle x2 + y 2 = 1 and
the line y = x. Substituting x for y in the equation of the circle, we get
x2 + y 2 = 1

2x2 = 1

1
x2 =
2
1
x = ±√
2
√ √
Since P is in the first quadrant, x = 1/ 2 and since y = x, we have y = 1/ 2 also. Thus, the
terminal point determined by π/4 is
  √ √ !
1 1 2 2
P √ ,√ =P ,
2 2 2 2

3
Similar methods can be used to find the terminal points determined by t = π/6 and t = π/3.
The Table and Figure below give the terminal points for some special values of t.

EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
π 3π 5π
(a) t = − (b) t = (c) t = −
4 4 6
Solution:
√ √ !
2 2
(a) The terminal point is P ,− .
2 2
√ √ !
2 2
(b) The terminal point is P − , .
2 2
√ !
3 1
(c) The terminal point is P − ,− .
2 2

EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
5π π
(a) t = (b) t = −
4 6

4
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
5π π
(a) t = (b) t = −
4 6
Solution:
√ √ ! √ !
2 2 3 1
(a) The terminal point is P − ,− . (b) The terminal point is P ,− .
2 2 2 2

The Reference Number

From the Examples above we see that to find a terminal point in any quadrant we need only
know the “corresponding” terminal point in the first quadrant. We use the idea of the reference
number to help us find terminal points.

The Figures below show that to find the reference number t it’s helpful to know the quadrant
in which the terminal point determined by t lies. If the terminal point lies in quadrants I or
IV, where x is positive, we find t by moving along the circle to the positive x-axis. If it lies in
quadrants II or III, where x is negative, we find t by moving along the circle to the negative
x-axis. The reference number t is always between 0 and π/2 : 0 ≤ t ≤ π/2.

EXAMPLE: Find the reference number for each value of t.

5π 7π 2π
(a) t = (b) t = (c) t = − (d) t = 5.80
6 4 3
Solution: From the Figures below we find the reference numbers as follows.
5π π 7π π 2π π
(a) t = π − = (b) t = 2π − = (c) t = π − = (d) t = 2π − 5.80 ≈ 0.48
6 6 4 4 3 3

17π
EXAMPLE: Find the reference number t for t = .
6

5
 17π
EXAMPLE: Find the reference number t for t = .
6
Solution: We have
17π π 17π 18π − π 18π π π
t = 3π − = or = = − = 3π −
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
|{z}
t

EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
5π 7π 2π
(a) t = (b) t = (c) t = −
6 4 3
Solution: The reference numbers associated with these values of t were found in the Example
on page 5.
√
(a) The reference number is t = π/6, which determines the terminal point ( 3/2, 1/2) from
the Table above. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant II, its x-coordinate
is negative and its y-coordinate is positive. Thus, the desired terminal point is
√ !
3 1
− ,
2 2
√ √
(b) The reference number is t = π/4, which determines the terminal point ( 2/2, 2/2) from
the Table above. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant IV, its x-coordinate
is positive and its y-coordinate is negative. Thus, the desired terminal point is
√ √ !
2 2
,−
2 2
√
(c) The reference number is t = π/3, which determines the terminal point (1/2, 3/2) from
the Table above. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant III, its coordinates
are both negative. Thus, the desired terminal point is
√ !
1 3
− ,−
2 2

EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
7π 4π
(a) t = − (b) t = −
6 3

6
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by each given real number t.
7π 4π
(a) t = − (b) t = −
6 3
Solution:
(a) The reference number is
7π π 7π 6π + π 6π π π
t= −π = or = = + =π+
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
|{z}
t
√
which determines the terminal point ( 3/2, 1/2) from the Table on
the right. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant II,
its x-coordinate is negative and its y-coordinate is positive. Thus, the
desired terminal point is
√ !
3 1
− ,
2 2

(b) The reference number is

4π π 4π 3π + π 3π π π
t= −π = or = = + =π+
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
|{z}
t
√
which determines the terminal point (1/2, 3/2) from the Table above. Since the terminal
point determined by t is in Quadrant II, its x-coordinate is negative and its y-coordinate is
positive. Thus, the desired terminal point is
√ !
1 3
− ,
2 2

29π
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by t = .
6
Solution: The reference number is
29π π 29π 30π − π 30π π π
t = 5π − = or = = − = 5π −
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
|{z}
t
√
which determines the terminal point ( 3/2, 1/2) from the Table
above. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant II,
its x-coordinate is negative and its y-coordinate is positive. Thus,
the desired terminal point is
√ !
3 1
− ,
2 2

55π
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by t = .
6

7
 55π
EXAMPLE: Find the terminal point determined by t = .
6
Solution: The reference number is
55π π 55π 54π + π 54π π π
t= − 9π = or = = + = 9π +
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
|{z}
t
√
which determines the terminal point ( 3/2, 1/2) from the Table on
the right. Since the terminal point determined by t is in Quadrant III,
its coordinates are both negative. Thus, the desired terminal point is
√ !
3 1
− ,−
2 2

EXAMPLE: The Table below contains some values of t, their reference numbers, and their
terminal points.

t t Terminal Point
33π π
− (0, −1)
2 2
√ √ !
55π π 2 2
,−
4 4 2 2
8π 0 (1, 0)
√ !
16π π 1 3
− ,−
3 3 2 2
10 10 − 3π ≈ 0.57522204 (−0.839, −0.544)