Lecture 15

Find the Length of an Arc of a Circle

THEOREM
Arc Length
➢ For a circle of radius r, a central angle of 𝜃 radians subtend an arc whose
length s is
𝑠 = 𝑟𝜃
Example:
Find the length of the arc of a circle of radius 2 meters subtended by a central angle
of 0.25 radian.

Solution
➢ Use the above equation with r = 2 meters and 𝜃 = 0.25 . The length s of the
arc is
𝑠 = 𝑟𝜃 = 2(. 25) = 0.5 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟

Convert from Degrees to Radians and from Radians to Degrees

1 revolution = 2𝜋 radians
180° = 𝜋 radians
1 degree = 𝜋 /180 radian
1 radian = 180/ 𝜋 degrees

Example: Converting from Degrees to Radians

Convert each angle in degrees to radians.
(a) 600 (b) −450
Solution:
𝜋 𝜋
(a) 600 = 60 × 1 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒 = 60 × 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠
180 3

𝜋 𝜋
(b) −450 = −45 × 1 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒 = −45 × 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = − 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠
180 4

Example: Converting Radians to Degrees

Convert each angle in radians to degrees.
𝜋 3𝜋
(a) 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 (b) 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠
6 2
Solution:

1
 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋 180
(a) 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = × 1 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = × 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠 = 300
6 6 6 𝜋
3𝜋 3𝜋 3𝜋 180
(b) 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = × 1 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 = × 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠 = 2700
2 2 2 𝜋

Find the Area of a Sector of a Circle

Theorem:
Area of a Sector
The area A of the sector of a circle of radius r formed by a central angle of 𝜃 radians
is
1
𝐴 = 𝑟2𝜃
2
Example:
Find the area of the sector of a circle of radius 2 feet formed by an angle of 30°.
Round the answer to two decimal places.

Solution:
𝜋
Use the above equation with r = 2 feet and 𝜃 = 300 = radian. [Remember, in the
6
above equation, 𝜃 must be in radians.]
1 1 𝜋 𝜋
𝐴 = 𝑟 2 𝜃 = 𝐴 = (2)2 = ≈ 1.05
2 2 6 3
The area A of the sector is 1.05 square feet, rounded to two decimal places.

Note: Value of 𝝅 is 3.14, or 22/7.

Trigonometric Functions: Unit Circle approach

The Unit Circle
The unit circle is a circle whose radius is 1 and whose center is at the origin of a

rectangular coordinate system.

2
 • Any circle of radius r has circumference of length 2𝜋𝑟.
• Therefore, the unit circle (radius r = 1) has a circumference of length 2𝜋.
Trigonometric Functions

Let t be a real number and let P = (x, y) be the point on the unit circle that corresponds
to t.
𝑦
sin 𝑡 = =𝑦
𝑟
𝑥
cos 𝑡 = = 𝑥
𝑟

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 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑦
tan 𝑡 = =
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑥
1 1
csc 𝑡 = =
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑦
1 1
sec 𝑡 = =
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑥
1 𝑥
cot 𝑡 = =
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑦

➢ If x = 0 that is, if the point P is on the y-axis, then the tangent function and the
secant function are undefined.
➢ Also, if y = 0 that is, if the point P is on the x-axis, then the cosecant function
and the cotangent function are undefined.

Quadrantal angle
➢ A quadrantal angle is an angle in standard position whose terminal ray lies
along one of the axes.
➢ Examples of quadrantal angles include, 0, π/2, π, and 3π/2.

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Finding the Exact Values of the Six Trigonometric Functions of Quadrantal
Angles
Example: Find the exact values of the six trigonometric functions of:
𝜋 3𝜋
(a) 𝜃 = 0 = 00 (b) 𝜃 = = 900 (c) 𝜃 = 𝜋 = 1800 (d) 𝜃 = = 2700
2 2

Solution:
(a) The point on the unit circle that corresponds to 𝜃 = 0 = 00 is P(1, 0). Then
sin 0 = sin 00 = 𝑦 = 0
cos 0 = cos 00 = 𝑥 = 1
𝑦 0
tan 0 = tan 00 = = =0
𝑥 1
1 1
csc 0 = csc 00 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
𝑦 0
1 1
sec 0 = sec 00 = = = 1
𝑥 1
𝑥 1
cot 0 = cot 00 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
𝑦 0
𝜋
(b) The point on the unit circle that corresponds to 𝜃 = = 900 is P(0, 1). See Figure
2
1. Then
𝜋
sin = sin 900 = 𝑦 = 1
2
𝜋
cos = cos 900 = 𝑥 = 0
2
𝜋 𝑦 1
tan = tan 900 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
2 𝑥 0
𝜋 1 1
csc = csc 900 = = =1
2 𝑦 1
𝜋 1
sec = sec 900 = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
2 0

𝜋 𝑥 0
cot = cot 900 = = = 0
2 𝑦 1

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(c) The point on the unit circle that corresponds to 𝜃 = 𝜋 = 1800 is P(-1, 0). See
Figure 1. Then
sin 𝜋 = sin 1800 = 𝑦 = 0
cos 𝜋 = cos 1800 = 𝑥 = −1
𝑦 0
tan 𝜋 = tan 1800 = = =0
𝑥 −1
1 1
csc 𝜋 = csc 1800 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
𝑦 0
1 1
sec𝜋 = sec 1800 = = = −1
𝑥 −1

𝑥 −1
cot 𝜋 = cot 1800 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
𝑦 0
3𝜋
(d) The point on the unit circle that corresponds to 𝜃 = = 2700 is P(0, -1). See
2
Figure 1. Then
3𝜋
sin = sin 2700 = 𝑦 = −1
2
3𝜋
cos = cos 2700 = 𝑥 = 0
2
3𝜋 𝑦 −1
tan = tan 2700 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
2 𝑥 0
3𝜋 1 1
csc = csc 2700 = = = −1
2 𝑦 −1
3𝜋 1 1
sec = sec 2700 = = = 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
2 𝑥 0
3𝜋 𝑥 0
cot = cot 2700 = = =0
2 𝑦 −1

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 Figure 1

Finding Exact Values of the Trigonometric Functions of Angles That Are

Integer Multiples of Quadrantal Angles.

Example: Find the exact value of:

(a) sin 3𝜋 (b) cos(−2700 )
Solution:
(a) See Figure 2. The point P on the unit circle that corresponds to θ = 3𝜋 is
P(-1, 0), so sin 3𝜋 = 𝑦 = 0.

(b) The point P on the unit circle that corresponds to θ = −2700 is P = (0,1)
so cos(−2700 ) = 𝑥 = 0.

Figure 2

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Example:
𝜋
Find the exact values of the sin trigonometric functions of = 450 .
4

Solution:
We seek the coordinates of the point P = (x, y) on the unit circle that corresponds to
𝜋 𝜋
= 450 . See Figure 3. The point on the unit circle that corresponds to = 450 is
4 4

√2 √2
𝑃( , ). Then
2 2

𝜋 √2
sin = sin 450 = 𝑦 =
4 2
𝜋 √2
cos = cos 450 = 𝑥 =
4 2
√2
𝜋 0 𝑦 2
tan = tan 45 = = √2
=1
4 𝑥
2
𝜋 1 1 2
csc = csc 450 = = √2
= = √2
4 𝑦 √2
2
𝜋 1 1 2
sec = sec 450 = = √2
= = √2
4 𝑥 √2
2
√2
𝜋 𝑥
cot = cot 450 = = 2
√2
=1
4 𝑦
2

Figure 3

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Example:
𝜋
Find the exact values of the six trigonometric functions of = 600 .
3

Solution:
We seek the coordinates of the point P =(x, y) on the unit circle that corresponds to
𝜋 𝜋
= 600 . See Figure 3. The point on the unit circle that corresponds to = 600 is
3 3

1 √3
𝑃( , ). Then
2 2

𝜋 √3
sin = sin 600 = 𝑦 =
3 2
𝜋 1
cos = cos 600 = 𝑥 =
3 2
√3
𝜋 𝑦
tan = tan 600 = = 2
1 = √3
3 𝑥
2
𝜋 1 1 2
csc = csc 450 = = √2
= = √2
3 𝑦 √2
2
𝜋 1 1 2
sec = sec 450 = = √2
= = √2
4 𝑥 √2
2
√2
𝜋 𝑥
cot = cot 450 = = 2
√2
=1
4 𝑦
2