5.

1 The Unit Circle

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Objectives
■ The Unit Circle
■ Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
■ The Reference Number

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The Unit Circle
In this section we explore some properties of the circle of
radius 1 centered at the origin.

The set of points at a distance 1 from the origin is a circle

of radius 1 (see Figure 1).

The unit circle

Figure 1 3
The Unit Circle
The equation of this circle is x2 + y2 = 1.

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Example 1 – A Point on the Unit Circle
Show that the point P is on the unit circle.

Solution:
We need to show that this point satisfies the equation of
the unit circle, that is, x2 + y2 = 1.

Since

P is on the unit circle.

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
Suppose t is a real number. If t ³ 0, 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 < 0, we mark off a
distance | t | in a clockwise direction (Figure 2).

(a) Terminal point P(x, y) determined by t > 0 (b) Terminal point P(x, y) determined by t < 0
Figure 2
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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
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.

The circumference of the unit circle is C = 2p(1) = 2p. So if

a point starts at (1, 0) and moves counterclockwise all the
way around the unit circle and returns to (1, 0), it travels a
distance of 2p.

To move halfway around the circle, it travels a distance of

(2p) = p. To move a quarter of the distance around the
circle, it travels a distance of (2p) = p /2.

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
Where does the point end up when it travels these
distances along the circle? From Figure 3 we see, for
example, that when it travels a distance of p starting
at (1, 0), its terminal point is (–1, 0).

Terminal points determined by t = , p, , and 2p

Figure 3

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Example 3 – Finding Terminal Points
Find the terminal point on the unit circle determined by
each real number t.
(a) t = 3p (b) t = –p (c) t = –

Solution:
From Figure 4 we get the following:

Figure 4

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Example 3 – Solution cont’d

(a) The terminal point determined by 3p is (–1, 0).

(b) The terminal point determined by –p is (–1, 0).

(c) The terminal point determined by –p /2 is (0, –1).

Notice that different values of t can determine the same

terminal point.

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
The terminal point P(x, y) determined by t = p /4 is the
same distance from (1, 0) as from (0, 1) along the unit
circle (see Figure 5).

Figure 5

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Terminal Points on 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 Quadrant I) of the

circle x2 + y2 = 1 and the line y = x.

Substituting x for y in the equation of the circle, we get

x2 + x2 = 1

2x2 = 1 Combine like terms

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
x2 = Divide by 2

x= Take square roots

Since P is in the Quadrant I, x = 1/ and since y = x, we

have y = 1/ also.

Thus the terminal point determined by p /4 is

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Terminal Points on the Unit Circle
Similar methods can be used to find the terminal points
determined by t = p /6 and t = p /3. Table 1 and Figure 6
give the terminal points for some special values of t.

Table 1 Figure 6

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Example 4 – Finding Terminal Points
Find the terminal point determined by each given real
number t.

(a) t = (b) t = (c) t =

Solution:
(a) Let P be the terminal point determined by –p /4, and let
Q be the terminal point determined by p /4.

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Example 4 – Solution cont’d

From Figure 7(a) we see that the point P has the same
coordinates as Q except for sign.

Since P is in Quadrant IV,

its x-coordinate is positive and
its y-coordinate is negative.
Thus, the terminal point is
P( /2, – /2).
Figure 7(a)

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Example 4 – Solution cont’d

(b) Let P be the terminal point determined by 3p /4, and let

Q be the terminal point determined by p /4.

From Figure 7(b) we see that the point P has the same
coordinates as Q except for sign. Since P is in
Quadrant II, its x-coordinate is negative and its
y-coordinate is positive.

Thus the terminal point is

P(– /2, /2).

Figure 7(b)
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Example 4 – Solution cont’d

(c) Let P be the terminal point determined by –5p /6, and let
Q be the terminal point determined by p /6.

From Figure 7(c) we see that the point P has the same
coordinates as Q except for sign. Since P is in
Quadrant III, its coordinates are both negative.

Thus the terminal point is

P .

Figure 7(c)
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The Reference Number

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The Reference Number
From Examples 3 and 4 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.

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The Reference Number
Figure 8 shows that to find the reference number t, it’s
helpful to know the quadrant in which the terminal point
determined by t lies.

The reference number t for t

Figure 8

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The Reference Number
If the terminal point lies in Quadrant I or IV, where x is
positive, we find t by moving along the circle to the positive
x-axis.

If it lies in Quadrant II or III, where x is negative, we find t

by moving along the circle to the negative x-axis.

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Example 5 – Finding Reference Numbers
Find the reference number for each value of t.

(a) t = (b) t = (c) t = (d) t = 5.80

Solution:
From Figure 9 we find the reference numbers as follows:

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 9
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Example 5 – Solution cont’d

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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The Reference Number

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Example 6 – Using Reference Numbers to Find Terminal Points

Find the terminal point determined by each given real

number t.

(a) t = (b) t = (c) t =

Solution:
The reference numbers associated with these values of t
were found in Example 5.

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Example 6 – Solution cont’d

(a) The reference number is t = p /6, which determines the

terminal point from Table 1.

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Example 6 – Solution cont’d

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

(b) The reference number is t = p /4, which determines the

terminal point ( /2, /2) from Table 1.

Since the terminal point is in Quadrant IV, its

x-coordinate is positive and its y-coordinate is negative.
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Example 6 – Solution cont’d

Thus the desired terminal point is

(c) The reference number is t = p /3, which determines the

terminal point from Table 1.

Since the terminal point determined by t is in

Quadrant III, its coordinates are both negative. Thus
the desired terminal point is

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The Reference Number
Since the circumference of the unit circle is 2p, the terminal
point determined by t is the same as that determined by
t + 2p or t – 2p.

In general, we can add or subtract 2p any number of times

without changing the terminal point determined by t.

We use this observation in the next example to find

terminal points for large t.

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Example 7 – Finding the Terminal Point for Large t

Find the terminal point determined by

Solution:
Since

we see that the terminal point of t is the same as that of

5p/6 (that is, we subtract 4p).

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Example 7 – Solution cont’d

So by Example 6(a) the terminal point is .

(See Figure 10.)

Figure 10

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