3.

7 Sinusoidal Function Context and Data Modeling

AP Precalculus
3.7 Practice
1. The following data set can be modeled by a sinusoidal function. Use the data to answer each problem below.

𝒙 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
𝒇 𝒙 97 24 62 18 104 21 65 16 101 23

𝒙 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
𝒇 𝒙 59 22 98 17 60 19 99 18 61 23

a. Estimate the period and b. Estimate the vertical shift c. Estimate the amplitude.
frequency. (midline).

d. Using the above information, create a sinusoidal function model.

𝝅 𝝅
𝒇 𝒙 𝟖𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒙 𝟑 𝟐𝟎 or 𝒇 𝒙 𝟖𝟎 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒙 𝟐𝟎
𝟐 𝟐

Answers may vary. Only one answer needed.

e. Using a calculator, find a sinusoidal model from the given data set. Your answer should look similar to your
estimate in part d.

𝒇 𝒙 𝟖𝟎. 𝟔𝟑𝟑 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝟏. 𝟓𝟕𝟓𝒙 𝟏. 𝟓𝟏𝟗 𝟏𝟗. 𝟒𝟔𝟔

2. The following data set can be modeled by a sinusoidal function. Use the data to answer each problem below.

𝒙 0 𝜋 2𝜋 3𝜋 4𝜋 5𝜋 6𝜋 7𝜋 8𝜋 9𝜋
𝒇 𝒙 349 220 180 230 345 470 510 465 348 235

𝒙 10𝜋 11𝜋 12𝜋 13𝜋 14𝜋 15𝜋 16𝜋 17𝜋 18𝜋 19𝜋
𝒇 𝒙 207 240 361 458 498 462 358 210 196 215

a. Estimate the period and b. Estimate the vertical shift c. Estimate the amplitude.
frequency. (midline).

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 d. Using the above information, create a sinusoidal function model.

𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒙 𝟒𝝅 𝟑𝟓𝟎
𝟒
𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒙 𝟔𝝅 𝟑𝟓𝟎
𝟒
𝟏
𝒇 𝒙 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒙 𝟐𝝅 𝟑𝟓𝟎
𝟒

Answers may vary. Only one answer needed.

e. Using a calculator, find a sinusoidal model from the given data set. Your answer should look similar to your
estimate in part d.

𝒇 𝒙 𝟏𝟔𝟏. 𝟗𝟗𝟐 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓𝒙 𝟑. 𝟏𝟐 𝟑𝟒𝟕. 𝟒𝟗𝟕

3.7 Sinusoidal Function Context and Data Modeling 3.7 Test Prep

3. Calculator active. Mr. Sullivan is tired of not having air Point 𝑃

conditioning in Germany, so he buys a large fan for his living
room. The blades of this fan rotate in a counterclockwise
direction and complete 20 rotations every second. Point 𝑃 is on
the tip of one of the fan blades and is located directly above the
center of the fan at time 𝑡 0 seconds, as indicated in the figure.
Counterclockwise
Point 𝑃 is 12 inches from the center of the fan. The center of the
fan is 30 inches above the floor. As the fan blades rotate at a
constant speed, the distance between 𝑃 and the floor periodically
decreases and increases.

The sinusoidal function ℎ models the distance between 𝑃 and the floor, in inches, as a function of time 𝑡, in seconds.
The graph of ℎ and its dashed midline for two full cycles is shown. Five points, 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶, 𝐷, and 𝐸, are labeled on the
graph. No scale is indicated, and no axes are presented.
𝐴 𝐸

𝐵 𝐷

Determine possible coordinates 𝑡, ℎ 𝑡 for the five points 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝐶, 𝐷, and 𝐸

𝑨 has coordinates 𝟎, 𝟒𝟐
𝑩 has coordinates 𝟎. 𝟎𝟏𝟐𝟓, 𝟑𝟎
𝑪 has coordinates 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐𝟓, 𝟏𝟖
𝑫 has coordinates 𝟎. 𝟎𝟑𝟕𝟓, 𝟑𝟎
𝑬 has coordinates 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓, 𝟒𝟐

𝒕 coordinates will vary, but one full cycle should be 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓 seconds

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4. A student rides his bicycle to school each day. The pedals are mounted on a bracket whose center is 29 cm above the
ground. Each pedal is 16.5 cm from the center of the bracket. Assume that the bicycle is pedaled at 12 cycles per
minute. With the starting position of the pedals in a horizontal position at 𝑡 0.
a. Label the graph with time (seconds) on the 𝑥-axis. Each line will represent one second.

b. Label the 𝑦-axis as height (cm) from the ground. Each line will represent 5 cm.

c. Sketch the graph of this sinusoidal function for the first three cycles. Assume the pedal you are measuring goes
“up” on the first rotation.

5
1

d. Write the equation of the sine curve with the time given in seconds.

e. Calculator active. When is the pedal 40 cm above the ground for the 3rd time?

f. Calculator active. How high is the pedal after 23 seconds?

5. A robotic ant is designed to cross a table in a sinuisoidal pattern, making a wave pattern as it travels from left to right.
The table has a length of 1,800 mm and a width of 800 mm. Standing on one side of the table, the values 𝑥 0 and
𝑥 1,800 represent the left and right sides of the table, respectively. The values 𝑦 0 and 𝑦 800 represent the
nearest and furthest sides of the table, re spectively.

The path of the robotic ant begins on the left side of the table, 𝑥 0, and completes one period of a sinusoidal
function by ending on the right side of the table, 𝑥 1,800. During its path, the robotic ant reaches its maximum
distance from the near side of the table of 𝑦 750 before reaching its minimum distance of 𝑦 150. If 𝑦 𝑓 𝑥
models the path of the robotic ant, which of the following could define 𝑓 𝑥 ?

(A) 300 sin 𝑥 450 (B) 300 sin 3600𝜋𝑥 450

(C) 600 sin 𝑥 450 (D) 600 sin 3600𝜋𝑥 450

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6. Calculator active. The function 𝑓 is given by 𝑓 𝑥 4 sin 2𝑥 cos 6𝑥 . Using the period of 𝑓, how many
number of complete cycles of the graph of 𝑓 in the 𝑥𝑦-plane are on the interval 0 𝑥 700? Round to the nearest
whole number.

Period is the Least Common Multiple of the two periods. In this case 𝜋.
Double-check on the calculator to get a visual understanding.

223 cycles

7. When an earthquake hits and creates a tsunami, the water first goes down from its normal level, and then rises an
equal distance above its normal level, then returns to its normal level. A tsunami is approaching Trig Island and is
modeled by:
2𝜋
𝑑 𝑡 10 sin 𝑡 7.5 11
15

where 𝑑 is the water’s depth in meters and 𝑡 is the time in minutes since the earthquake. This model only works for
one cycle!

a. Using the equation, what is the maximum depth of the tsunami wave?
(No calculator!)

b. Using the equation, what is the normal depth of water at Trig Island? (No calculator!)

c. What is the period of this function? What does this mean in the context of this problem?

It will take 15 minutes for water to return to its normal depth.

d. The Treasure of Trig Island lies 5 meters beneath the normal surface of the water. For how long will the Treasure
of Trig Island be exposed? (Remember to look at your answer from part b.)

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8. The function 𝑔 is given by 𝑔 𝜃 sin 𝜃 . The sinusoidal function ℎ is a phase shift of the function 𝑔 by positive
units. Which of the following is true?

(A) Consecutive minima of ℎ occur at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 because consecutive minima of 𝑔

occur at 𝜋, 𝑔 𝜋 and 𝜋, 𝑔 𝜋 , and ℎ is the image of 𝑔 with a horizontal shift of units right.

(B) Consecutive minima of ℎ occur at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 because consecutive minima of 𝑔

occur at 𝜋, 𝑔 𝜋 and 𝜋, 𝑔 𝜋 , and ℎ is the image of 𝑔 with a horizontal shift of units left.

(C) Consecutive minima of ℎ occur at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 because consecutive minima of 𝑔 occur

at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 , and ℎ is the image of 𝑔 with a horizontal shift of units right.

(D) Consecutive minima of ℎ occur at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 because consecutive minima of 𝑔

occur at ,𝑔 and ,𝑔 , and ℎ is the image of 𝑔 with a horizontal shift of units left.

9. The function 𝑓 is defined by 𝑓 𝑥 𝑎 sin 𝑏 𝑥 𝑐 𝑑. In the 𝑥𝑦-plane, the points 3,6 and 5,16 represent a
minimum value and a maximum value, respectively, on the graph of 𝑓. What are values of 𝑎 and 𝑑?

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