DP IB Analysis & Approaches Your notes

(AA): HL
The Unit Circle & Exact Values
Contents
The Unit Circle
Exact Values

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 The Unit Circle
Your notes
Defining Sin, Cos and Tan
What is the unit circle?
The unit circle is a circle with radius 1 and centre (0, 0)
Angles are always measured from the positive x-axis and turn:
anticlockwise for positive angles
clockwise for negative angles
It can be used to calculate trig values as a coordinate point (x, y) on the circle
Trig values can be found by making a right triangle with the radius as the hypotenuse
Where θ is the angle measured anticlockwise from the positive x-axis
The x-axis will always be adjacent to the angle, θ
SOHCAHTOA can be used to find the values of sinθ, cosθ and tanθ easily
As the radius is 1 unit
the x coordinate gives the value of cosθ
the y coordinate gives the value of sinθ
As the origin is one of the end points - dividing the y coordinate by the x coordinate gives
the gradient
the gradient of the line gives the value of tanθ

It allows us to calculate sin, cos and tan for angles greater than 90° (
π rad)
2

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 Your notes

Worked Example
The coordinates of a point on a unit circle, to 3 significant figures, are (0.629, 0.777).
Find θ° to the nearest degree.

Using The Unit Circle

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What are the properties of the unit circle?
The unit circle can be split into four quadrants at every 90° (
π rad) Your notes
2
The first quadrant is for angles between 0 and 90°
All three of Sinθ, Cosθ and Tanθ are positive in this quadrant

The second quadrant is for angles between 90° and 180° (

π rad and π rad)
2
Sinθ is positive in this quadrant

3π
The third quadrant is for angles between 180° and 270° (π rad and )
2
Tanθ is positive in this quadrant

3π
The fourth quadrant is for angles between 270° and 360° ( rad and 2π )
2
Cosθ is positive in this quadrant
Starting from the fourth quadrant (on the bottom right) and working anti-clockwise
the positive trig functions spell out CAST
This is why it is often thought of as the CAST diagram
You may have your own way of remembering this
A popular one starting from the first quadrant is All Students Take Calculus
To help picture this better try sketching all three trig graphs on one set of axes and
look at which graphs are positive in each 90° section

How is the unit circle used to find secondary solutions?

Trigonometric functions have more than one input to each output
For example sin 30° = sin 150° = 0.5
This means that trigonometric equations have more than one solution
For example both 30° and 150° satisfy the equation sin x = 0.5
The unit circle can be used to find all solutions to trigonometric equations in a given
interval
Your calculator will only give you the first solution to a problem such as x = sin-1(0.5)
This solution is called the primary value
However, due to the periodic nature of the trig functions there could be an infinite
number of solutions
Further solutions are called the secondary values

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 This is why you will be given a domain in which your solutions should be found
This could either be in degrees or in radians Your notes
If you see π or some multiple of π then you must work in radians
The following steps may help you use the unit circle to find secondary values
STEP 1: Draw the angle into the first quadrant using the x or y coordinate to help you
If you are working with sin x = k, draw the line from the origin to the circumference of the
circle at the point where the y coordinate is k
If you are working with cos x = k, draw the line from the origin to the circumference of the
circle at the point where the x coordinate is k
If you are working with tan x = k, draw the line from the origin to the circumference of the
circle such that the gradient of the line is k
This will give you the angle which should be measured from the positive x-axis…
… anticlockwise for a positive angle
… clockwise for a negative angle
STEP 2: Draw the radius in the other quadrant which has the same...
... x-coordinate if solving cos x = k
This will be the quadrant which is vertical to the original quadrant
... y-coordinate if solving sin x = k
This will be the quadrant which is horizontal to the original quadrant
... gradient if solving tan x = k
This will be the quadrant diagonal to the original quadrant
STEP 3: Work out the size of the second angle, measuring from the positive x-axis
… anticlockwise for a positive angle
… clockwise for a negative angle
You should look at the given range of values to decide whether you need the
negative or positive angle
STEP 4: Add or subtract either 360° or 2π radians to both values until you have all solutions in
the required range

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 Your notes

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Being able to sketch out the unit circle and remembering CAST can help you to
find all solutions to a problem in an exam question

Worked Example
Given that one solution of cosθ = 0.8 is θ = 0.6435 radians correct to 4 decimal
places, find all other solutions in the range -2π ≤ θ ≤ 2π. Give your answers correct to 3
significant figures.

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 Your notes

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 Exact Values
Your notes
Trigonometry Exact Values
What are exact values in trigonometry?
For certain angles the values of sin θ, cos θ and tan θ can be written exactly
This means using fractions and surds
You should be familiar with these values and be able to derive the values using
geometry
You are expected to know the exact values of sin, cos and tan for angles of 0°, 30°, 45°,
60°, 90°, 180° and their multiples

In radians this is 0,
π , π , π , π , π and their multiples
6 4 3 2
The exact values you are expected to know are here:

How do I find the exact values of other angles?

The exact values for sin and cos can be seen on the unit circle as the y and x coordinates
respectively
If using the coordinates on the unit circle to memorise the exact values, remember
that cos comes before sin
The unit circle can also be used to find exact values of other angles using symmetry
If you know the exact value for an angle in the first quadrant you can draw the same angle
from the x-axis in any other quadrant to find other angles

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Remember that the angles are measured anticlockwise from the positive x-axis
For example if you know that the exact value for is 0.5 Your notes
draw the angle 30° from the horizontal in the three other quadrants
measuring from the positive x-axis you have the angles of 150°, 210° and 330°
sin is positive in the second quadrant so sin150° = 0.5
sin is negative in the third quadrant so sin210° = - 0.5
sin is negative in the fourth quadrant so sin330° = - 0.5
It is also possible to find the negative angles by measuring clockwise from the positive
x-axis
draw the angle 30° from the horizontal in the three other quadrants
measuring clockwise from the positive x-axis you have the angles of -30°, -150°,
-210° and -330°
sin is negative in the fourth quadrant so sin(-30°) = - 0.5
sin is negative in the third quadrant so sin(-150°) = - 0.5
sin is positive in the second quadrant so sin(-210°) = 0.5
sin is positive in the fourth quadrant so sin(-330°) = 0.5

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 Your notes

How are exact values in trigonometry derived?

There are two special right-triangles that can be used to derive all of the exact values
you need to know
Consider a right-triangle with a hypotenuse of 2 units and a shorter side length of 1 unit

Using Pythagoras’ theorem the third side will be 3

The angles will be

π radians (90°), π radians (60°) and
π radians (30°)
2 3 6
Using SOHCAHTOA gives…

Sin
π =
3
Sin
π=1
3 2 6 2

Cos
π =
1
Cos
π= 3
3 2 6 2

Tan
π = 3 Tan
π =
1
=
3
3 6 3 3

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Consider an isosceles triangle with two equal side lengths (the opposite and adjacent)
of 1 unit
Your notes
Using Pythagoras’ theorem it will have a hypotenuse of 2

The two equal angles will be

π radians (45°)
4
Using SOHCAHTOA gives…

Sin
π = 1
= 2
4 2 2

Cos
π = 1
= 2
4 2 2

Tan
π =1
4

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You will be expected to be comfortable using exact trig values for certain angles
but it can be easy to muddle them up if you just try to remember them from a list,
sketch the triangles and trig graphs on your paper so that you can use them as
many times as you need to during the exam!

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 ° π4 , 30°/ π6 , 60°/ π3
sketch the triangles for the key angles 45 /
Your notes
π
sketch the trig graphs for the key angles 0 ° , 90°/ , 180 ° /π , 270 ° /
2
3π
, 360 ° /2π
2

Worked Example
Using an equilateral triangle of side length 2 units, derive the exact values for the sine,

cosine and tangent of

π and π .
6 3

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