Trigonometry

Angle Measures:
Two units of measures are used, degrees and radians. Recall that: 1 Right
angle= .

Radian measure is simply a unit for large angles the following relationship exists
between the two: Divide through by 2.

Thus ,

Thus in general to convert degrees to radians, multiply degrees by .

Examples: Convert the following from degrees to radians.

(i).600 (ii).1350

Solutions:
       3
(i).60  60    (ii ).135  135  
 180  3  180  4
 3
 60   135 
3 4

Thus to convert radians to degrees, multiply radians by .

Examples: Convert the following from radians to degrees.

 
(i ). (ii).
6 9

Solutions:

   180     180 
(i ).     30 (ii ).     20
6 6   9 9  

 
  30   20
6 9

Exercise: Convert the following into radians and degrees respectively:

9 
(i ).5400 (ii).  270 0 (iii ). (iv).
2 2
 Trigonometric Ratios

In mathematics, the trigonometric functions are functions of an angle. They are

important in the study of triangles. Trigonometric functions are commonly defined as
ratios of two sides of a right triangle in regards to an acute angle.

Tangent ratio – the trigonometric ratio formed between the lengths of the leg opposite
an angle to the length of the leg adjacent the same angle

Sine ratio – the trigonometric ratio formed between the lengths of the leg opposite an
angle to the length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle

Cosine ratio – the trigonometric ratio formed between the lengths of the leg adjacent
an angle to the length of the hypotenuse of the right triangle

opp adj opp

sin   cos   tan  
hyp hyp adj

Remember the mnemonic device SOH-CAH-TOA. This will help you remember the order
and the components of these ratios.
Example

Find the value of the three trigonometric functions for angles A and B.

From A, the opposite is 3, the adjacent is 4, and the hypotenuse is 5. So…

3 3 3
sin A  cos A  tan A 
5 5 4

From B, the opposite is 4, the adjacent is 3, and the hypotenuse is 5. So…

4 3 4
sin B  cos B  tan B 
5 5 3

Example

Find the value of the three trigonometric functions for angles D and E.

First, we have to find the missing side. Find baby e. Pythagorean Theorem.

f 2  d 2  e2
6 2  52  e 2
e 2  6 2  52
e  6 2  52
e  11

Since I’m finding the values of the ratios, I prefer to leave this as a radical instead of a
decimal.

Now from D, the opposite is 5, the adjacent is radical 11, and the hypotenuse is 6. So…

5 11 5
sin D  cos D  tan D 
6 6 11
Now from E, the opposite is radical 11, the adjacent is 5, and the hypotenuse is 6. So…

11 5 11
sin E  cos E  tan E 
6 6 5

Example

Use the given information to solve for the unknowns in the following right triangle.

Find a.

What do we have? We have a 56 degree acute angle. We have a hypotenuse of 24. No

opposite or adjacent. No tangent.

I’m using sine because I have the acute angle, the hypotenuse, and I’m looking for the
opposite.

a
sin 56 
24
a  24sin 56
a  19.897

Find b.

What do we have? We have a 56 degree acute angle. We have a hypotenuse of 24.

I’m using cosine because I have the acute angle, the hypotenuse, and I’m looking for
the adjacent.

b
cos 56 
24
b  24cos 56
a  13.421

Finally find B. The easy one. I guess I should have found this first.

B  90  A  90  56  34
.Example:

Use the given information to solve for the unknown in the following right triangle.

Find a.

What do we have? We have a 18 degree acute angle. We have an adjacent leg of 124.

I’m using tangent because I have the acute angle, the adjacent leg, and I’m looking for
the opposite.

a
Tan18 
124
a  124Tan18
a  40.29

Find c.

What do we have? We have a 18 degree acute angle. We have an adjacent leg of 124.

I’m using cosine because I have the acute angle, the adjacent leg, and I’m looking for
the hypotenuse

124
Cos18 
c
cCos18  124
124
c
Cos18
c  130.381

Finally find B.

B  90  A  90  18  72
Example:

Use the given information to solve for the unknown in the following right triangle.

Find A.

What do we have? We’re looking for an angle, so we will use an inverse trig function.
From A, we have the opposite leg of 7 and the hypotenuse of 16.

I’m using sine because I have the opposite leg and the hypotenuse.

7 Find B.
S in A 
16
7 Simplest way.
A  sin 1
16
90  25.944
A  25.944
 64.0555
Finally, find b.

Pythagorean Theorem. I have two sides of a right triangle.

c2  a 2  b2 By the way, what we are doing is

solving a right triangle. When you have
162  7 2  b 2
some information and you find all the
b 2  162  7 2 unknowns, you are solving a triangle.
b  162  7 2
b  14  387
 Trigonometric Identities
Using SOHCAHTOA, We have
opp y
sin    , and making y the subject:
hyp r
 y  r sin 

and
adj x
cos    , making x the suject:
hyp r
 x  r cos 

Using pythagoras theoream:

x2  y 2  r 2
substituting , x  r cos  , y  r sin 
 r cos     r sin    r2
2 2

r 2 cos 2   r 2 sin 2   r 2
r 2  cos 2   sin 2    r 2 , dividing throught by r 2 we get:
cos 2   sin 2   1
NOTE: when working with trigonometric expressions and identities, be sure to write the
argument of the function, for example, we would not write: sin 2  cos 2  1 .an argument
such as  ,  , A... e.t.c is necessary in this identity. Also
sin 2   sin  2 , [(sin  )n  sin n  , e.g (sin )3  sin 3  ] .

 Just because sin 2   cos 2   1 we cannot say that sin   cos  1

 Thus from this identity cos 2   sin 2   1 we can derive some more identities:

Using the same identity divide through by we get.

cos 2   sin 2   1

Cos 2 sin 2  1
 
Cos  Cos  Cos 2
2 2

1  Tan 2  sec 2 
  And when we divide with throughtout the identity cos 2   sin 2   1 we
get:

cos 2   sin 2   1, dividing throughout by 2

sin 

Cos 2 sin 2  1
 
sin  sin  sin 2 
2 2

cot 2   1  Cosec 2

 Summary

So we have looked at the following identities this far:

sin  1 1
(i).tan   (ii).sec = (iii).csc =
cos  cos  cos 
1 cos 
(iv).cot =  (v).sin 2  cos 2   1 (vi).1+tan 2  sec 2 
tan  sin 
(vii).1  cot 2   csc2 

Examples
Prove the identities,
Tan  sec 
(i). sin 2  cot  sec   sin  (ii). 1
 Tan 
sec  1  
 sec  
1 cos  cos 
(iii).  1  sin  1  sin   (iv).   2sec 
sec 2  1  sin  1  sin 
sin cos
(v).   cos ec (vi). tan  cot  sec cosec
1  cos sin

(vii). sec   tan  cos ec  1  cot 

NOTE: With the identities it’s necessary to start with LHS and attempt to make it equal
to the RHS or Vice-versa. Do not take both sides simultaneously when proving.

Solutions: (i).sin 2  cot  sec   sin  Taking the LHS:

sin 2  cot  sec 

 1 1 
 sin 2   
 tan cos 
cos 1
 sin 2 
sin  cos
 sin 
 1
 iii  .  1  sin  1  sin   , Taking the LHS
Tan  sec  sec 2 
(ii ). 1 Taking the LHS
 Tan  1
 1  sec 2 
sec  1   sec 
2
 sec  
sin   1  1  sec 2 

 cos  1
1
1 cos 2
1  sin  
cos  1 cos 2
sin   1
 1  cos 2  1  sin 2  ,difference of two square we get:
sin   1
 1  sin  1  sin  

cos  cos  sin  cos 

(iv).   2sec  , Taking the LHS  v.   csc  , Taking the LHS
1  sin  1  sin  1  cos  sin 
cos  cos  sin  cos 
 
1  sin  1  sin  1  cos  sin 
cos  1  sin    cos  1  sin   sin  sin   cos  1  cos  
 
1  sin  1  sin   sin  1  cos  
cos   cos  sin   cos   cos  sin  sin 2   cos 2   cos 
 
1  sin 2  sin  1  cos  
2 cos  2 cos  1  cos 
  
1  sin  cos 2
2
sin  1  cos  
2  1 
  2   2sec  
1
 csc 
cos   cos  
sin 
(vi ).tan   cot   sec  csc  , Taking the LHS
(vii ).  sec   tan   cos ec  1  cot  , taking the LHS:
 tan   cot 
=  sec   tan   cos ec  1
sin  1 =sec cosec  sec   tan  cos ec  tan 
 
cos  tan  1 1 1 sin  1 sin 
sin  cos  =   
  cos  sin  cos  cos  sin  cos 
cos  sin  1  sin   sin   sin 2 
=
sin 2   cos 2  cos  sin 

cos  sin  1  sin 2  cos 2  cos  cos 
=  
1 cos  sin  cos  sin  cos  sin 

cos  sin  cos 
=  cot 
1 1 sin 
  sec  csc 
cos  sin 
Exercise
1. Prove the following identities:

cos   tan 
(a)  csc   sec 2 
sin  cos 

cos 2  tan 2  1
(b)  tan 2
sin 
2

(c) sec 2   csc 2  sec 2  csc 2

1  sec 
(d)  sin   tan 
csc 

(e) 2 cos  12 cos  1  2 cos2  1

1 1
(f)   2 tan x sec x
1  sin x 1  sin x

cos x 1 cot x  1 1  tan x

g.tan x   h. 
1  sin x cos x cot x  1 1  tan x
sin x  cos3 x
3
cos x  1 csc x
i.  1  sin x cos x k. 
sin x  cos x 3
sin x 1  cos x
1  sin x 1  sin x 1  tan x
2
1
l.   4 tan x sec x m. 
1  sin x 1  sin x 1  tan x cos x  sin 2 x
2 2

sin 2 x 1  cos x
n.csc 4 x  cot 4 x  csc 2 x  cot 2 x o. 
cos x  3cos x  2 2  cos x
2

p.(sin x  tan x)(cos x  cot x)  (sin x  1)(cos x  1)