Trigonometric

Functions of Any
Angle
 The Unit Circle
A unit circle is a circle with a radius of 1
It is centered at the origin on a coordinate plane.
 Radian Measurements in a Circle
What’s the circumference of a circle with a radius of 1?

radians
 Angles in
multiples of 30
and 45
degrees are
included on
120° 90° 60° the circle.
135° 45°
150° 30°

180° 0°
360°
210° 330°
225° 315°
240° 300°
270°
  
Angles in multiples of 6 and 4 radians are included on the circle.


2 
3 
120° 90° 60° 4 
135° 45°
150° 30° 6

 180° 0° 0
360° 2
210° 330°
225° 315°
240° 300°
270°
Coordinate points on the circle are filled in.
(0,1)
Such as the
points on
each axis

(1,0) (1,0)

(0,1)
 (0,1)
(?, ?)
(?, ?)

(?, ?)

(1,0) (1,0)

(0,1)
 The Unit Circle
Two special triangles are used to
45° “coordinatize” the unit circle

1)We use a 45-45-90 triangle

with a hypotenuse of 1
2 1
2

45°

2
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle

30°

3 1
2

60°

1
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle

(0,1)

 3 1
 
 2 ,2
 
60°

1 1
2
30°
(1,0)
3
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle

(0,1)

 2 2
 
 2 , 2 
 

45°

1 2
2

45°
(1,0)
2
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle

(0,1)
1 3
 , 
2 2 
 

30°

1 3
2

60° (1,0)
1
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle
How do you fill in
the rest of the
(0,1)
coordinates?

 3 1
 
 2 , 2
 
60°

1 1
2
(1,0) 30°
(1,0)
3
2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle
Use reflections of
the triangles (0,1)
and/or symmetry
rules!
 3 1
 ,  same y coordinates
opposite x coordinates



 2 , 2

60° 60°

1 1 1 1
2 2
(1,0) 30° 30°
(1,0)
3 3
2 2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle
How do you fill in the rest of the coordinates?
Use reflections of the triangles (0,1)

 ,  same y coordinates
opposite x coordinates
 2 2



 2 , 2 


45° 45°

2 1 1 2
2 2

(1,0) 45° 45°

(1,0)
2 2
2 2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle

(0,1)
 ,  same y coordinates
opposite x coordinates
1 3
 ,


2 2 


30°

1 3
2

(1,0) 60° (1,0)

1
2
Exercises: Fill in the rest of the coordinates 


2 
3 
120° 90° 60° 4 
135° 45°
150° 30° 6

 180° 0° 0
360° 2
210° 330°
225° 315°
240° 300°
270°
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle
What your plate should look like when it’s complete…
 1 3 (0,1) 1 3
 ,   , 
 2 2  2 2 
   
 2 2  2 2
   , 
,
 2 2  2 2   2 2 
  
3 3 3 
 3 1  3 1
 ,  4 4  
 2 2 5 120° 90° 60°   2 , 2
  135° 45°  
6 30° 6
150°
(1,0)  180° 0° 0
(1,0)
360° 2

7 210° 330° 11

 3 1 6 225° 315° 6  3 1
 
 2 , 2  5 240° 300° 7  
 2 , 2 
  4 4
270°  
5 4
 2 2 3 3  2 2
  3  , 
 2 , 2  2 
 2 2 
  1 3 1 3
  ,   , 
 2 2  (0,1)  2 
 2
 The
5.1 Unit
The UnitCircle
Circle
 Definitions of Trigonometric
Trigonometric Functions
Functions of Any Angleof Any Angle
 Definitions of
Definitions of Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle
Angle

Let  is be any angle in standard

position, and let P = (x, y) be a point on
the terminal side of . If is
the distance from (0, 0) to (x, y), the six
r = x 2
 y 2
trigonometric functions of  are defined
by the following ratios.
Definitions of Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle
Let us now apply our trigonometric definitions to the unit circle. Since the unit circle
has radius 1, we can see that our trigonometric functions are greatly simplified:
Definitions of the Six Trigonometric Functions: Special Case of the
Unit Circle
Example 2:
Let P = (-3, -4) be a point on the terminal side of . Find each of the six
trigonometric functions of .
Solution y
5
The situation is shown below. We
need values for x, y, and r to
evaluate all six trigonometric  x
-5 5
functions. We are given the values r
of x and y. Because -5
P = (-3, -4) is a point on the
terminal side of , x = -3 and
P = (-3, -4)

y = -4. Furthermore, x = -3 y = -4
Example
Cont.
Solution

 -3   4   25  5.
2 2
Since r = x  y , we have r =
2 2

Now that we know x, y, and r, we can find the six trigonometric functions of .

y 4 4 x 3 3 y 4 4
sin      , cos     , tan    
r 5 5 r 5 5 x 3 3
r 5 5 r 5 5 x 3 3
csc      , sec      , cot    
y 4 4 x 3 3 y 4 4

The bottom row shows the

reciprocals of the row above.
Exercises: Find the exact values of the following:
The Signs of the Trigonometric Functions
y
Quadrant II Quadrant I
Sine and cosecant All functions positive
positive (+,+)
(-,+)

x
Quadrant III Quadrant IV
tangent and cotangent cosine and secant
positive positive
(-,-) (+,-)
Evaluating Trigonometric Functions at Any Angle
Example: Evaluating Trigonometric Functions

2 y 2 In quadrant IV, y is
tan     
3 x 3 negative.
Example: Evaluating Trigonometric Functions

Thus, x = 3 and y = -2. Furthermore,

r  x2  y2  32  (2) 2  9  4  13.
y
Now that we know x, y and r, find cos 5
 and csc  .
x 3 3 13 3 13
cos      x
r 13 13 13 13 -5  5
r 13 13
csc   
y 2 2 -5
P = (3, -2)

x=3 y = -2
 Definition of a Reference Angle
Let  be a non-acute angle in standard position that lies in a
quadrant. Its reference angle is the positive acute angle ´
(prime) formed by the terminal side of  and the x-axis.
b

Example
What is the reference angle of
315º?

a
a

Solution: 
b
´ =360º - 315º = 45º

P( a , b)
 Using Reference Angles to Evaluate Trigonometric Functions

The values of a trigonometric functions of a given angle, , are the

same as the values for the trigonometric functions of the reference
angle, ´, except possibly for the sign.

A function value of the acute angle, ´, is always positive. However,

the same functions value for  may be positive or negative.
A Procedure for Using Reference Angles to Evaluate Trigonometric
Functions

The value of a trigonometric function of any angle  is

found as follows:

1. Find the associated reference angle, ´, and the function

value for ´.
2. Use the quadrant in which  lies to prefix the appropriate
sign to the function value in step 1.
 Example: Using Reference Angles to Evaluate Trigonometric
Functions
Use reference angles to find the exact value of each
of the following trigonometric functions.
a. sin 135° b. cos
4
3
 
c. cot 

3
y y y

/3
4

x x

/3
135° 
/3
45° /3
-
x

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