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Basic Trigonometric Functions

Sine, cosine, tangent, and other ratios of sides of a right triangle.

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Right Triangle Trigonometry

Trigonometry is the study of triangles. If you know the angles of a triangle and one side length, you can use the properties of similar triangles and proportions to completely solve for the missing sides.

Imagine trying to measure the height of a flag pole. It would be very difficult to measure vertically because it could be several stories tall. Instead walk 10 feet away and notice that the flag pole makes a 65 degree angle with your feet. Using this information, what is the height of the flag pole?

Watch This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujyl_zQw2zE James Sousa: Introduction to Trigonometric Functions Using Triangles

Guidance

The six trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant and cosecant. Opp stands for the side opposite of the angle \begin{align*}\theta\end{align*}, hyp stands for hypotenuse and adj stands for side adjacent to the angle \begin{align*}\theta\end{align*}

\begin{align*}\sin \theta = \frac{opp}{hyp} \end{align*}

\begin{align*}\cos \theta = \frac{adj}{hyp} \end{align*}

\begin{align*}\tan \theta = \frac{opp}{adj}\end{align*}

\begin{align*}\cot⁡ \theta =\frac{adj}{opp} \end{align*}

\begin{align*}\sec \theta = \frac{hyp}{adj}\end{align*}

\begin{align*}\csc \theta = \frac{hyp}{opp}\end{align*}

The reason why these trigonometric functions exist is because two triangles with the same interior angles will have side lengths that are always proportional. Trigonometric functions are used by identifying two known pieces of information on a triangle and one unknown, setting up and solving for the unknown. Calculators are important because the operations of sin, cos and tan are already programmed in. The other three (cot, sec and csc) are not usually in calculators because there is a reciprocal relationship between them and tan, cos and sec.

\begin{align*}\sin \theta = \frac{opp}{hyp} = \frac{1}{\csc \theta}\end{align*}

\begin{align*}\cos \theta = \frac{adj}{hyp} = \frac{1}{\sec \theta}\end{align*}

\begin{align*}\tan \theta = \frac{opp}{adj} = \frac{1}{\cot \theta}\end{align*}

Keep in mind that your calculator can be in degree mode or radian mode. Be sure you can toggle back and forth so that you are always in the appropriate units for each problem.

Note: The images throughout this concept are not drawn to scale.

Example A

Solve for side \begin{align*}b\end{align*}.

Solution:

Example B

Solve for angle \begin{align*}A\end{align*}.

Solution: This problem can be solved using sin, cos or tan because the opposite, adjacent and hypotenuse lengths are all given.

The argument of a sin function is always an angle. The arcsin or \begin{align*}\sin^{-1} \theta\end{align*} function on the calculator on the other hand has an argument that is a side ratio. It is useful for finding angles that have that side ratio.

Example C

Given a right triangle with \begin{align*}a = 12 \ in\end{align*}\begin{align*}m\angle B=20^\circ, \end{align*} and \begin{align*}m\angle C=90^\circ\end{align*}, find the length of the hypotenuse.

Solution:

Concept Problem Revisited

Instead walk 10 feet away and notice that the flag pole makes a \begin{align*}65^\circ \end{align*} angle with your feet.

If you walk 10 feet from the base of a flagpole and assume that the flagpole makes a \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} angle with the ground.

Vocabulary

The six trigonometric ratios are universal proportions that are always true of similar triangles (triangles with congruent corresponding angles).

\begin{align*}\theta\end{align*} (theta) is a Greek letter and is just a letter used in math to stand for an unknown angle.

Guided Practice

1. Given \begin{align*}\triangle ABC\end{align*} where \begin{align*}B\end{align*} is a right angle, \begin{align*}m\angle C=18^\circ\end{align*}, and \begin{align*}c=12\end{align*}. What is \begin{align*}a\end{align*}?

2. Given \begin{align*}\triangle XYZ\end{align*} where \begin{align*}Z\end{align*} is a right angle, \begin{align*}m\angle X=1 \ radian\end{align*}, and \begin{align*}x=3\end{align*}. What is \begin{align*}z\end{align*}?

3. Given \begin{align*}\triangle MNO\end{align*} where \begin{align*}O\end{align*} is a right angle, \begin{align*}m=12\end{align*}, and \begin{align*}n=14\end{align*}. What is the measure of angle \begin{align*}M\end{align*}

1. Drawing out this triangle, it looks like:

2. Drawing out the triangle, it looks like:

3. Drawing out the triangle, it looks like:

Practice

For 1-15, information about the sides and/or angles of right triangle \begin{align*}ABC\end{align*} is given. Completely solve the triangle (find all missing sides and angles) to 1 decimal place.

 Problem Number \begin{align*}A\end{align*} \begin{align*}B\end{align*} \begin{align*}C\end{align*} \begin{align*}a\end{align*} \begin{align*}b\end{align*} \begin{align*}c\end{align*} 1. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} 4 7 2. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} \begin{align*}37^\circ \end{align*} 18 3. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} \begin{align*}15^\circ \end{align*} 32 4. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} 6 11 5. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} \begin{align*}12^\circ \end{align*} 19 6. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} 17 10 7. \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} \begin{align*}10^\circ \end{align*} 2 8. \begin{align*}4^\circ \end{align*} \begin{align*}90^\circ \end{align*} 0.3 9. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 1 radian 15 10. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 12 15 11. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 9 14 12. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{4}\end{align*} radian \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{4}\end{align*} radian 5 13. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 26 13 14. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 19 16 15. \begin{align*}\frac{\pi}{2}\end{align*} radian 10 \begin{align*}10\sqrt{2}\end{align*}

Vocabulary Language: English

$\theta$

$\theta$

$\theta$ (theta) is a Greek letter used in math to stand for an unknown angle.
Trigonometric Function

Trigonometric Function

A trigonometric function is a function of an angle that describes the relationship between two sides of a right triangle. Examples of trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, and tangent.
Trigonometric Functions

Trigonometric Functions

A trigonometric function is a function of an angle that describes the relationship between two sides of a right triangle. Examples of trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, and tangent.