PLANE TRIGONOMETRY

Topic 2: Trigonometric Functions of Angles

Kinds of Angle According to Size: Kinds of Oblique Triangle:

1. Acute Angle- an angle measuring between 0° i. Acute Triangle- a triangle with three
and 90°. acute angles.
2. Right Angle- an angle measuring exactly 90°. ii. Obtuse Triangle- a triangle with an
This is formed by two perpendicular rays. obtuse angle.
3. Obtuse Angle- an angle measuring between Equiangular triangle is a triangle whose three
90° and 180°. acute angles are congruent.
4. Straight Angle- an angle measuring exactly
180°. Kinds of Triangle According to the Number of
5. Reflex Angle- an angle measuring between Congruent Sides:
180° and 360°. 1. Scalene Triangle- a triangle with no two
congruent sides.
Triangle – a three-sided closed plane figure; the 2. Isosceles Triangle- a triangle with two
sum of the measures of the three angles is 180°. congruent sides.
3. Equilateral Triangle- a triangle with three
Types of Triangle According to the Kind of congruent sides.
Angle: Isosceles right triangle is a right triangle with
1. Right Triangle- a triangle with a right angle. two congruent sides.
2. Oblique Triangle- a triangle without a right Equilateral triangle is also an equiangular
angle. triangle.

Pythagorean Theorem
- states that in any right triangle, the square of the length of the longest side (hypotenuse) is equal to
the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides (legs).

c : hypotenuse
a c a and b : legs
c2 = a2 + b2

Trigonometric Functions of Angles

The Six Trigonometric Ratios

If Ɵ is an angle in standard position, P(x,y) is any point other than the origin on the terminal side of Ɵ,
and 𝑟 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 (radius vector r), then

Name Ratio Abbreviation

y y
sine of Ɵ sin Ɵ =
r r
x x
cosine of Ɵ cos Ɵ =
r r
y y
tangent of Ɵ tan Ɵ =
x x
x x
cotangent of Ɵ cot Ɵ =
y y
r r
secant of Ɵ sec Ɵ =
When x=0, tan Ɵ and sec Ɵ are not x x
defined, and when y=0, csc Ɵ and cot Ɵ r r
are not defined. cosecant of Ɵ csc Ɵ =
y y
Examples A: Find the values of the six trigonometric functions of the angle Ɵ in standard position, if the points
are on the terminal side of Ɵ.

1) 𝑷(𝟒, 𝟑)
Solution:
x = 4 and y = 3
y x y
sin Ɵ = cos Ɵ = tan Ɵ =
r r x
3 4 3
sin Ɵ = cos Ɵ = tan Ɵ =
5 5 4
r r x
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
y x y
5 5 4
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
3 4 3
2.) 𝑷(𝟓, −𝟏𝟐)
Solution:
x = 5 and y = −12
y x y
sin Ɵ = cos Ɵ = tan Ɵ =
r r x
12 5 12
sin Ɵ =  cos Ɵ = tan Ɵ = 
13 13 5
r r x
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
y x y
13 13 5
csc Ɵ =  sec Ɵ = cot Ɵ = 
12 5 12

Reciprocal Identities

1 1 1
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
sin  cos  tan 

Quotient Identities

sin  cos 
tan Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
cos  sin 

Fundamental Pythagorean Identity

𝐬𝐢𝐧𝟐 𝜽 + 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝟐 𝛉 = 𝟏

Signs of the Trigonometric Functions

Quadrant
sin Ɵ cos Ɵ tan Ɵ cot Ɵ sec Ɵ csc Ɵ
Containing Ɵ
First + + + + + +
Second + − − − − +
Third − − + + − −
Fourth − + − − + −
Examples B: Determine the quadrant containing angle Ɵ.

1.) sin Ɵ < 0 and tan Ɵ > 0 2.) cos Ɵ > 0 and csc Ɵ < 0

Answers:
1.) Third Quadrant 2.) Fourth Quadrant

If the value of one of the trigonometric functions of an angle is given, as well as the quadrant containing
the angle, we can determine the values of the other five trigonometric functions.

Examples C:
8
1.) Suppose tan Ɵ =  and Ɵ is in the second quadrant, find the other five trigonometric functions of Ɵ.
15
Solution:
y
tan Ɵ = y = 8 and x = −15 (Second quadrant: abscissa (x) is negative and ordinate (y) is positive)
x
8  15 15
Solving for the radius vector r, sin Ɵ = cos Ɵ = =
17 17 17
𝑟 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2
𝑟 = √(−15)2 + (8)2
𝒓 𝒓 𝒙
𝑟 = 17 csc Ɵ = 𝒚
sec Ɵ = 𝒙
cot Ɵ = 𝒚
17 17 15
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ =  cot Ɵ = 
8 15 8
2
2.) If cos Ɵ =  and cot Ɵ > 0, find the other five trigonometric functions of Ɵ.
3
Solution:
x
cos Ɵ = x = −2 and r = 3 (Third quadrant: x is negative and y negative)
r
−√5 √5 −√5 √5
Solving for y, sin Ɵ = =− 3 tan Ɵ = =
3 −2 2
𝑦 = ±√𝑟 2 − 𝑥 2
3 3 √5 3
𝑦 = −√(3)2 − (−2)2 csc Ɵ =− =− sec Ɵ = −
2
√ 5 5
𝑦 = −√5
−2 2√5
cot Ɵ = =
−√ 5 5

Example D: Use a calculator to find, to four decimal places, the other five trigonometric functions of Ɵ, if Ɵ is
in the second quadrant and sin Ɵ = 0.2716.

Solution:
𝐬𝐢𝐧𝟐 𝜽 + 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝟐 𝛉 = 𝟏 From the quotient identities:
sin  cos 
(0.2716)2 + cos2 Ɵ = 1 tan Ɵ = cot Ɵ =
cos  sin 
0.2716  0.9624
cos2 Ɵ = 1 − (0.2716)2 tan Ɵ ≈ cot Ɵ ≈
 0.9624 0.2716
cos Ɵ = − √1 − (0.2716)2 tan Ɵ ≈ − 0.2822 cot Ɵ ≈ − 3.5434
cos Ɵ ≈ − 0.9624

From the reciprocal identities:

1 1
csc Ɵ = sec Ɵ =
sin  cos 
1 1
csc Ɵ ≈ ≈ 3.6819 sec Ɵ ≈ ≈ − 1.0391
0.2716  0.9624
Reference Angle - is an acute angle formed by the terminal side of the given angle and the x-axis.

Examples: Find the reference angle for the given angle.

1) Ɵ1 = −1500 2) Ɵ2 = 3.74

Solution:
1.) Ɵ1 = 1800 − 1500 Ɵ2 = 3.74 – 3.14
Ɵ1 = 300 Ɵ2 = 0.60

Exercises:

I. Find the values of the six trigonometric functions of the angle 𝝱 in standard position, if the points are on the
terminal side of 𝝱.

1.) P (−𝟑, 𝟒) 2.) P (−𝟏, −√𝟑)

II. Determine the quadrant containing angle 𝝱.

1.) cos 𝝱 > 0 and tan 𝝱 < 0 2.) sin 𝝱 < 0 and cot 𝝱 > 0
3.) tan 𝝱 < 0 and csc 𝝱 > 0 4.) cot 𝝱 > 0 and sec 𝝱 < 0

III. Find the exact values of the other five trigonometric functions of 𝝱.

5
1.) sin 𝝱 = and cos 𝝱 > 0 2.) tan 𝝱 = −1 and sin 𝝱 > 0
13

IV. Use a calculator to find, to four decimal places, approximate values of the other five trigonometric functions
of 𝝱.

1.) cos 𝝱 = 0.7816 and 𝝱 is in the first quadrant.

2.) sin 𝝱 = − 0.4178 and 𝝱 is in the third quadrant.

V. Find the reference angle for the given angle.

5
1.) 𝝱1 = 300° 2.) 𝝱2 =− π
3
7
3.) 𝝱3 = π 4.) 𝝱4 = 6.59
4