Name: _________________

Trigonometry Basics

Date: ___________ Pd: ___

terminal side

Angle
vertex

Standard position

direction of rotation arrow

CCW is positive
CW is negative

initial side

vertex at the _______ and initial side along the ________

Positive and Negative

Angles
___________ angle
in standard position

___________ angle
in standard position

Angles lie in the quadrant in which the terminal side rests.

Examples: In what quadrant do the angles lie? Is the angle
positive or negative?

Quadrant

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

name given to an angle whose terminal side coincides with one

of the axes
-270

90

-360
0

0 -180
360

180

Quadrantal angle

270

-90

Quadrantal angle measures

for positive angles.

Quadrantal angle measures

for negative angles.

2 or more angles that have the same terminal side.

Finding coterminal angles add/subtract 360 to the given
angle
Example: Find a positive and a negative angle coterminal with
the given angle.
Coterminal angles

a. 30

b. 170

Worksheet #1 Trig Basics

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

c. 200

d. 400

e. 750

Many navigational systems use the degree-minute-second

(DMS) format.
DDDoMM SS
Example: 123o 4543
Degree-Minute-Second
(DMS)
Some calculations, however, use a decimal format for degree
measures. Decimal format is also easier to enter into
calculators.

Decimal Degrees

Minutes Seconds

60
3600

Example:
Converting from DMS Given: 123o 4543
to Decimal
Convert to Decimal: 123

Converting from
Decimal to DMS

45
43

123.762
60 3600

Degrees: the whole degrees to the left of the decimal point

Minutes: multiply the decimal degrees by 60; the minutes is
the whole number to the left of the decimal point
Seconds: multiply the decimal minutes by 60 and use the
product rounded to 1 decimal place

Example: Express 235.567 in DMS

Degrees: 235
Minutes: 0.567 * 60 = 34.02 34
Seconds: 0.02 * 60 = 1.2
Answer: 235.567 = 235 34 1.2

Worksheet #2 Trig Basics

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

The fraction of a circles circumference that is intercepted by a

central angle. Arc length is measured in linear units (inches,
meters, cm, feet, etc.).
Arc Length

arc length

central angle

Another way to measure angles

Whenever an angle is used by itself (not inside a trig function),
the angle MUST be in radian units NEVER degrees.
Definition: The central angle made by taking the radius of a
circle and wrapping it along the edge of the circle.
A
Length of arc AC = 2.75 cm

Radian

= 1 radian
B

C
radius = 2.75 cm

So,
if a central angle is 1.5 radians, then the intercepted arc is 1.5
times the radius of the circle
if the length of an intercepted arc is 2.3 times the radius, then
the central angle is 2.3 radians.
radians = 180
degrees to radians, multiply by
Converting between
Radians and Degrees

180

of )
from radians to degrees, multiply by
3 decimal places)

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

(usually leave in terms

180

(usually round to

Example: Convert 225 to radians

Answer:

5
225 *
radians

180 4

Convert 3 radians to degrees

180
Answer: 3 radians *

171.887

Worksheet #3 Trig Basics

2 or more angles with the same
terminal side. In the diagram
angle and angle are
coterminal angles.

Very useful when evaluating

trigonometric functions (later).
Finding coterminal angles.
Coterminal Angles

If angle is measured in degrees, add or subtract 360

If angle is measured in radians, add or subtract 2
Examples:
Find a positive and a negative angle coterminal with the given
angle.
a. 75

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

b.

5
12

 the angle between the terminal side and the x-axis

are always positive and less than 90
useful when evaluating trig functions and solving trig
equations (later)
found depending on quadrant. For positive angles,
Quadrant I: reference angle = angle
Quadrant II: reference angle = 180 angle angle
Quadrant III: reference angle = angle 180

angle

Quadrant IV: reference angle = 360 angle

Reference Angles

angle

Examples:
Find the reference angle for the following angles.
a. 175

b.

5
12

c. 300

d.

7
4

s r

where s is the arc length, r is the radius, and

is the central angle (IN RADIANS)

Example: A circle has a radius of 5 feet. Find the arc length

intercepted by a central angle measuring 2 radians.
Arc Length Theorem

s r

Formula

s (5 feet )(2radians )

Substitution

s 10 feet

Evaluation

Example: A central angle of 4 radians intercepts an arc with

length of 25 meters. What is the radius of the circle?

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

Sector Area

1
A r 2
2

where A is the area of the sector, r is the

radius, and is the central angle (IN
RADIANS)

Example: The minute hand of a clock is 4 inches long. How

much area will the minute hand sweep through in 20
minutes?
1
A r 2
2
1
2
A (4 in) 2

2
3
16 2
A
in
3
A 16.76 in 2

Worksheet #4 Trig Basics

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

2 radians

Formula
Find :

60 minutes 20 minutes
2
Substitution

radians
3

Evaluation

I feel a need a need for speed!

Linear speed

change in distance
time

Angular speed

change in central angle ( )

time

Rotational speed

change in revolutions
time

Conversions Conversions between speed units

between
speed units 1 revolution = 1 circumference (distance travelled)
(rotational)
(linear)

1 circumference = 2 radians
(linear)
(angular)
2 radians = 1 revolution
(angular)
(rotational)

Hint on performing unit conversions:

Multiply by

the units you want

the units you have

Example: Convert 2.1 miles to feet

2.1 miles *

5280 feet (units you want )

11,088 feet
1 mile (units you have)

Example: Convert 35 miles to inches

35 miles *

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes

5280 feet (units you want ) 12 inches (units you want )

*
2,217,600 inches
1 mile (units you have)
1 foot (units you have)

Example:
A bicycle with wheels that have a radius of 20 inches is travelling at 15
miles per hour. How many revolutions per second are the wheels turning?
Analysis: You are given a linear speed. The given linear units are miles
so you need to convert to inches (units of the radius). Time is
given in hours, but the final answer requires it to be in seconds
so you need to convert hours to seconds. Finally, once the
linear units and time units are set, convert from linear units to
rotational units using relationship above.
Solution:
15 miles
1 hour
Original
units

1 hour
60 min

1 min
60 sec

Convert hours
to seconds

5280 ft 12 in
1 mile 1 ft

1 revolution
2(20 in)

= 1.03 rev/sec

Convert linear
Convert linear speed to
units to same
rotational speed
units as radius

Example:
The radius of a CD is 2.25 in. The CD player rotates the CD at 400 rpm
(revolutions per minute). What is the linear speed (in feet per second) of a
speck of dust on the outer edge of the CD?

Worksheet #5 Trig Basics

Adv Alg/Precal Trig Basics Notes