Trigonometry for Biology Students

Trigonometry for Biology Students

Kristine Joy E. Carpio

Department of Mathematics
De La Salle University – Manila

Term 2 2010-2011
Trigonometry for Biology Students

Outline

Trigonometry

References
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Angles and Their Measures

Definition
An angle is determined by rotating a ray about its endpoint.
The starting position of the ray is the initial side of the angle,
and the position after rotation is the terminal side. The
endpoint of the ray is called the vertex of the angle. When the
rotation is counterclockwise positive angles are generated,
otherwise negative angles are generated.
When the angle fits a coordinate system where the origin is the
vertex and the initial side coincides with the positive x-axis
then the angle is in standard position.
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

An angle is usually measured in degree, denoted by the symbol

◦ . One degree is equivalent to a rotation of 1 of a complete
360
revolution about the vertex. Fractional parts of degrees are
express in minutes and seconds,that is,
10 = one minute = 1/60 of 1◦
1” = one second = 1/60 of 10 = 1/3600 of 1◦
These are the types of angles:
Acute: Measure between 0◦ and 90◦ .
Right: Measure 90◦ .
Obtuse: Measure between 90◦ and 180◦ .
Straight: Measure 180◦.
Two angles in standard position that have the same terminal
side are called coterminal angles. Two angles, α and β are
complementary if α + β = 90◦ . They are supplementary if
α + β = 180◦ .
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Definition
One radian is the measure of a central angle θ that intercepts
an arc s equal in length to the radius r of the circle. This
implies that
s
θ=
r
where θ is measured in radians. If θ = 1 then s = r.
One revolution around a circle of radius r corresponds to an
angle of 2π radians because
s 2πr
θ= = = 2π radians
r r
To convert degrees to radians, use 1◦ = (π/180◦ ) radians.
To convert radians to degrees, use 1 radian = (180/π)◦ .
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises

Determine the quadrant in which each angle lies.

1. 8.3◦ 3. −260◦ 11π

5. − rads
9
2. 257◦ 300 π
4. − rads 6. 2.25 rads
12
Rewrite each angle in radian measure as a multiple of π.

1. −240◦ 2. 315◦ 3. 120◦

Rewrite each angle in degree measure.

7π π 34π
1. − 2. 3. −
12 9 15
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises

Find the radian measure of the central angle of a circle of a

radius r that intercepts an arc of length s
27 inches 6 inches
14.5 centimeters 25 centimeters
80 kilometers 160 kilometers
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Right Triangle Trigonometry

Let θ be an acute angle of a right triangle. The six

trigonometric functions of the angle θ are defined as follows.
opp adj opp
sin θ = cos θ = tan θ =
hyp hyp adj

hyp hyp adj

csc θ = sec θ = cot θ =
opp adj opp
Sines, Cosines, and Tangents of Special√Angles
1 3 √1
sin 30◦ = sin π6 = 2 cos 30◦ = cos π6 = tan 30◦ = tan π6 =
√ √2 3
2 2
sin 45◦ = sin π4 = cos 45◦ = cos π4 = tan 45◦ = tan π4 = 1
√2
3 1
2 √
sin 60◦ = sin π3 = 2 cos 60◦ = cos π3 = 2 tan 60◦ = tan π3 = 3
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

It can be shown from the right triangle definitions that

confunctions of complementary angles are equal. If θ is an acute
angle, then the following relationships are true.
sin(90◦ − θ) = cos θ cos(90◦ − θ) = sin θ
tan(90◦ − θ) = cot θ cot(90◦ − θ) = tan θ
sec(90◦ − θ) = csc θ csc(90◦ − θ) = sec θ
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Fundamental Trigonometric Identities

Reciprocal Identities
1 1 1
sin θ = csc θ = cos θ =
csc θ sin θ sec θ
1 1 1
sec θ = tan θ = cot θ =
sec θ cot θ tan θ
Quotient Identities
sin θ cos θ
tan θ = cot θ =
cos θ sin θ
Pythagorean Identities
sin2 θ + cos2 θ = 1 1 + tan2 θ = sec2 θ 1 + cot2 θ = csc2 θ
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises
Find the other five trigonometric functions of θ.
5
1. cos θ = 7 2. cot θ = 5 3. sec θ = 6

Use the given function value(s), and trigonometric identities

(including the confunction identities) to find the indicated
trigonometric functions.
√
1. Given: sin 30◦ = 21 , tan 30◦ = 33
Find: csc 30◦ , cot 60◦ , cos 30◦ , cot 30◦
√
2. Given: sec θ = 5, tan θ = 2 6
Find: csc θ, cot θ, cot(90◦ − θ), sin θ
3. Given: tan β = 5
Find: cot β, cos β, tan(90◦ − β), csc β
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Find the values of θ in degrees (0◦ < θ < 90◦ ) and radians
(0 < θ < π/2).
√
2
√ √
3
1. cos θ = 2 3. tan θ = 3 5. cot θ = 3
1
√
2. tan θ = 1 4. cos θ = 2 6. sec θ = 2
Solve each problem completely
1. A six-foot person walks from the base of a broadcasting tower
directly towards the tip of the shadow cast by the tower. When
the person is 132 feet away from the tower and 3 feet from the
tip of the shadow, the person’s shadow starts to appear beyond
the tower’s shadow. What is the height of the tower?
2. A biologist wants to know the width w of a river so that she can
properly set intruments for studying the pollutants in the water.
From point A, the biologist walks downstream 100 feet and
sights to point C (a point on the other side of the river directly
across A). From this sighting, it is determined that θ = 54◦ .
How wide is the river?
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle

If θ is in p
standard position, (x, y) a point on the terminal side
and r = x 2 + y 2 6= 0, then
y r
sin θ = csc θ = , y 6= 0
r y
x r
cos θ = sec θ = , x 6= 0
r x
y x
tan θ = , x 6= 0 cot θ = , y 6= 0
x y
These definitions cover any angle, these definitions coincide
with the the right angle definition of trigonometric functions.
Note: Know the signs of the trigonometric functions in each
quadrant. Know the trigonometric function values of the
π 3π
quadrant angles 0, , π and
2 2
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises
Given the point on the terminal side of an angle in standard
position. determine the values of the six trigonometric functions
of the angle.

1. (8, 15) 2. (−5, −2) 3. (3 12 , −7 43 )

State the quadrant in which θ lies.

1. sin θ > 0 and tan θ < 0 2. sec θ > 0 and cot θ < 0

Find the values of the six trigonometric functions of θ with the

given constraint.

1. cos θ = − 54 , θ ∈ QIII 3. sin θ = 0, sec θ = −1

2. csc θ = 4, cot θ < 0 4. tan θ is undefined,

π ≤ θ ≤ 2π
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Evaluate the trigonometric function of the quadrant angle.

3π 3. cot π
1. csc
2 π
2. sec π 4. cot
2
Find the indicated trigonometric value of the function in the
specified quadrant.
Function Quadrant Trigonometric Value
cot θ = −3 II sin θ
csc θ = −2 IV cot θ
sec θ = − 94 III tan θ
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Definition
Let θ be an angle in standard position. Its reference angle is the
acute angle θ 0 formed by the terminal side of θ and the
horizontal axis.
To find the value of a trigonometric function of any angle θ:
I Determine the function value of the associated reference
angle θ 0 ;
I Depending on the quadrant in which θ lies, affix the
appropriate sign to the function value.
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises
Find the reference angle θ 0 , and sketch θ and θ 0 in standard
position.
7π
1. θ = 309◦ 2. θ = −145◦ 3. θ = 4

Evaluate the sine, cosine and tangent of the angle without using
a calculator.

1. 300◦ 3. −840◦ 5. − π2
10π
2. −405◦ 4. π
4 6. 3

Find two solutions of the equation. Give your answers in

degrees (0◦ ≤ θ < 360◦ ) and in radians (0 ≤ θ < 2π)
√ √
2 3
1. cos θ = − 2 3. sin θ = − 2

2. sec θ = 2 4. tan θ = 1
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Trigonometric Functions of Real Numbers

To define the trigonometric function of a real number, let t
represent any real number. Then imagine the real number line
is wrapped around a unit circle. The positive numbers
correspond to a counterclockwise wrapping and negative
numbers correspond to a clockwise wrapping.
As the real line is wrapped around the unit circle, each real
number corresponds to a central angle θ. Since the circle has a
radius of 1, the arc intercepted by the angle θ will have length
s = rθ = (1)(t) = t. If θ is measured in radians, then t = θ.
One can define sin t as sin t = sin(t radians),
cos t = cos(t radians), tan t = tan(t radians), and so on.
Furthermore, since each t-value corresponds to a point P(x, y)
on the unit circle, we have
y x y
sin t = = y, cos t = = x, and tan t = ,
1 1 x
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises

Find the point (x, y) on the unit circle that corresponds to the
real number t. Use the result to evaluate sin t, cos t, and tan t.
5π 11π
1. t = π
3 2. t = 4 3. t = 6
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Definition
A function f is periodic if there exists a positive real number c
such that
f (t + c) = f (t)
for all t in the domain of f . The smallest number c for which f
is periodic is called the period of f .
The period of sine and cosine is 2π.
Recall that a function f is even if f (−t) = f (t), and is odd if
f (−t) = −f (t). The odd trigonometric functions are sin x, tan x,
cot x and csc x. The even trigonometric functions are cos x and
sec x.
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Graphs of Sine and Cosine Functions

The domain of the sine and cosine functions is the set of all real
numbers while its range is the interval [-1,1] and each function
has a period of 2π.
The sine curve is symmetric with respect to the origin while the
cosine curve is symmetric with respect to the y-axis. This
follows from the fact that the sine function is odd and the
cosine function is even.
To sketch the graphs of the basic sine and cosine functions, take
note of the five key points in one period of the graph: the
intercepts, maximum points, and minimum points.
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

1. Be able to graph y = a sin bx and y = a cos bx.

If b is negative, the identities sin(−x) = − sin x and
cos(−x) = cos x are used to rewrite the function.
2. Amplitude: |a|
The amplitude represents half the distance between the
maximum and minimum values of the function.
2π
3. Period:
b
If 0 < b < 1, then the period is greater than 2π and
represents a horizontal stretching of the graph. If b > 1,
then the period is less then 2π and represents a horizontal
shrinking of the graph.
1
4. Key increments: (period)
4
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Exercises

Find the period and amplitude.

3 1
1. y = 2 cos 3x 3. y = 2 cos πx
2 5. y = 3 sin 8x
2. y = −3 sin x3 4. y = − cos 2x
3 6. y = 5
2 cos x4

Sketch the graph of the function. Include two full periods.

1
1. y = 4 sin x 3. y = sin 4x 5. y = −10 cos πx
6
1
2. y = 4 cos x 4. y = sin πx
4 6. y = 4 sin x
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

Graphs of Other Trigonometric Functions

The graph of the tangent function is symmetric with respect to
the origin since it is an odd function. Since tan x = sin x/ cos x
the tangent function is undefined for values at which cos x = 0.
Period: π
Domain: all x 6= π2 + nπ
Range: (−∞, ∞)
Vertical asymptotes: x = π
2 + nπ
The graph of the cotangent function is similar to the graph of
the tangent function. Since tan x = cos x/ sin x the cotangent
function is undefined for values at which sin x = 0.
Period: π
Domain: all x 6= nπ
Range: (−∞, ∞)
Vertical asymptotes: x = nπ
Trigonometry for Biology Students
Trigonometry

The graphs of the two remaining trigonometric functions can be

obtained from the graphs of the sine and cosine functions. To
sketch the graph of a secant or cosencant function, make a
sketch of its reciprocal function and then take the reciprocals of
the y-coordinates to obatain points on the graphs.
y = csc x y = sec x
Period: π Period: π
Domain: all x 6= nπ Domain: all x 6= π2 + nπ
Range: (−∞ − 1] ∪ [1, ∞) Range: (−∞, −1] ∪ [1, ∞)
Vertical asymptotes: x = nπ Vertical asymptotes: x = π
2 + nπ
Symmetry: origin Symmetry: y-axis
1. The intercepts of sine and cosine are the vertical asymptote
of cosecant and secant.
2. The maximums of sine and cosine are the local minimums
of cosecant and secant.
3. The minimums of sine and cosine are the local maximums
of cosecant and secant.
Trigonometry for Biology Students
References

References

M.J. Acelejado and R. Ponsones. Trigonometry and Basic

Functions. Diwa Scholastic Press, Inc., 1997.
M. Dugopolski. Algebra for College Students. McGraw-Hill
Education (Asia), Fourth Edition, 2006.
R. Larson & R. Hostetler. Succeeding in Algebra and
Trigonometry. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd, 2010.
A.C. Ong. College Mathematics (A Second Course). De La
Salle University Press, Inc., 1989.