Interactive Unit Circle Activity:

1. The circle below is referred to as a unit circle. Why is this the circles name?









Part I
2. Using the applet select the show box for 30
o
angle increments and move the slider to 30
o
.
Look at the coordinates where the terminal side of the triangle intersects the circle and record
them below.



3. Since this is a unit circle, how long is the hypotenuse of your triangle?
Using trigonometric ratios, specifically sine and cosine, determine the lengths of the two legs
of the triangle. How do these lengths relate to the coordinates from #2?


How should these lengths relate to the coordinates from #2?




4. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the second quadrant?

Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point?

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?




5. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the third quadrant?

Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point?

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?


6. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the fourth quadrant?

Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point?

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?




7. Lets look at what you know so far about coordinates on the unit circle. Complete the table.








Notice that all of your angles so far have a reference angle of 30
o
.


x-coordinate y-coordinate





Part II
8. Select the check box for the 45
o
angle increments. Lets look at the angles on the unit circle
that have 45
o
reference angles. What are these angle measures?



9. Since this is a unit circle, how long is the hypotenuse of your triangle?
Using trigonometric ratios, specifically sine and cosine, determine the lengths of the two legs
of the triangle. How do these lengths relate to the coordinates from #8?



Confirm that these lengths match the coordinates of the point where the terminal side of the
45
o
angle intersects the unit circle using the applet.


10. Look at the right triangle for each of the angles you listed in #8. Determine the lengths of
each leg and match each length to the corresponding x- or y- coordinate on the unit circle.
List the coordinates on the circle for each of these angles in the table.





x-coordinate y-coordinate







Part III
11. At this point, you should notice a pattern between the length of the horizontal leg of each
triangle and one of the coordinates on the unit circle. Which coordinate on the unit circle is
given by the length of the horizontal leg of the right triangles?


12. Which coordinate on the unit circle is given by the length of the vertical leg of the right
triangles?


13. Is it necessary to draw all four of the triangles with the same reference angle to determine the
coordinates on the unit circle?

What relationship(s) can you use to determine the coordinates instead?



14. Use your method from #13 to determine the (x, y) coordinates where each angle with a 60
o

reference angle intersects the unit circle. Explore your theory using the applet. Record your
answers in the table.









Part IV


15. There are a few angles for which we do not draw right triangles even though they are very
important to the study of the unit circle. These are the angles with terminal sides on the axes.
What are these angles? What are their coordinates on the unit circle?







Which angle increment can you use on the applet to check your coordinates?

x-coordinate y-coordinate





x-coordinate y-coordinate




Part IV

16. As the angle increases counter clockwise from 0
o
to 90
o
, observe the x-values of each
coordinate.
What is the same in each x-value?
What changes in each x-value?
How are they changing?

17. As the angle increases counter clockwise from 0
o
to 90
o
, observe the y-values of each
coordinate.
What is the same in each y-value?
What changes in each y-value?
How are they changing?


Interactive Unit Circle Activity SOLUTION:


1. The circle below is referred to as a unit circle. Why is this the circles name?









Part I
2. Using the applet select the show box for 30
o
angle increments and move the slider to 30
o
.
Look at the coordinates where the terminal side of the triangle intersects the circle and record
them below.
(

, )

Since this is a unit circle, how long is the hypotenuse of your triangle? The hypotenuse is 1 unit
long.
Using trigonometric ratios, specifically sine and cosine, determine the lengths of the two legs of
the triangle. How do these lengths relate to the coordinates from #2?
Vertical Leg:
1
30 sin
y
y = 1/2
Horizontal Leg:
1
30 cos
x
x =

How should these lengths relate to the coordinates from #2?

The values should be the same or similar to the estimates from the applet.

3. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the second quadrant? 150
o


Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point? (-

, )

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?

The x-value is the same but negative and the y - values are the same.


4. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the third quadrant? 240
o


Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point? (-

,- )

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?
The x and y-values are the same but negative.


5. What is the reference angle of the 30
o
angle in the fourth quadrant? 330
o


Move the slider to this reference angle. What are the coordinates of the point? (

,- )

How do these coordinates relate to the coordinates of the 30
o
angle?
The x-value is the same and the y-value is the same but negative.


6. Lets look at what you know so far about coordinates on the unit circle. Complete the table.












Notice that all of your angles so far have a reference angle of 30
o
.


x-coordinate y-coordinate
30

150

240

-
330

-
7071 . 0
2
1
2
1
1 2
1
2
2
2 2

a
a
a
a a
Part II
8. Select the check box for the 45
o
angle increments. Lets look at the angles on the unit circle
that have 45
o
reference angles. What are these angle measures? 135
o
, 225
o
, 315
o


Since this is a unit circle, how long is the hypotenuse of your triangle? The hypotenuse is 1 unit
long.

9. Using trigonometric ratios, specifically sine and cosine, determine the lengths of the two legs
of the triangle. How do these lengths relate to the coordinates from #8?

Confirm that these lengths match the coordinates of the point where the terminal side of the
45
o
angle intersects the unit circle using the applet.


10. Look at the right triangle for each of the angles you listed in #8. Determine the lengths of
each leg and match each length to the corresponding x- or y- coordinate on the unit circle. List
the coordinates on the circle for each of these angles in the table.



x-coordinate y-coordinate
45

135

225

315

Part III
11. At this point, you should notice a pattern between the length of the horizontal leg of each
triangle and one of the coordinates on the unit circle. Which coordinate on the unit circle is
given by the length of the horizontal leg of the right triangles?

The length of the horizontal leg provides the x-value of the coordinate on the unit circle. The
sign of the coordinate is determined by the quadrant in which the angle lies. The x-
coordinate is the cosine of the angle on the unit circle.

12. Which coordinate on the unit circle is given by the length of the vertical leg of the right
triangles?

The length of the vertical leg provides the y-value of the coordinate on the unit circle. The
sign of the coordinate is determined by the quadrant in which the angle lies. The y-
coordinate is the sine of the angle on the unit circle.

13. Is it necessary to draw all four of the triangles with the same reference angle to determine
the coordinates on the unit circle?

What relationship(s) can you use to determine the coordinates instead?

It is helpful to draw the triangles, but it is not necessary. Students can use the patterns
they have found to this point to determine the coordinates on the unit circle.

14. Use your method from #13 to determine the (x, y) coordinates where each angle with a 60
o

reference angle intersects the unit circle. Explore your theory using the applet. Record your
answers in the table.












Part IV

15. There are a few angles for which we do not draw right triangles even though they are very
important to the study of the unit circle. These are the angles with terminal sides on the axes.
What are these angles? What are their coordinates on the unit circle?

x-coordinate y-coordinate
60

120 -

240 -

300

x-coordinate y-coordinate
0, 360 1 0







Which angle increment can you use on the applet to check your coordinates? 45
o

16. As the angle increases counter clockwise from 0
o
to 90
o
, observe the x-values of each
coordinate.
What is the same in each x-value? The denominators
What changes in each x-value? The numerators
How are they changing? The numerators go from 0-4 under the radical

17. As the angle increases counter clockwise from 0
o
to 90
o
, observe the y-values of each
coordinate.
What is the same in each y-value? The denominators
What changes in each y-value? The numerators
How are they changing? The numerators go from 4-0 under the radical


90 0 1
180 -1 0
270 0 -1