Trigonometry - Solutions to Problem Set

1. Find the acute angle that has the same sin-, cos-, and tan-values as 380 ,
radians, and 26.
450 , 1082 , 5 radians, 11
2
Solution: The acute angles with the same trig ratios as 380 is 20 . 90
has the same cos-value as 450 , but there is no acute angle with the same
sin- and tan-values. The acute angle with the same trig ratio values as
1082 is 2 . 90 has the same cos-value as 11
, but there is no acute angle
2
with the same sin- and tan-values. An angle of 0 has the same trig ratio
values as 26.
2. Convert the following angle to radians: 45 , 27 , and 120 .
Solution: 45 =

,
4

27 =

3
,
20

120 =

2
.
3

3. Convert the following angles (given in radians) to degrees: 3,

2.
Solution: 3 = 540 ,

= 15
12

,
12

and

2 = 360 .

4. A triangle has a 90 angle. The side facing that angle has length 5. One
of the other angles is 30 . Find the third angle, the cos-value of the third
angle (using special triangles), and the length of the side adjacent to the
third angle (using the previous two answers).
Solution: The third angle is 180 90 30 = 60 . Then cos(60 ) =
cos ( 3 ) = 12 . Let the length of the adjacent side be x. Using the triangle
that was given in the question, cos(60 ) = x5 . But that is supposed to
equal 12 . Therefore, the adjacent side has length x = 10.
5. Find all angles between 0 and 2 for which tan is not defined. Explain
your answer.
sin
Solution: tan = cos
. Therefore, tan is not defined when cos = 0. When

0 x 2, this occurs at = 2 and = 3

.
2

6. Are the sin and cos functions defined for all angles ? Or are there
values of where they do not exist? Explain.
Solution: We get the sin and cos functions by defining them on angles in a right angle triangle and then extending them to all angles, by
parametrizing the unit circle. As a result, we can consider the set {cos }
to be the set of x coordinates of points on the unit circle (with repetition)
and {sin } to be the set of y coordinates (with repetition). Therefore,
since the unit circle has a point corresponding to every angle for all
R, both functions are defined for angles .
7. Find the angle between 0 and 2 such that cot = cot 4 but 4 .
Solution: cot 4 = tan1 Since 4 is in the first quadrant, the opposite and
4
adjacent sides of the 2 4 4 have positive lengths. In order for angle to
have the same tan-value as 4 , both its opposite and adjacent sides would
have to have negative length, putting the angle in the third quadrant, at
an angle of 4 from the x-axis. This angle is 5
.
4
8. If a triangle has two angles (30 and 50 respectively) separated by a side
of length 8, is it possible to find the lengths of the other two sides using
Sine Law or Cosine Law? If not, why not? If one of those Laws makes it
possible, which one and why?
Solution: To use Cosine Law, we would need at least two side lengths,
which we do not have. However, we can find the third angle = 180
50 30 = 100 . We now have an angle (100 ) and the length of the side
across from it (8). To find the side x across from the 50 angle, we can

use Sine Law: sin 100

= sinx50 . By replacing the 50 with 30 , we can find
8
the third side length.
9. Graph y = sin(x ), y = cos x + 1, and y = tan x.
Solution: The first graph is the graph of y = sin x shifted to the right by
radians. Likewise, the second graph is the graph of y = cos x shifted up
by one. All three of y = sin x, y = cos x, and y = tan x can be easily found
on the internet or in any calculus textbook.
10. A kite flies over a fence and starts to descend. The person holding the
string attached to the kite is holding it one meter above the ground. The
fence is two meters high at a distance of 4 meters from the person. At the
instant the kite touches the fence, there is 3 meters of string between the
kite and the fence. At that instant, how high off the ground is the kite?
Solution: Using similar triangles, we can see that the hand holding the
kite,
the string, and the fence creates a triangle with sides of length 4, 1,
and
17 respectively. (12 + 42 = 17) Using similar triangles, we see that

17+3

= x1 where x is the height of the kite.

17
2