UNIT - 1

TRIGONOMETRY

INTRODUCTION
Trigonometry is the study of the relations between the
sides and angles of triangles. The word trigonometry
is derived from the Greek words trigono meaning
triangle, and metro meaning measure. Though the
ancient Greeks, such as Hipparchus and Ptolemy,
used trigonometry in their study of astronomy between
roughly 150 B.C. - A.D. 200, its history is much older.
For example, the Egyptian scribe Ahmes recorded
some
rudimentary
trigonometric
calculations
(concerning ratios of sides of pyramids) in the famous
Rhind Papyrus sometime around 1650 B.C.
Trigonometry is distinguished from elementary
geometry in part by its extensive use of certain
functions of angles, known as the trigonometric
Functions.

Types of Trigonometry
Questions
1. Height and distance related : Example String of a
kite is 100 metres long and it makes an angle of 60
with the ground. Find the height at which the kite is
flying.
2. Table related: For example find value of
sin430+cos345*cosec260+something like that.
3. Complementary angles (90-A) related:For
example find value of tan4 x tan 43 x tan 47 x tan 86.

The measure of an angle is the amount of rotation

performed to get the terminal side from the initial side.
There are several units for measuring angles. The
definition of an angle suggests a unit, viz. one
complete revolution from the position of the initial side
as indicated in Fig 1.2. This is often convenient for
large angles. For example, we can say that a rapidly
spinning wheel is making an angle of say 15 revolution
per second. We shall describe two other units of
measurement of an angle which are most commonly
used, viz. degree measure and radian measure.

Degree measure

If a rotation from the

initial side to terminal side is (1/360)th of a revolution,
the angle is said to have a measure of one degree,
written as 1.
A degree is divided into 60 minutes, and a minute is
divided into 60 seconds . One sixtieth of a degree is
called a minute, written as 1, and one sixtieth of a
minute is called a second, written as 1.
Thus, 1 = 60, 1 = 60
Some of the angles whose measures are 360,180,
270, 420, 30, 420 are shown in Fig 1.3.

4. Combo of Trigonometry formulas + Algebra

formulas: For example find value of (1+cotA-cosecA)
(1+tanA+secA)

BASICS
Angles:
Angle is a measure of rotation of a given ray about its
initial point. The original ray is called the initial side
and the final position of the ray after rotation is called
the terminal side of the angle. The point of rotation is
called the vertex. If the direction of rotation is anticlockwise, the angle is said to be positive, and if the
direction of rotation is clockwise then, the angle is
negative (Fig 1.1).

Radian measure There is another unit for

measurement of an angle, called the radian measure.
Angle subtended at the centre by an arc of length 1
unit in a unit circle (circle of radius 1 unit) is said to
have a measure of 1 radian. In the Fig 1.4(i) to (iv),
OA is the initial side and OB is the terminal side. The
figures show the angles whose measures are 1 radian,
1 radian,

1
2

radian and 1 2

radian.

TRIGONOMETRY

1 = 180 radian = 0.01746 radian approximately.

Exercises
Q1. A wheel makes 360 revolutions in one
minute. Through how many radians does
it turn in one second?
Q2. If in two circles, arcs of the same
length subtend angles 60 and 75 at the
centre, find the ratio of their radii?

We know that the circumference of a circle of radius

1 unit is 2. Thus, one complete revolution of the
initial side subtends an angle of 2 radian. More
generally, in a circle of radius r, an arc of length r
will subtend an angle of 1 radian. It is well-known
that equal arcs of a circle subtend equal angle at
the centre. Since in a circle of radius r, an arc of
length r subtends an angle whose measure is 1
radian, an arc of length l will subtend an angle
whose measure is (l x r) radian. Thus, if in a circle of
radius r, an arc of length l subtends an angle
radian at the centre,
We have =

l
r

Q3. Find the radian measures corresponding to the

following degree measures:
(i) 25 (ii) 4730(iii) 240 (iv) 520

Trigonometric Functions:

Sine of an Angle

Or l = r .

Relation between degree and

radian
2radian = 360 or, radians = 180
Therefore, 1 radian =
Similarly,

180
= 57 16

Example:
Calculate the value of sin in the
following triangle.

TRIGONOMETRY

COSEC FUNCTION
Solution:

SEC FUNCTION

Cosine of an Angle

In above question,

Tangent of an Angle

In above example,

COT FUNCTION

Trigonometry
with circles
In this lecture we will generalize the trigonometric
functions so that we can use any angle. Along the
way we will explore some interesting properties of
symmetry.
The unit circle in its glory.Right triangles is
wonderful for exploring the trigonometric functions,
but they have a very serious limitation. Namely, we
can only put acute angles in right triangles (that is
angles between 0_ and 90_). But there are many,
many angles that are not acute.
To be able to work with the trigonometric functions
of any angle we will define the trigonometric
functions by using the unit circle (recall that a unit

TRIGONOMETRY
circle is a circle with a radius of 1). We will first
define the cosine and sine functions in terms of the
unit circle, then we will define the rest of the
trigonometric functions as combinations of cosine
and sine.
So for any angle begins by constructing the angle in
standard position that is the first part of the angles
will be the positive x axis. The second part of the
angle will intersect the unit circle at some point and
we will define the cosine of the angle to be the x
coordinate of the point and the sine of the angle to
be the y coordinate of the point. With the sine and
cosine functions defined we will get the other four
trigonometric functions by using the identities.

Symmetry, shifts, and periodicity

By examining the unit circle, the following
properties of the trigonometric functions can be
established.

Symmetry
When the trigonometric functions are reflected from
certain angles, the result is often one of the other
trigonometric functions. This leads to the following
identities:

Reflected in

OBSERVATIONS:
When we measure the ratios of obtuse angles using
above method, we observe the following properties
of functions in different quadrants;

[4]

Reflected in
(co-function identities)[5]

TRIGONOMETRY
Solution Since cos x = -3/5

Shifts and periodicity

By shifting the function round by certain angles, it is
often possible to find different trigonometric
functions that express particular results more
simply. Some examples of this are shown by shifting
functions round by /2, and 2 radians. Because
the periods of these functions are either or 2,
there are cases where the new function is exactly
the same as the old function without the shift.

Shift by /2

We have sec x = -5/3

Now sin2 x + cos2 x = 1, i.e., sin2 x = 1 cos2 x
or sin 2x = 1 (9/25)=16/25
Hence sin x = 4/5
Since x lies in third quadrant, sin x is negative.
Therefore,
sin x = 4/5
Which also gives
Cosec x = 5/4
Further, we have
tan x =sin x/cos x =4/3 and
cot x =cos x/sin x =3/4 .

Example Find the value of sin

31
3

Solution We know that values of sin x repeats after

an interval of 2. Therefore,
Sin(31/3)= sin (10+/3)
Shift by

Shift by 2

Period

Period

= sin (/3) =

3
2

EXERCISE

Example If cos x = 3/5, x lies in the third

quadrant, find the values of other five trigonometric
functions.

TRIGONOMETRY

USEFUL FACTS
AND FORMULAES
Addition Formulas

Trigonometric Formulas

Double Angle Formulas

Triple-angle formulas

Sum to Product

Product to Sum

Power-reduction formula

Half Angle Formulas

TRIGONOMETRY

Previous Years
Questions
SSC-CGL

9.

10.

1.

2.

11.

3.

12.
4.

5.
13.
6.

7.

14.

8.

15.

TRIGONOMETRY