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TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you know algebra, basic trig's a cinch, given the tricks I present below. Let's begin.
Burn the trangle and the definitions into your mind. We now know how to compute the three main trig functions. Next we build upon that by looking at "Wheel
Functions", the inverse, product, and quotient trig functions.
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Basic Trig in One Easy Lesson http://www.therthdimension.org/MathScience/trigtricks/body_trigtricks.htm
Take a look at the "wheel" above. Burn the picture of the wheel into your mind. Note that the Tan-Cot line divides the wheel in North-South fashion, that the
functions beginning in the letter S are at the top of the wheel in a West- East orientation, and that those functions beginning with the letter C are at the bottom
of the wheel in an West-East orientation.
Now pick any trig function on the wheel, for instance, the tangent (Tan). The positions of the other trig functions on the wheel tell you their relationship to Tan.
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Notice that the spokes of the wheel each join only two of the trig functions named. The trig functions along the same spoke are the reciprocals of one another.
In other words,
Cot Ø = 1/(Tan Ø)
Csc Ø = 1/(Sin Ø)
Sec Ø = 1/(Cos Ø)
That gets us three more trig functions. There are more to be found on the wheel.
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Now look at the functions immediately adjacent to Tan, it's true that:
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Basic Trig in One Easy Lesson http://www.therthdimension.org/MathScience/trigtricks/body_trigtricks.htm
Now look at the functions on the side of the circle to the left
of Tan, the following is true:
Pick any function on the wheel, and similar relationships exist with the pairs of functions on either side of it. So the rule to remember is: the function equals
the quotient of the two functions (divide 'em) that lie on the same side of the circle between the function and its inverse. These are the quotient
relationships.
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Basic Trig in One Easy Lesson http://www.therthdimension.org/MathScience/trigtricks/body_trigtricks.htm
Note the right triangle within the circle. The hypotenuse of that triangle is 1 ; the side opposite the angle Ø is sin Ø (i.e., sin Ø = o pposite side/hypotenuse;
and since the hypotenuse is 1, sine Ø = opposite side). The adjacent to angle Ø is cos Ø. So, as a result of the Pythagorean Theorem which says that the
sum of the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sums of the squares of the two sides:
Sin2Ø + Cos2Ø = 1
Now that you have all the basic trig functions, all the wheel trig relationships, the angle sum and difference formulas, and the unit circle squares of functions
formula, you can--through algebraic manipulation--derive most other trig formulas you might need.
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Historical note: This approach to trig is based on the unique way my St. Ignatius High School (Cleve.,OH) geometry teacher, Frank Bitzan, taught us
trigonometry--all in two weeks. After almost 40 years, I haven't forgotten the trig, so I guess his approach worked. I hope it does for you too.
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