AS Level Trigonometry Revision

 Trig ratios for 30, 60, 45

30 2
2 2 1
3

45
60
1
1 1

sin 30  cos 60  1
2 sin 45  cos 45  1
2

sin 60  cos 30  2
3
tan 45  1

tan 60  3 tan 30  1
3

 Trig ratios for all angles NB the CAST DIAGRAM

For the sign of a trig ratio
All positive in first quadrant S A
Sine (only) in second quadrant
Etc… T C

Example Without using a calculator find

(i) cos 150  (ii) tan 210 (iii) sin  240  
(i) (ii) (iii)
S A S A S A
150 210
60
30
30
-240

T C T C T C

cos 150    cos 30 tan 210   tan 30 sin  240    sin 60

 2
3  1
3  2
3
 Trig of Scalene triangles
Sine rule
B
a b  c 
  
A sin A sin B  sin C 
a

Given AAS use it to find a second side

Given SSA use it to find a second angle (but take care to choose the angle size appropriately
–it could be acute or obtuse).

Cosine rule
c B a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos A
A b2  c2  a2
cos A 
a 2bc

b Both formulae with two more sets.

Given SAS use it to find the third side

Given SSS use it to find an angle (no possible ambiguity here).

Example Triangle PQR has PR = 3cm, QR = 7cm and QPˆ R  36 

Find (i) QR using the cosine rule and then (ii) PQˆ R using the sine rule.

Q
(i) QR 2  9  49  42 cos 36  24.021...

QR  4.901..  4.90
3 R
7 4.901..
(ii) 
36 7 sin PQR sin 36
7 sin 36
P sin PQR   0.8394...
4.901..
 PQR  57.086.. or PQR  122.914..
It can’t be 57.08.. since R would be 86.92.. and would be the largest angle in the triangle,
but R faces the smallest side so is the smallest angle. Hence PQR  122.91

 Area “ 12 absin C ” rule given SAS

A

Area of triangle = 12 absin C b

C
a B

 Circular measures
1. Remember 2 c  360 o ,
 c  180 o

r
r 180  c
1c
 1 c
,1 


 180
r

c c c
 90 o ,  45 o ,  30 o ,
2 4 6
c
 60 o , etc…
3
2. Arc length & Area of a sector

r  A
r
A
 
r r

  r [ in radians] A = area sector – area 

A  12 r 2  12 r 2  12 r 2 sin 

Essential to learn formulae for arc length and sector area, and that  is in RADIANS! The
formula for segment might be learnt!
In triangles, where angles are given in or are required in radians set your calculator into RAD
mode
Example 5.8
9
0.57c x x 2  5.8 2  4.32  2  5.8  4.3  cos 0.57 c
4.3 x  2.54
  Graphs of trig functions (all periodic)
1. Graph of y  sin x
y
1 Period 2
sin(2  x)  sin x
sin x  1
0  2
 2 
2
3
2 x

-1

2. Graph of y  cos x

y
Period 2
1
cos(2  x)  cos x
cos x  1

0  2
 2 
2
3
2 x

-1

3. Graph of y  tan x
Period 
y
tan(  x)  tan x
Vertical asymptotes at
x   2 , x   32 , etc

 2 0   3 2 x
2 2

Vertical asymptotes
 Boundary values of trig ratios

Verify these from graphs

S=1
T- C=0 T

S=T=0 S=T=0
C= -1 C=1

T S= -1 T-
C=0

 Two important trig identities

sin 
 tan sin 2   cos 2   1
cos 

Example Given  is obtuse and sin   178 find the values of cos  and tan .

sin 2   cos 2   1  cos 2   1  sin 2 

S A
 1  289
64


 225
289

 cos    17
15

T C
sin  8
tan   tan  17
  158
cos   15
17

NB Learn how to rearrange the identities

sin 
sin   cos tan cos  
tan
cos 2   1  sin 2  sin 2   1  cos 2 

 Complementary angles are those which add up to 90

sin(90   )  cos  cos(90   )  sin  tan(90   )  cot 

 Supplementary angles are those which add up to 180

sin(180   )  sin  cos(180   )   cos  tan(180   )   tan

 Trig equations Remember that from your calculator sin 1 , cos 1 and tan 1 give the
principal value (p.v.)
Example Solve the equations
(i) tan  1.5 for 0    360
(ii) sin 2  0.5 for  180    180
(iii) 2 cos 2   1  sin  for 0    360
(iv) 2 sin 2   sin  cos  for 0    360

(v) sin   80 

3
for  180    180
2
(i)
S A
tan  1.5
PV = -56.30
  124 , 304
T C

(ii) sin 2  0.5 …..first solve for 2 for  360    360 A

S
2  30, 150;  210,  330 PV = 30

  15 , 75 ;  105 ,  165 T C

(iii) (In this example, use cos 2   1  sin 2  )

2 cos 2   1  sin 
 
2 1  sin 2   1  sin 
2  2 sin 2   1  sin  S A

2 sin 2   sin   1  0 PV = -30

sin   12 sin   1  0 T C

sin   1 sin    1
 or 2

  90    210  , 330 
   90 , 210  , 330

(iv) Don’t cancel out sin  . Bring to LHS and factorise

2 sin 2   sin  cos 
2 sin 2   sin  cos   0
sin  2 sin   cos    0
  sin   0 or 2 sin   cos 
sin  1
  0  , 180 
cos  2
1 S A
tan 
2 PV = 26.56
  27  , 207  T C
   0 , 180 , 27 , 207
   

(v) sin   80 

3
solve first for  260    100
2
  80  60 ,  240
S A
  140 ,  160   PV = 60

T C

In the next example, angles are in radians. The radian sign c is sometimes omitted, but is
implied when the interval contains .

Example Solve the following equations

(i) cos x  0.3 for 0  x  2 , answers correct to 2d.p.
x
(ii) tan  3 for  2  x  2 , answers in exact form
2

(i) cos x  0.3 ……put calculator into RAD mode.

x  1.266..., 2  1.266...
S A
x  1.27, 5.02 PV = 1.2661..

T C
(ii) In exact terms means in terms of . The implication is that the angles will be exact
form in degrees. So, work in degrees first and then convert to radians.
x
tan  3 … solve first for    x  
2
x
 60  ,120 
2
S A
 x  120  ,240 
PV = 60
2 4
x  ,  T C
3 3