TRIGONOMETRY

Consider a right angle triangle.

We have then the following definitions:

Side Adjacent to θ ha
cos(θ) = =
Hypotenuse h
Side Opposite to θ ho
sin(θ) = =
Hypotenuse h
Side Opposite to θ ho
tan(θ) = =
Side Adjacent to θ ha

Notes:

1. Each of the trigonometric function is the ratio of two length, and hence is dimensionless.
2. Pythagorean Theorem:

h2 = ho 2 + ha 2

3. Often the values of the two sides of the triangle are available and the value of the angle is the
unknown. In such situation we use the inverse trigonometric functions.

Side Adjacent to θ
θ = cos−1 ( )
Hypotenuse
Side Opposite to θ
θ = sin−1 ( )
Hypotenuse
Side Opposite to θ
θ = tan−1 ( )
Side Adjacent to θ

0.1 General triangle:

1
 1. Sum of the angles:

α + β + γ = 180o

2. law of sines:

a b c
= =
sin(α) sin(β) sin(γ)

3. law of cosines:

c2 = a2 + b2 − 2ab · cos(γ)

0.2 Other trigonometric identities:

sin(−θ) = −sin(θ)

cos(−θ) = cos(θ)

tan(−θ) = −tan(θ)

sin(θ)/cos(θ) = tan(θ)

sin2 (θ) + cos2 (θ) = 1

sin(α ± β) = sin(α)cos(β) ± cos(α)sin(β)

cos(α ± β) = cos(α)cos(β) ∓ sin(α)sin(β)