___________________________________

___________________________________
Arc Length & Sector Area ___________________________________
Applications of trigonometry
Algebra II / Trigonometry – grade 11
Adkison
___________________________________
___________________________________
1

___________________________________
___________________________________

We will be able to understand how ___________________________________

trigonometry can be used in such a way
• Content standards addressed:
___________________________________
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.TF.A.3
(+) Use special triangles to determine geometrically the values of sine, cosine,
tangent for π/3, π/4 and π/6, and use the unit circle to express the values of
sine, cosine, and tangent for x, π + x, and 2π - x in terms of their values for x,
___________________________________
where x is any real number.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.TF.B.7
(+) Use inverse functions to solve trigonometric equations that arise in
modeling contexts; evaluate the solutions using technology, and interpret
___________________________________
them in terms of the context.*

___________________________________
2

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
How far around is the
Earth?
___________________________________
• How would you go
about finding out the
answer? ___________________________________
• Could you figure it out
without looking it up on
the internet?
• What technology do
___________________________________
you think you would
need?
___________________________________
3

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
The only tool you
would need…
Trigonometry!
• The Greeks were able to answer this
___________________________________
question in 200 BC!

___________________________________
• Mathematician Eratosthenes noticed at a
certain time of year, any shadow cast at
Syene went straight down
• At the same time, shadows cast in
Alexandria had length

___________________________________
• So finding out the angle of the shadow,
Eratosthenes calculated the angle
between the two cities was about 1/50 of
the whole circumference of the Earth
• So multiplying the distance from Syene to
Alexandria by 50 obtained the
circumference of the Earth!
___________________________________
4

___________________________________
___________________________________

What is arc length?
What is an arc? How do we measure it?
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
5

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
The Arc
… is simply part of the circumference of a
___________________________________
circle.

There are two ways to measure an arc:

• The length of the arc segment around the
___________________________________
edge of the circle
• The angle measure at the center of the
circle that makes the arc
___________________________________
___________________________________
6

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
Some familiar
examples ___________________________________
• A trip on a Ferris Wheel
• The edge of the infield at a
baseball park
• A cul-de-sac
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
7

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
So how can we
measure arc length?
Just think of the distance around part of a
___________________________________
circle as a fractional part of the entire
circumference!
• We know how to find the distance around
the entire circle, that’s the
circumference!
90/360 = ¼ of the circle
___________________________________
• So we then have to find out what
fractional part of the circumference the

•
arc is
If we know that a full circle has 360
degrees, then the angle of the arc tells us
240/360 = 2/3 of the circle
___________________________________
the part of 360

60/360 = 1/6 of the circle ___________________________________

8

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
So if these three
circles have a radius of
4…
• 90 degree arc has a length of
___________________________________
• 2𝜋(4) = 8𝜋 ÷ 4 = 2𝜋

• 60 degree arc has length of

• 2𝜋(4) = 8𝜋 ÷ 6 = 𝜋
= of the circle ___________________________________
• 240 degree arc has length of
• 2𝜋(4) = 8𝜋 = 5 𝜋
= of the circle
___________________________________
Notice that we are just taking a
fraction of the circumference of each
circle, and that fraction is determined
by the arc angle out of 360!
= of the circle
___________________________________
9

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
___________________________________
We can then generate a
general formula as follows: ___________________________________
Arc Length =
°
°
(2𝜋𝑟) ___________________________________
___________________________________
10

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
Think about it...
How can we interpret and break down each component of the formula
___________________________________
we just generated?

𝜃° ___________________________________
(2𝜋𝑟)
360°
___________________________________
___________________________________
11

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
What is Sector Area? ___________________________________
What is a sector? How do we measure it?

___________________________________
12

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
The sector
… Is simply part of the area of a circle
___________________________________
The way we measure a sector is in square
units (i.e. area) ___________________________________
We refer to sectors similarly to arcs by
naming the central angle that is formed.

We would refer to the sector to the right as

___________________________________
sector CDE

___________________________________
13

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
Some familiar
examples ___________________________________
• Pizza, pie, cake, or any
circular food you can cut
into triangles!
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
14

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
So how can we
measure a sector?
Just think of the section inside part of a circle
___________________________________
as a fractional part of the entire area! (much
like we did with arc length)
•

•
We know how to find the area inside the
entire circle
So we then have to find out what
90/360 = ¼ of the circle
___________________________________
fractional part of the circle’s area the
sector is
• If we know that a full circle has 360
degrees, then the angle of the sector tells
us the part of 360
240/360 = 2/3 of the circle ___________________________________
60/360 = 1/6 of the circle ___________________________________
15

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
So if these three
circles have a radius of
4…
• 90 degree sector has area of
___________________________________
• 𝜋 4 = 16𝜋 ÷ 4 = 4𝜋

• 60 degree arc has length of

• 𝜋 4 = 16𝜋 ÷ 6 = 𝜋
= of the circle ___________________________________
• 240 degree arc has length of
• 𝜋 4 = 16𝜋 = 10 𝜋
= of the circle
___________________________________
Notice that we are just taking a
fraction of the total area of each
circle, and that fraction is determined
by the sector angle out of 360!
= of the circle
___________________________________
16

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
___________________________________
We can then generate a
general formula as follows: ___________________________________
Sector Area =
°
°
(𝜋𝑟 ) ___________________________________
___________________________________
17

___________________________________
___________________________________

___________________________________
Think about it...
How can we interpret and break down each component of the formula
___________________________________
we just generated?

𝜃° ___________________________________
(𝜋𝑟 )
360°
___________________________________
___________________________________
18

___________________________________
___________________________________
 ___________________________________
___________________________________

Time to apply what we already ___________________________________

know about trigonometry ___________________________________
Let us now use our understanding of trigonometry and our use of trig functions in
application to solve problems about arc length and sector area!

___________________________________
19

___________________________________
___________________________________

In order to find the angle or radius needed to find arc length or

___________________________________
sector area, you must first use trigonometry!
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
20

___________________________________
___________________________________