Teaching Notes 1

Chapter - 4 Graphing Trigonometric Functions

HISTORICAL NOTE

In 1831 Michael Faraday discovered that an electric current was generated by rotating a coil of
wire in a magnetic field. The electric current produced showed a voltage which varied between
positive and negative values as the coil rotated through 360°.
Graphs with this basic shape where the cycle is repeated over and over are called sine waves.

The wave oscillates about a horizontal line called the principal axis or mean line.
A maximum point occurs at the top of a crest and a minimum point at the bottom of a trough.
The amplitude is the distance between a maximum (or minimum) point and the principal axis.

GRAPHING THE SINE FUNCTION

Suppose the Ferries wheel observed by Andrew takes 100 seconds for a full revolution. The graph
below shows the height of the light above or below the principal axis against the time in seconds.
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We observe that the amplitude is 10 metres and the period is 100 seconds.

The family of sine curves can have different amplitudes and different periods. We will examine
such families in this section.

THE BASIC SINE CURVE

If we project the values of sin  from the unit circle to the set of axes on the right we obtain the
graph of y = sin x.

The wave of course can be continued beyond 0  x  2 .

We expect the period to be 2 , since the Ferries wheel repeats its positioning after one full
revolution.
The maximum value is 1 and the minimum is – 1 as 1  y  1 on the unit circle.
The amplitude is 1.
From the previous investigations you should have observed that:

 in y = A sin x, |A| determines the amplitude

2
 iny = sin Bx, B> 0, B affects the period and the period is .
B
Recall |x| is the modulus of x, of size of x ignoring its sign.
Illustration 1
Without using technology sketch the graphs of:
a. y = 2 sin x b. y = – 2 sin x for 0  x  2 .
Solution
a. The amplitude is 2 and the period is 2 .

We place the 5 points as shown and fit the sine wave to them.
 Teaching Notes 3

b. The amplitude is 2, the period is 2 , and it is the reflection of y = 2 sin x in the x-axis.

Illustration 2
Without using technology sketch the graph of y  sin 2 x , 0  x  2 .
Solution :
2
The period is  .
2
So, for example, the maximum value are  units apart.

From Investigation 3 we observe that:

 y = sin (x–C) is a horizontal translation of y = sin x through C units.

 y = sin x + D is a vertical translation of y = sin x through D units.
C 
 y = sin (x – C) + D is a translation of y = sin x through vector   .
D
Illustration 3
On the same set of axes graph for 0  x  4 :
a. y = sin x and y = sin (x – 1) b. y sin x and y = sin x – 1
Solution :

a.

b.
THE GENERAL SINE FUNCTION

The principal axis of the general sine function is y = D.

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2
The period of the general sine function is .
B

  4 .
Consider y = 2 sin 3  x   + 1. It is a translation of y = 2 sin 3xunder
 4  
1
So, starting with y = sin x we would:
double the amplitude to produce y = 2 sin x, then
divide the period by 3 to produce y = 2 sin 3x, then

 
translate by  4  to produce y = 2 sin 3  x   1.
   4
1
THE COSINE FUNCTION
We return to the Ferries wheel to see the cosine function being generated.
Click on the icon to inspect a simulation of the view from above the wheel.
The graph being generated over time is a cosine function.
d
This is no surprise as cos   and so d  10cos  .
10
Now view the relationship between the sine and cosine functions.

Notice that the function are identical in shape, but the cosine function is units left of the sine
2
function under a horizontal translation.
 
This suggests that cos x  sin  x   .
 2
 
Use your graphing or graphics calculator to check this by graphing y = cosx and y = sin  x   .
 2

Illustration 4
 
On the same set of axes graph y = cosxand y  cos  x   .
 3
Solution :
  
y  cos  x   comes from y = cosx under a horizontal translation through .
 3 3

Transformations of Trigonometric Graphs

 Teaching Notes 5

The rules for shifting, stretching, compressing, and reflecting the graph of a function apply to the
trigonometric functions. The following diagram will remind you of the controlling parameters.

 2 
General sine function or sinusoid of the form f ( x)  A sin  ( x  C )   D ,
B 
where |A| is the amplitude, |B| is the period, C is the horizontal shift, and D is the verticalshift(figure.)
a

The general sine curve y = A sin [ (2 / B ) (x – C)]+D, shown for A, B, C and D positive (Example 2).
EXERCISE # 1.6
4. If you roll a 1-m-diameter wheel forward 30 cm over level ground, through what angle will
the wheel turn? Answer in radians (to the nearest tenth) and degrees (to the nearest degree).
5. Copy and complete the following table of function values. If the function is undefined at a
given angle, enter “UND.” Do not use a calculator or tables.
  2 / 3 0 / 2 3 / 4
sin 
cos
tan 
cot 
sec
csc
6. Copy and complete the following table of function values. If the function is undefined at a
given angle, enter “UND”. Do not use a calculate or tables.
 3 / 2  / 3  / 6 / 4 5 / 6
sin 
cos
tan 
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cot 
sec
csc
In Exercise, one of sin xcosx and tan x is given. Find the other two if x lies in the specified interval.
3    
7. sin x  , x   ,   8. tanx = 2, x  0, 
5 2   2
1    5  
9. cos x  , x    ,0  10. cos x   , x   , 
3  2  13 2 
1  3  1  3 
11. tan x  , x   ,  12. sin x   , x   , 
2  2 2  2
Graphing Trigonometric Functions
Graph the function in Exercise 13-22. What is the period of each function?
x
13. sin 2x 14. sin (x/2) 15. cos x 16. cos
2
x    
17.  sin 18.  cos2x 19. cos  x   20. sin  x  
3  2  2
   
21. sin  x    1 22. cos  x    1
 4  4
53. Apply the law of cosines to the triangle in the accompanying figure to derive the formula for

cos (A – B).

 
54. a. Applying the formula for cos (A – B) to the identity sin   cos     to obtain the addition
2 
formula for sin (A + B).
b. Derive the formula for cos (A + B) by substituting –B for B in the formula for cos (A – B)
from Exercise 35.
55. A triangle has sides a = 2 and b = 3 and angle C = 60°. Find the length of side c.
THE TANGENT FUNCTION
Consider the unit circle diagram given.
 Teaching Notes 7

P(cos ,sin ) is a point which is free to move around the circle.

In the first quadrant we extent [OP] to meet the tangent at A(1, 0) so the intersection occurs at Q.
As P moves, so does Q.
The position of Q relative to A is defined as the tangent function.
Notice that sONP and OAQ are equiangular and therefore similar.
AQ NP AQ sin  sin 
Consequently  i.e.,  which suggests that tan   .
OA ON 1 cos  cos 
The question arises : “If P does not lie in the first quadrant, how is tan  defined?”
sin 
For  obtuse, since sin  is positive and cos is negative, tan   is negative.
cos 
As before, [PO] is extended to meet the tangent at A at Q(1, tan  ).

For  in quadrant 3, sin  and cos  are both negative and so tan  is positive. This is clearly
demonstrated as Q is back above the x-axis.

For  in quadrant 4, sin  is negative and cos  is positive. So, tan  is negative.

Discussion
 What is tan  when P is at (0, 1)?
 What is tan  when P is at (0, –1)?
THE GRAPH OF y = tan x
The graph of y = tan x is
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Discussion
 Is the tangent function periodic? If so, what is its period?
 For what value of x does the graph not exist? What physical characteristics are shown near
these values? Explain why these values must occur when cosx = 0.
 Discuss how to find the x-intercepts of y = tan x.
 What must tan (x–  ) simplify to?
 How many solutions does the equation tan x = 2 have?
The cosine rule involves the sides and angles of a triangle.
In any ABC : a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bccosA
or b2 : a2 + c2 – 2accosB
or c2 = a2 + b2 – 2abcosC