Book 5 - The Language of Trigonometry

Copyright © Marilyn Murray
2011
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110 Pretoria Pde
Hornsby, NSW 2077
Australia
Phone: 61 2 9987 4292
For further orders of books please email

mathematical.publications@gmail.com
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other interactive mathematics go to:
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-

Publication entry
Murray, Marilyn.
The language of trigonometry / written and
illustrated by Marilyn Murray.
ISBN 978-0-9807637-5-1 (pbk. + CD ROM)
Very good literacy focus on mathematics : bk. 5
For secondary school age.
Mathematics--Textbooks.
Trigonometry--Study and teaching.
English language--Study and teaching--Foreign
speakers.
510
Book Book Book
A^Literacy Focus
on Mathematics 1 A^Literacy Focus
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Written and illustrated Written and illustrated Written and illustrated
by Marilyn Murray by Marilyn Murray by Marilyn Murray
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A^Literacy Focus
on Mathematics 6
Language of Geo Language of Trig Language of Gra
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Written and illustrated Written and illustrated Written and illustrated

by Marilyn Murray by Marilyn Murray by Marilyn Murray
Book Book
A^Literacy Focus
Language of Con Language of Pro on Mathematics
The su The ba
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Foundation to Level 1
Written and illustrated by
Marilyn Murray
Written and illustrated Written and illustrated

by Marilyn Murray by Marilyn Murray
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Ms Anne Steiner, who willingly edited the preface section on
the literacy demands of mathematics and who gave me artistic advice whenever
asked. I am also very grateful to my sister, Ms Diana Trinder, who willingly went out
of her way to take the strangest of photos whenever requested. I would also like to
thank Mr Mark Ma, a very knowledgeable mathematics teacher, who helped me with
the book on probability. Thanks also goes to Mr Burt Flugelman, who allowed me to
use his artwork ‘Spheres’ in the book on the language of shape and measurement.
Special thanks, in particular, goes to Ms Aileen Lee who has unfailingly supported me
with suggestions and corrections of each draft over an extended period of time, all of
which was done with complete enthusiasm and commitment.
Finally, a special thanks goes to my husband, Keith, and to my two daughters, Beth
and Alison who have allowed me to sit at the computer almost every night over the
last six years so that I can fulfil my passion of creating a series of books about the
literacy of mathematics for students of other languages.
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A Literacy Focus on Mathematics by Marilyn Murray P
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Preface
About this series of books

About this series of books
This series of books is written specifically for ESL (English as a Second Language)
students, but will enhance the literacy of all English speaking students.
These books contain: –

• vocabulary and language linked to pictures
• modelled sentences, explanations and descriptions
• language scaffolds
If these models, scaffolds and
• speaking practice activities
structures are followed, then the
• sentence structure diagrams
literacy of all students, whether
• answers with many worked solutions and they be native English speakers or
• full sentence or paragraph answers ESL students, will be enhanced.
This series of books focuses on the language demands of:

• Mathematical Symbols • Geometry
• Simple Questioning • The Number Plane
• Basic Operations • Reading Graphs
• Fractions • Consumer Arithmetic
• Number Theory • Trigonometry
• Shape and Measurement • Probability
These books are suitable for students from Years 5 to 11. Generally these students are
between 11 and 18 years of age.
Each chapter starts with simpler concepts, then moves vertically along a continuum,
linking both language and mathematical content. Many of the answers in the back of
these books have worked solutions, complete explanations, descriptions, procedures
and other modelled writing. Consequently, independent workers will move faster
through each book.
This vertical movement through mathematics, means that some students need to be
guided along the most suitable pathway. In the books on The Language of Shape
and Measurement and The Language of Geometry students can move along
different pathways determined by the pre-tests provided.
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Preface
Although these books do not provide a lot of drill and practice of non language-based
mathematics, there is enough so that students can move to the next literacy-based
activity.
If students need further non language-based practice, most mainstream mathematics

textbooks can be used for this purpose.
Some activities in these books require students to answer questions following a

procedure. These procedures will not only help students with their literacy, but will
also help them learn better mathematical practices. ESL students generally only give
minimal answers, so they need to be encouraged to follow models, scaffolds and
procedures. When a student’s English has improved these procedures may be altered.
The first of these books called Getting the Basics right covers the language of
numbers and symbols, simple questioning, basic operations and the properties of
triangles. It is suitable for students who have little English. This book is most
suitable for students who are working towards level 1 on the NSW ESL scales, where
level 8 is a native English speaker. To help these students further, a workbook that
matches the first book of this series is also available.
The 2nd and 3rd books in this series, The Language of Fractions and Number
Theory and The Language of Shape and Measurement are generally suitable for
students who are working towards the ESL scale of level 2. Of course, the speed at
which a student can master this language also depends on their mathematical ability.
Some refugees who have never been to school will need extra drill, practice and
tuition to succeed because they are learning concepts through a second language.
The remaining books, listed below, are suitable for students who are progressing
towards the ESL scale of level 3 and beyond. This progression depends on their age
and ability.
The suggested continuum
The Language of Geometry
above is a guideline only.
The Language of Trigonometry
All students will benefit
The Language of Graphs and the Number Plane
from any of these books at
The Language of Consumer Arithmetic any stage.
The Language of Probability

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Book 5 The Language of Trigonometry
Contents
What are the literacy demands of mathematics? ....................................................... 1
Literacy Focus Flowchart.......................................................................................... 8
The Language of Trigonometry ................................................................................. 9
Trigonometric ratios ................................................................................................ 11
Understanding calculator answers........................................................................... 14
Trigonometry in right-angled triangles ................................................................... 16
Finding degrees and minutes................................................................................... 18
Significant figures ................................................................................................... 20
Calculator use .......................................................................................................... 21
Shipping vocabulary................................................................................................ 22
Aircraft .................................................................................................................... 23
Angles of elevation and depression......................................................................... 24
Angles between sides .............................................................................................. 27
Pronoun Reference .................................................................................................. 27
Compass bearings.................................................................................................... 32
Sentences that use bearings ..................................................................................... 34
Changing directions................................................................................................. 36
Listening Activity.................................................................................................... 39
Appendix .................................................................................................................... 46
Answers ...................................................................................................................... 47
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Literacy Focus Flowchart
Note: The language of Reading and

texts that use: responding to texts
This book emphasises  makes with that involve angles
reading and  inclined to between sides
responding, but  inclination (Diagrammatic answer
writing and listening  between supplied)
activities are also and referring back
included. to the correct noun
The language of
compass bearings,
Basic vocabulary reference points and
Reading and
of trigonometry and changing direction
responding to
the three basic trig.
texts that involve
ratios
angles of elevation
and depression
(Diagrammatic Reading and
answer supplied) responding to texts
*Calculator use
Note: Students that involve compass
from other countries bearings
may not have had (Diagrammatic answer
experience with The language of supplied)
using a calculator. angles of elevation
and depression and
the use of ‘from’
Pre-test basic trig. *Using a calculator in

calculations, if the classroom may be
necessary, using Go to shipping, a cultural shift for
last question in aircraft and related some students.
both activity 4 and vocabulary. Less able students
activity 5. need to write the keys
down and practice,
while mathematically
Reading good students are
Yes
comprehension of often unwilling to use
a procedure that a calculator because
Some calculates angles they consider it a
students form of ‘cheating’.
more
able?
Students follow a
procedure to
No calculate a length.
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Basic vocabulary
hy
po
te
nu adjacent side to q
opposite side to q se q
opposite side to q n use
q ote
adjacent side to q hyp
In the diagram to the right, C

a
ABE is similar* to ACD , so
B x
 corresponding* angles are equal a
a
 ratios* of corresponding sides are equal. A q D
b E
a x opposite side to  y
  =
b y adjacent side to 
(*similar = same shape, different size.) (*corresponding = matching, same place)

(*ratios = numbers you can compare*)
e.g.
a 2a

 Practise speaking these
b 2b a
= "a over b"
b
Ratios are like fractions.
2 2 : 3 = "2 to 3"
e.g. 10 :15  2 : 3 =
3
(to *compare numbers is to decide if two or more numbers are bigger, smaller or
equal to each other.)
Activity 1
1 Copy each sentence, then use the word list to write one word in each space
c a
Word List: ratio, hypotenuse, compares,
a
q adjacent, opposite,
b
a a is opposite  and _______________ to  .

b c is the _______________________.
c The ___________________ side to  is b.
a
d is the ___________ that ______________ the length of the adjacent
c
side to  with the length of the hypotenuse.
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a c
2 In this triangle, and are different ratios of sides.
c a
c a
a
q
b
a Write down four more ratios that use the pronumerals*, a, b and c.
(*pronumerals = letters that you can write instead of numbers.)
the opposite side to 
b i Which of these ratios is the same as ?
the adjacent side to 
the adjacent side to 
ii Is this ratio the same as ?
the opposite side to 
a the ____________ side to 
c i Complete: 
c ____________________
a the ____________ side to 
ii Complete: 
c ____________________
3 Answer these questions about this triangle.

C
15
B 9
a3
A q D
E
a Explain why C   .
b Explain why ABE is similar to ACD .
c Complete the following to explain why AB = 5.
AB AC
 (______ of corresponding sides of ___________ triangles)
BE CD
AB

9
¦
¦
 AB  5
d Complete this sentence.
The ratios of corresponding sides of similar triangle………
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Trigonometric ratios
In right-angled triangles, when you compare any two sides, you can write six ratios.
These six ratios are:
c
a
a b
,
b a
and
a c
,
c a
and
b c
, .
c b b
 ab is the inverse* of ab .
a a
(To get the *inverse of , turn upside down, like this: a = b .)
b b b a
3 4 3 4
e.g. is the inverse of , so   1 3
4 3 4 3
2
+
*the product
Note: The product* of any ratio and its inverse is one.
Important
In this chapter you will only use the three basic trig. ratios sin  , cos  and tan  .
Their corresponding inverses cosec  , sec  and cot  will not be used.
Example:
 a is opposite  , and  b is opposite  , and
c a
a  a is adjacent to  .  b is adjacent to  .
q
b
Trig.* ratios, using  . Trig. ratios, using  .
the opposite side to  the opposite side to 
sin   sin  
the hypotenuse the hypotenuse
a b
 
c c
the adjacent side to  the adjacent side to 
cos   cos  
b a
 
c c
tan   tan  
a b
 
b a
(*trig. = Short form of trigonometric. Trigonometric is the adjective of trigonometry.)
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Activity 2
1 a Match these four ratios to the six trig. ratios below. You must use two
of these ratios more than once*.
(*once = one time)
Ratios of sides Trig. ratios
q
4 sin  = ? sin  = ?
3 4 3 4
5
4 3 5 5 cos  = ? cos  = ?
a 3
tan  = ? tan  = ?
Trigonometric ratios
sin   sin  
cos   cos  
tan   tan  
b Write true or false for the right-angled triangle above.

i sin  and cos  are equal.
ii The product of cos  and sin  is one.
iii The inverse of tan  is tan  .
iv sin  over cos  equals tan  .
2 Copy and complete this text.
Trigonometry uses ratios to calculate lengths and angles in triangles. Basic
_________________ uses the ratios of _________ of right-angled
triangles. The longest side of a ____________ – _______________
triangle is called the ________________. The other two sides are opposite or
____________________ to the acute* angles.
(*acute angles are less than 90 .)
Example: In this triangle:
c a is the hypotenuse
q b b is the side _______________  , and
a
c is the side _______________ to  .
The three basic ____________________ ratios are sin  , cos  and ______.
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3 Answer the following questions about this triangle.
o
32
18
x
a How long is the hypotenuse?

b i Complete: x is the _____________ side to 32 .
ii Which trig ratio, below, could you use to find x, in this triangle?
Trig. ratios: sin 32 , cos 32 , tan 32
x 18
iii Is this trig. ratio equal to or ?
18 x
c i Complete: x is the adjacent side to ____  ?
ii Choose another trig. ratio, from the list below, that you could
use to find x, in this triangle.
Trig. ratios: sin 58 , cos 58 , tan 58 .
x 18
iii Is this trig. ratio equal to or ?
18 x
d Complete: sin 32 = _____ 58 . In the triangle above, both these
?
trig. ___________ are equal to .
?
4 Answer the following questions about this new triangle.
o
32
18
x
a What is the name of the side labelled as x?

b Is the side labelled as 18, opposite or adjacent to 32 ?
c i Which trig ratio, below, could you use to find x, in this triangle?
Trig. ratios: sin 32 , cos 32 , tan 32 .
x 18
ii Is this trig. ratio equal to or ?
18 x
x
d Draw a new triangle where tan 32  .
18
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Understanding calculator answers

In trigonometry, you can use the trig. ratios sin  , cos  and tan  to calculate
lengths and angles in triangles.
 Use a calculator to find tan 20  . (Press the calculator keys: tan 20  )

You may or may not need to press  !
What does 0.36 mean?
0  36
If tan 20  0  36 and 0  36 , then the adjacent side to 20  is 1 and the
1
opposite side to 20  is approximately equal to* 0  36 .
Your triangle might look like this: o 0. 36

20 .
1 ,  , =.
the opposite side to  †You can use any of
This is because tan  
the adjacent side to  these symbols for ‘is
0  36 approximately equal to’.
tan 20 
1
(*is approximately equal to means close to, nearest)

.
 or  or =. “is approximately equal to” †
How do I calculate x?
The sides of this triangle are 10 times
x bigger than the smaller triangle, so x is 10

times bigger than 0  36 , so
20
o 0. 36
1 10
x  0  36  10
  3  6
Can you see any right-angled triangles here?

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Activity 3

1
Use a calculator for the following questions.
a Write tan 73 correct to two decimal places.

b Copy the triangle below and write 73 and your calculator answer to
tan 73 in the correct place on your triangle.
1
2 Use a calculator to show that sin 53  0  8 , then answer the questions below
about this diagram.
C
B
1 a
A q . D
08 E
a Is   53 or is   53 ?
b Name another angle in this diagram that also equals 53 ?
c If AC is 3 times bigger than AB, then
i AC = _____
ii AD _____
iii CD _____
3 a If   20 , use a calculator to find sin  , and cos(90   ) .

Complete this equation: sin 20  _________
b Show that sin   cos(90   ) for   10, 30, 50
c For   30 , show that cos   sin(90   )
4 Calculate the following correct to one decimal place.
(You will need to use the ‘degrees, minutes and seconds’ key on your
calculator. It might look like    or DMS )
48 1
a 32  sin 2517 b c  cos 6120
tan 4625 3
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Trigonometry in right-angled triangles
Example
x
o
Find x, using the correct trig. ratio. 20
10
Answer
x = opposite
o
Step 1 Name the sides that are labelled*. 20
10 = adjacent
(*labelled = named, identified)
Note: The hypotenuse is not labelled.
Step 2 Decide which trig.* ratio to use. tan
(*trig. = short form of trigonometric)

SOHCAH TOA adjacent tan ratio!
opposite
Step 3 Write the correct trig. ratio formula*. the opposite side to 
tan   
(*formula = a group of symbols that the adjacent side to 
make a mathematical sentence) opp

( The short form is tan   )
adj
Step 4 List the numbers then, substitute* List Substitution

them into the formula.   20 opp
tan  
(*substitute = replace with numbers, opp = x adj
x
put in numbers) adj = 10 tan 20 
10
Step 5 Make the pronumeral* the subject* x

tan 20 
of the equation.) 10
x
(*pronumeral =letter, symbol instead 10  tan 20   10
10
of number. e.g. x,  ) x  10  tan 20
x = 10 0.36
(*subject = the first part of a simple sentence.)
*subject verb object
Step 6 Use a calculator to find the You might press these calculator keys:
value of the pronumeral. 10  tan 20 
x 3 6
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Activity 4
1 Make x the subject of each equation, then calculate x.
x 12
a 6 b 6  12x c 6
12 x
Go to your mathematics textbook if you need practice with these kinds of questions.

2
Make x the subject of each equation, then use a calculator to find x. Write
your answer correct to 1 decimal place.
x 12
a tan 60  b tan 60  12x c tan 60 
12 x
3 Copy each diagram below then calculate x by following this six-step
procedure.
Step 1 Name the labelled sides, adjacent, opposite or hypotenuse.

Step 2 Decide the trig. ratio to use.
Step 3 Write the correct trig. ratio formula.
Step 4 List the numbers then substitute them into this formula.
Step 5 Make the pronumeral the subject of the formula.
Step 6 Use a calculator and write your answer correct to one decimal place.
a b c
21 m x
o m o o
35 35 35
21 mm x
x 21 mm
d e f
33 m x
x
23
o x o
60 75
o
28 cm 15 m
g h i 12. 6
x
x 12. 6 x
o
25 17 o o
10 63 42 63 42
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Finding degrees and minutes

Practise speaking these numbers and symbols.
 3 6 
 tan 1 
 10 
 = tan to the minus one of three point six over ten.
1948 = 19 degrees and 48 minutes
Activity 5
1 Read this example, then answer the questions about it, below.
Example
Calculate the size of  to the nearest

3. 6
degree, then rewrite this answer to the
q
nearest minute. 10
Answer
The steps in this answer follow the six-step procedure in the previous question.
Step 1 Step 4
 =?
3. 6 = opp 3 6
opp = 3  6 tan  
q 10
10 = adj adj = 10
Step 2
Step 5
tan
 3 6 
SOHCAH TOA adjacent tan ratio!   tan 1 
 10 

opposite
( tan 1 is above tan on your
Step 3
opp calculator.)
tan  
adj
Step 6
   20 or 1948
a In step 1, is the hypotenuse labelled?

b Which step has the formula for the correct trig. ratio?
c Which step substitutes the numbers into the trig. ratio formula?
d Which step rewrites  as the subject of the equation?
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e There are two answers in step 6. Which answer is approximated* to

the nearest degree? (*approximated = close to, )
f i The answer to step 5 is 19.7988…
Use a calculator to get this answer, then write down the
calculator keys you pressed.
(Hint: You may need to press 2nd F or Shift to get tan 1 .)
ii Is 19.7988 approximately equal to* 20  or 20 units?

(*Is approximately equal to means 19.7988 20.)
g In step 5, use a calculator to show that 19.7988… 194755.95 ,

then write down the keys that you pressed.
(Hint: To change your answer of 19.7988… to degrees and minutes,
you might need to press a key that looks like    or DM S )
There are 60 seconds in one minute. It is the same as the minutes and
seconds on a clock. This means, 1  60 .)
h Is 47 55.95 47 minutes or is 47 55.95 48 minutes?

Why? (In your explanation, use the word ‘closer’ and some of the
words that are written in the rectangle above.)
2 Rewrite the pronumeral,  , as the subject of the equation.

15 2 7
a sin   b cos   c tan  
17 5 5
3 Calculate the size of  , if  < 90  . Write your answer to the nearest degree,
and also write your answer to the nearest minute. (Write two answers.)
 13  8
a   tan 1   b   sin 1   c   cos 1  0  36 
 28   15 
4 Calculate the size of  to the nearest minute.
a b c
73 q
113. 6 m . 81
58 3
. q
q 128 7 m 6.5
Go to your mathematics textbook if you need practice with these kinds of questions.
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Significant figures
Significant figures are digits in a number that are reliable*.
*Reliable digits are the numbers that you trust to be true.
In this triangle, x the calculation for x, looks like this:

o
26 m 55

x
cos55 
26 Use a calculator to get your answer!
x
26  cos55   26 You might press: 26  cos 55 
26
x  26  cos55 Your answer is 14  912987 …
How many significant figures should you write? OR you might ask:
Which digits in 14  912987 …are reliable?
x  14  912987 (8 sig. figs.*) x  14  91 (4 sig. figs)
x  14  9 (3 sig. figs.) x 15 (2 sig. figs.)
(*sig. figs. = short form of significant figures)
In the real world….

Generally, your answer should have the same number of significant figures in it as the
question. If you have two measurements with two different numbers of significant
figures, then use the smallest (least) number of significant figures in your answer.
e.g. If your diagram has the numbers 1  2 and 3  456 , then you should write two
significant figures in your answer, because this is the smallest number of
significant figures.
However, in the mathematics classroom…..

Your teacher might want you to write more significant figures than you really need
because he/she may want you to practise certain skills. If a question does not tell you
how many sig. figs. to write, then you can choose. You might write the same number
of sig. figs. as in the question (or one more), but don’t write ten more!
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Calculator use
In Australia you can use calculators in class and in some tests. If you need practice
with a calculator, then look at the example below and do the next activity.
Examples
Write down the calculator keys you must press to get the answer.
Question Answer
1 Approximate sin 20 to three decimal places. 0  342
2 Approximate tan 4510 to three significant figures. 1  01
Answers
1 You might write: sin 20 
2 You might write: tan 45    10     or tan 45 DMS 10 DMS 
Activity 6 – Calculator practice 

Use your calculator to check each answer, then write down the calculator keys you
pressed. (The calculator keys that you press might be different from your friend, but
your answers will be the same.)
Question Answer
1 Approximate cos82 to two decimal places. 0 14
2 Approximate tan 82 to three significant figures. 7 12
3 Approximate cos 2015 to two decimal places. 0  94
4 Approximate sin1818 to three significant figures. 0  314
5 Approximate sin 020 correct to the second decimal place. 0  01
6 If sin   0  7 , calculate  to the nearest degree. 44
7 If tan   0 156 , find  to the nearest degree. 9
7
8 If cos   , determine  to the nearest degree. 29
8
5
9 If 2 cos   , evaluate  to the nearest degree. 65
6
10 If sin   0  952 find  to the nearest minute. 7211
11 If tan   3 calculate  to the nearest minute. 7134
12 If x  2  5 tan15 , calculate x correct to two significant figures. 0  67
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Question (continued) Answer

38
13 If x  , evaluate x to the nearest whole number. 39
cos1218
14 Calculate x correct to the nearest metre. 4337 m
12.68 k
m
o
20
x
1
15 Evaluate  , if cos   . 45
2
16 Calculate the value of sin 2 20  cos 2 20 1
Further Vocabulary
Trigonometry helps you measure things. You can
measure the heights of tall buildings and
mountains with trigonometry, so you will need the
following vocabulary.
Shipping vocabulary
masts*
Power boats
Other boats (or vessels)

ocean liner, cargo ship, rowing boat
Sailing boats or yachts
(*mast = tall, thin structure.)
. anchor chain
anchor
A lighthouse
Nautical miles is a distance unit. 1 n.m.  1  85 km

Nautical miles are used in shipping because 1 of distance
travelled along a great circle (meridian) of the earth is 60 n.m.
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Aircraft
Small aeroplanes only A helicopter

carry one or two people.
The altitude of an aircraft is its Other aircraft

height above sea-level. jet fighter, airship, hot-air balloon
Other vocabulary
This helicopter is directly overhead.
(directly = in a straight line)
(overhead = above you)
The boy is below the helicopter.

(below = underneath)
A tower
This car has cast a shadow on the ground.
The base of this mountain is at sea-level.
base of mountain = foot of mountain

(base, foot = the bottom of the mountain)
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Angles of elevation and depression

angle of depression
Angles of depression and angles line
of s
igh
of elevation are between the t
angle of elevation
horizontal and the line of sight.
Note
The angle of elevation equals the angle of depression.
This is because they are alternate angles in parallel lines.
Angles of depression can be measured from any high

object such as the tops of lighthouses, bridges, towers,
flag poles, or the tops of *cliffs.
(*cliff = a high face of rock, a steep drop)
Example diagram
horizontal
o
42 l angle of depression The distance* from the ship to the
ine
of
cliff sig foot of the cliff is 50 m.
ht angle of elevation
50 m (*distance = a long length)
.
sea level
ocean floor (foot = base = bottom. e.g. the foot
of the mountain, the base of the mast)
Example sentence
main idea
phrase 1 phrase 2
o
The angle of depression from the top of a cliff to a ship out at sea is 42 .
descriptive phrases
Note
The words after ‘from’ tell you where to draw your angle. You must draw 42  at the
top of the cliff between the horizontal and the line of sight.
You can write the example sentence above in different ways, but you must keep the
words in each phrase together.
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Activity 7
1 The angle of depression from the top of a cliff to a ship out at sea is 42  .
Rewrite the sentence above, by starting with the given words:
a From the…. b 42  is….
2 Copy and complete this text by writing one word in each space.
Word List: horizontal, measured, sight, alternate, depression, up, between
Angles of elevation are ___________________ from the horizontal, looking

____ at something high, whereas angles of __________________ are
measured from the ___________________ looking down at something low.
This means that these angles are always _______________ the horizontal and
the line of ______________. Angles of elevation and depression are equal
because they are _____________ angles in parallel lines.
3 Draw these pictures with all numbers and pronumerals in the correct place on
your diagram. (You can calculate the unknown if you feel you need practise
with your trigonometry or your calculator work.)
a A tree casts a 6  3 m long shadow on the ground. The angle of elevation

of the sun at this time is 52  . Label the height of the tree as x.
b The angle of depression from the top of a lighthouse to a ship out at sea
is 23  . The lighthouse is 80 m above sea level. Label the distance the
ship is from the lighthouse as x. Write your answer correct to 2 sig. figs.
c A tall building is 60 m high. Another building opposite this building is

40 m high. The distance between these two buildings is 25 m. Label
the angle of depression that you could measure from the top of one
building to the top of the other as  .
d From the top of a tower the angle of depression of a house is 3825 and
the angle of elevation of a hot air balloon is 1615 . The distance from
the foot of the tower to the house is 5734 m. If the balloon is directly
over the house, label the distance the balloon is from the house as x.
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4 Draw this picture, then calculate the answers.
A ship at anchor sights a light aircraft directly overhead. The altitude of the
aircraft is 1250 m. The aircraft continues flying at the same altitude for one
minute. At this point, the aircraft now has an angle of elevation of 2712
from the ship.
a Calculate the distance, x, that the aircraft has flown in that minute.
b How fast is the aeroplane flying? Write you answer in km/h.
(km/h = kilometres per* hour (*per = each, every, an)
5 Write a question that would give this

diagram. Use the words ‘altitude’ and
x o
56 45
‘horizontal distance’ in your question.
48 m
6 Draw this picture then answer the questions below.

A man in a lighthouse, that is 70 m above sea level, sees that the angle of
depression of a boat is 35  . He tells the boat to turn around because it is
getting too close to the rocks. The ship ignores his request and keeps sailing
towards his lighthouse. On the next sighting, the man sees that the angle of
depression of the ship is now 48  .
a If the boat needs a distance of 25 m to turn, will the boat crash?
b Calculate the distance the boat travelled while it ignored the request
from the lighthouse.
c At what angle of depression will it be too late for the boat to turn
around? Write your answer to the nearest degree.
7 A girl in a yacht that is anchored 50 m

from Sydney Harbour Bridge sees that the
angle of elevation of the top of the bridge
is 6932 .
a Calculate the height of the bridge to
Sydney Harbour Bridge
the nearest metre.
b If the distance between the top of the bridge and the roadway across
the bridge is 85 m, what is the angle of elevation of the roadway from
her yacht? Approximate your answer to the nearest minute.
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Angles between sides

In trigonometry, the following words all have a similar meaning. These words help to
describe the angle between two sides in a right triangle.
 makes with,
 inclined to or
 inclination
2 *arms
A helpful hint o
40
When you read the above words in trigonometry,
The 40 angle is between
always list the two lines that describe the the two arms of this angle.
arms* of the angle. (See example below.)
Example
A ladder, that leans against a wall, is inclined to the ground at an angle of 50 . Its
foot is 1  5 m from the base of the wall.
wall
What English is important?

First, notice that the words inclined to are in ladder
vertical
the sentence above, then list the two words

in the sentence that make the arms of the
50 angle.
o
50
1. 5 m
The arms of the angle are: ladder & ground. ground
(horizontal)
The 50 angle is between these two sides!
Pronoun Reference
What does ‘it’ refer to?
o
A ladder, that leans against a wall, is inclined to the ground at an angle of 40 . Its
(clause)
This noun is in the clause.
foot is 1  5 m from the base of the wall.
‘It’ refers to the ladder, not the wall.

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Activity 8
1 Follow this procedure for each sentence.
1 List the two words that describe the arms of the angle.
2 Write 40 or 50 at the end of each sentence.
o
50
a The angle between the ladder and the ground is_______.

b The angle between the ladder and the wall is ________.
c The angle that the ladder makes with the wall is _______.
d The angle of inclination of the ladder to the horizontal is ________.
e The ladder is inclined to the vertical at an angle of _______.
2 a Describe the position of the 8 angle in this diagram.

o
8 road vertical
horizontal or ground
In each sentence, you must use this word:

i between ii inclined iii makes
b What is the angle of inclination of the road to the vertical?
3 What word (noun) does ‘it(s)’ refer to in the texts below?

a A guy wire makes an angle of 65 with a mast. It is tied to the
ground 10 metres from the base of the mast…
b A ladder makes an angle of 45 with a wall. If it is 2 1 m long, how
far does the ladder reach up the wall?
c An ramp into a carpark rises steadily to 6 m. If it is 12 m long, at what
angle is it inclined to the horizontal?
d A car drives up a road, which is inclined to the horizontal, at an angle of
25 . When it is 150 m from the bottom, what is its vertical height?
e A ladder, which is leaning against a wall, has its foot 1  5 m from the
base of the wall. If the ladder is 2 m long,….
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Other vocabulary
A communications (radio, telephone)

This pole is supported* by guy wires, guy ropes or
mast* or antenna
stays. These stays help the pole stay vertical.
(*Mast = tall, thin structure) Each stay is tied down at ground level.
(*supported = held up)
The pitch of a roof is the angle that

the roof makes with the horizontal.
Examples
Rise means a vertical upward movement. A road rises 2 metres.
2 m = vertical
height
Fall means a vertical downward A ski* slope falls 400m.

movement. ski*
vertical = 400 m slop
e
drop
(To *ski is to slide on snow, usually

down a hill.)
You can use trig. ratios in any triangle.
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Activity 9
1 Use the word list and diagram to complete this text.
Word List: held, poles, side, other, between, pitch, high
carport
roof
side of
q house
pole
4.1 m
3.1 m
2.9 m
A flat carport roof, attached to the ___________ of a house, is 4  1 m above

the ground. The __________ side of the carport roof is ___________ up by
poles that are 3  1 m ___________. If the distance ______________ the side
of the house and the _________________ is 2  9 m, find the ____________*
of the carport roof. (Answer:  19  or 192 )
(*The angle between the roof and the horizontal.)
2 Follow this procedure for the following questions.

1 Check that the words between, makes with, inclined to
or inclination are in the question.
3 Draw each diagram by writing numbers in the correct
place in the triangle.
4 Write  between the two named sides of your triangle.
5 Calculate  .
a A road rises* 2 metres for every 7 metres of horizontal distance.

Calculate the angle of inclination of the road to the horizontal.
(*rise always means vertical height, not slant height – see above.)
b A 3 m ladder that is leaning against a wall reaches 2  3 m up the wall.
Calculate the angle that the ladder makes with the ground.
c A rectangular gate is 2  4 m by 1  8 . Calculate one of the angles
between its diagonals.
d The diagonals of a rhombus measure 10 m and 18 m. Determine the
size of the smallest angle between its sides.
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e A tall thin radio antenna, that is 183 m high is supported by three guy
wires. These guy wires are attached to the antenna at a point that is
two thirds the way up the antenna. The distance between the base of
the antenna and the points where the guy wires are tied to the ground is
53  2 m. Find the angle of inclination of one guy wire to the vertical to
the nearest minute.

1 Check that the words between, makes with, inclined to
or inclination are in the question.
3 Draw each diagram by writing numbers in the correct
place in your triangle
4 Write x next to the unknown side.
5 Calculate x.
a A ski slope falls* 400m. The ski slope makes an angle of 72 with the
vertical. How long is the ski slope to the nearest 0  1 km?
(*falls, in this context, always means vertical height.)
b The perpendicular height of an isosceles triangle is 13  25 m. If this
height is inclined to the equal sides at an angle of 1712 , evaluate the
length of one of the equal sides and then calculate its perimeter.
c A rope that is tied to the highest point, A, of a large tent, makes an

angle of 55 with the ground at point B. C is a point on the ground
directly below A. If BC is 3  2 m, how high is the tent?
d A sailing boat is anchored in water that is 4  2 m deep. The angle that

the anchor chain makes with the surface of the water is 32 . Calculate
the length of anchor chain that is out of the boat if the length of chain
above the water is 1  2 m long.
e The mast on a sailing boat is 6  5 m high. A wire, from the top of the
mast, is attached to the front of the boat. If the angle of inclination of
this wire to the mast is 4148 , how far is the front of the boat to the
base of the mast?
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4 Use the word list and diagram to complete this text.
Word list: angle, height, isosceles, falls, 2.3 m

o
rises, wide, pitch, 37
x
The roof of a large shed _________ steadily to a maximum ______________

of 2  3 m and then _______________ away at the same ____________ and
height on the other side of the shed, making the roof look like an
_____________ triangle. The ____________ of this roof is 37  . How
_________ is the shed? (Answer: x  2  3  05 or 6 1 m )
Compass bearings
A bearing is a direction (or path) along which something moves or lies.
You can read bearings starting from north or from south – never from east or west.
N A N N
o
20
C o
70
W E W E W E
o 70
o
o o
S B S S
A is N 20  E of O. B is S 20  W of O. C is N 70  W of O.
True bearings
True bearings are measured from north in a clockwise direction. True bearings are
sometimes written with a ‘T’, which means true course. e.g. 020  = 020  T.
You can rewrite the above bearings as true bearings, using the word from.
N A N N
o
20
C o
70
W E W E W E
o 70
o
o o
S B S S
A is 020  from O. B is 200  from O. C is 290  from O.

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Do you want to be a pilot?
When pilots speak on the radio, they use

special radio pronunciation for some of
the numbers. For example, the bearing of
195  is ‘one nin-er, fife’.
Airport runways
Airport runways have names based on their magnetic* bearing.
36
Example
Runway 18/36 is a north–south runway. 18 and 36 are

magnetic bearings that have been approximated to the
nearest 5  , so 36 means 360  (or north) and 18 means
18
180  (or south.)
Runway 18/36 is a
Airports use true bearings if they are close to either the north–south runway.
north or south pole. These runway numbers have the letter

‘T’ after them so that pilots know they are true bearings.
*Magnetic bearings are also measured from north in a clockwise direction.

(*magnetic bearings  variation = true bearing)
This number changes from place to place on the earth and is very big near the north
and south poles.
N 3
Aircraft direction indicators 33
30
All bearings on direction indicators in an aeroplane are

W
divided by 10.
24
12
Pilots know that runway 21 and 03 are the same 15

21 s
runway, but in opposite directions and have bearings
210  and 030  respectively.
Direction indicator or gyro
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Sentences that use bearings

The following sentences all have the same meaning.
Example: N 55  E N
A
A is in a direction of N 55  E from O. 55
o
A is in a direction that is N 55  E of O. W E
o
A is on a bearing of N 55  E from O.
The bearing of A from O is N 55  E. S
From O, the bearing of A is N 55  E. Look for the words ‘of’ or ‘from’ in the
Point A bears N 55  E from O. sentences. The starting point, O, is
A is N 55  E of O. after these words and is the centre of
A is N 55  E from O. the compass.
If ‘of’ and ‘from’ are in the same
Note
sentence, then the centre of the compass
You can also write N 55  E as 055 . is after the word ‘from’.
Activity 10
1 For each diagram below:
 Write the bearing as a true bearing.
 Rewrite the bearing in the form: N   E, N   W, S   E or S   W.
 Complete each sentence. (You can use either type of bearing in
your sentence.)
N
a
o A
70
W E A is in a_________________________.
o
N
b
W B E The bearing of A___________________.

o
70
S A
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c N
A
o
W 20 E A is on a true______________________.
o
2 Draw a diagram of these bearings.

a C is N 25  W of D.
b A is on a true bearing of 117  from X.
c From A, a plane flies in a direction of 330  T.
East or due east?

Due east means exactly east. ‘East’ means anywhere east, but it might also mean
due east.
Examples
N
A, B and C are all east of O, but B is the only point A
that is due east of O.
B
W E
O, B and A are all north of C, but B is the only point o
o
45
that is due north of C. C
S
Where is C in this diagram?
C is east of O and due south of B. C is also south of A.
C is in a direction of S 45  E (or south-east*) from O. (*SE = S 45  E)
Action verb + bearing = to go exactly in that direction

In the following examples ‘walks’ is the action verb.
Example 1 John walks east to B from O.

This means that John is walking exactly in that direction, so he is walking due east.
Example 2 John walks N 55  E from O.

This means that John is walking exactly on a bearing of N 55  E.
 When speaking true bearings, try to speak using three digits

e.g. 027 = zero, two, seven
330 = three, three, zero.
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Changing directions
Always draw a new compass when there is a change in direction.
These words help you notice when there is a change in direction:
changes, turns, then, after.
Examples N
A girl walks south from O…………………………… old compass
W O E
 and then she changes direction and walks N 35  E.
 then turns and walks N 35  E. o
35
 then goes N 35  E,… W E
new compass
 then bears N 35  E,…
S
 then N 35  E to…
 After this, she walks N 35  E…
Activity 11
1 Complete these opposite directions.
a If A is due east of B, then B is due _______ of A.
b If A is N 25  E of B, then B is _________ of A.
c If A is on a bearing of 324  from B, then B bears ______ from A.
2 Match each text to one of the diagrams I – III below.
a A man walks due north to C then turns and walks N 20  E until he is
due north of B. B is due east of his starting point, A.
b A man walks east to B and then he changes direction and walks N 20  E
until he is due east of C. C is due north of his starting point, A.
c A boat leaves port A and sails west to port B. After this, it sails
N 20  E to C which is due north of port A.
I N N II N III N N
o
C 20 C
o o
20 C 20
W E
W E W E W E
A B A B B A
S S S S S
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3 Copy and complete each text so that it matches the diagram given, then
calculate the answer.
a A plane leaves A on a bearing of N 20 E. N

B
It ____________ for 200 nautical miles*
.
.m
x
0n
until it is _________ east of B. If B is due 20
o
20
north of A, how far __________ did it fly? W A
E
(*nautical miles is a distance unit, where

S
1 n.m  1  85 km.)
N
b A yacht sails 100 nautical miles in a
___________ of 120  T. o
W 120 E
How far __________ has it sailed? 10
0n
.m
.
x
S
c X, Y and Z are three towns. If X is 10 km N

Z
due ___________ of town Y and 12 km q
12 km
due ___________ of town Z, what is the
____________ of town Y from town Z? W E
X 10 km Y
S
d Two ships, A and B are steaming in
N
an easterly direction ___________ C
port P. B is 1 nautical mile 2 n.m.

__________ of port P and A is W
A
q
3 n.m.
.
B 1 n.m. P
E
3 nautical miles further behind
S
ship __. A third ship, C, is
2 nautical miles _____ north ____ port P.
What is the bearing of ship C from ship A?
4 Draw these diagrams with all numbers and pronumerals in the correct place,
then calculate the distances asked.
a A plane flies to a town on a bearing of N 13  E. If the town is 350 km

away, how far north did the plane fly? Write your answer to the
nearest kilometre.
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b A ship sails 475 km from port, P, on a bearing of S 27  E. Another

ship leaves port P, on a bearing of S 63  W and sails until it is due west
of the first ship. How far apart are the two ships? Approximate your
answer to 3 significant figures.
c An aeroplane flies from town A on a bearing of 126  for 576 km and

lands at town B to refuel. After take-off, it flies due west until its
bearing from town A is 216  . How far did the aeroplane fly due west?
d An athlete* runs due north for 5  23 km, then turns and runs west to a
checkpoint*. She then runs back to her starting point. If the checkpoint
is on a bearing of 355  T from her starting point, how far did she run?
Write your answer correct to 3 significant figures.
(*athlete = a person who competes in sport, a person who is very good at
sport. *checkpoint = a place where you must pass through in a race.)
5 Write texts (stories) which will give these diagrams. For each story, start at
point A.
a b
N N
5
km
W CE
W E A
30
A
o
15 0o
0
3
n.
m
.
S S B
c d
N N
B
km N
o 15
45
24 km
W A E o
34
B E
q m
o
0k
S C
56 2 S
W A E
Finish your text with a
S
question about the bearing
from C to A.
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Listening Activity
Teacher to read eight short listening texts from the appendix. The appendix is just
before the answer section.
Listen to the text and choose the correct diagram that goes with each story.
1 N 2 N
C B B C
m
m
k
k
o o
37 37
50
50
W E W E
A A
S S
3 N 4 N
C B B C
50 50
nm o nm o
53 53
W E W E
A A
S S
5 N 6 N
W A 40 okm B E W A C E
o
37 37
50
km
C B
S S
7 N 8 N
W o
A E W A E
37 o
km km 53
50 50
B C C B
40 km 40 km
S S
This rock, called Chambers Pillar, is in South Australia.

It was used by early explorers as a compass point. Its
unique shape sits above the flat countryside, so it is
easily seen from a long distance away.
Chambers Pillar
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Activity 12

1 Draw the diagram and write all numbers in the correct place.
2 Write the unknown angle,  , in the correct place
3 Choose the correct bearing from this list:
N  E S  E S  W N  W
4 Write your bearing in a sentence similar to one of these:
The bearing from P to Q is N   E....or
Q is on a bearing of N   E from P….or
He must walk on a bearing of N   E from Q.
5 Calculate the answer only if you need practise with your
trigonometry or your calculator work – Answers are in the
back of the book for you to check.
a The bearing from A to B is N 30  W. What is the bearing of A from B?
b A man walks south for 3  2 km and then east for 1  8 km. What is the
bearing he must walk to get back to his starting point? Write your
answer to the nearest minute.
c Town X is 75 km west and 45 km north of town Y. What is the
bearing, to the nearest degree, of town Y from town X?
2 Rewrite this sentence, using a true bearing: The bearing from X to Y is N 30  W.
Cameron corner is the name of the trig. point where the

states of NSW, QLD and SA meet. This trig. point is
named after John Cameron, a NSW Lands Department
surveyor, who took two years, from 1880, to mark the
border between New South Wales and Queensland.
Cameron Corner trig. point.
Poeppel Corner trig. point looks similar to Cameron

Corner trig. point, but the Australian states surrounding it
are different. This point is where the states of
Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia meet.
Poeppel Corner is at a latitude of 26  and longitude 138 .
Poeppel Corner trig. point
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3 Three famous Australian survey (or trig.) points that mark the corners of South
Australia, New South Wales and Northern Territory are Haddon Corner, (H)
Cameron Corner, (C) and Poeppel Corner, (P). Haddon corner is 330 km due
north of Cameron Corner and 290 km due east of Poeppel Corner.
a Use the map below to choose the correct positions for C, H and P.
A
H
P
C
Northern
Territory
Queensland B
Western C
Australia H
South
Australia New
P
South
Wales
C
P
Victoria H
C
Tasmania
b Copy the correct diagram and write the distances in the right place.
c Calculate the true bearing of Poeppel Corner from Cameron Corner.
Approximate your answer to the nearest degree, then write your
bearing in a sentence.
d A light aircraft leaves Cameron Corner, and flies 330 km due north to
Haddon Corner. It then turns west and flies 1300 km to the Surveyor
General’s Corner which is the north-western corner of South-Australia.
On what true bearing must the aircraft fly to go directly back to
Cameron Corner? Approximate your answer to the nearest degree,
then write this true bearing in a sentence.
Poeppel Corner is in the Simpson desert.
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Drawing to scale – Extension

In some questions you must draw your diagrams roughly to scale*. If your lines are
not drawn roughly to scale, then your bearings may be incorrect.
Example
Town C is 5 km NE of town A and town B is 10 km NW of town C. What is the
bearing of town B from town A?
Answer: The bearing from A to B is N   W.
Correct diagram (Drawn roughly to scale) Wrong diagram (Not drawn to scale.)
B B
 10 km

10 km
N 10 km is N 10 km is
C
q C roughly twice as q too short
o
long as 5 km. 45
o 5 km while 5km
45 5 km
W E W E is too long.
A A
S S
(*To draw roughly to scale you need to draw angles that are approximately the right
size and lines that are approximately in the same ratio. For example, if one length is
approximately double another length, then draw one line twice the size of the other.)
Activity 13 – Extension
Draw these diagrams roughly to scale, calculate the answers, then write your answer
as a bearing.
1 A lighthouse is 80 nautical miles on a bearing of N 42  W from a port. A ship

bears S 48  W from this port for 35 nautical miles. What is the bearing of the
ship from the lighthouse?
2 A bushwalker sees that a mountain is 6 km away in a direction of 330  T and a
trig. station is on a bearing of 060  T. If the mountain is 24 km from the trig.
station, what is the true bearing of the mountain from the trig. station? Write
your answer to the nearest minute.
3 A mountain, a small lake and a town are three points on a map. From the lake,
the mountain is on a bearing of 325  and 25 km away. If the lake is on a
bearing of 055  and 75 km from the town, what direction is the town from the
mountain to the nearest degree?
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Activity 14 – Revision

1
Calculate cos 7325 correct to 2 decimal places.
2 Evaluate 6  tan 25 correct to 3 significant figures.

2
3 If sin   , calculate  to the nearest degree.
3
x
4 If cos 4512  , calculate x, correct to three significant figures.
14
72
5 If tan 3842  , calculate the value of x, correct to one decimal place.
x
6 a Use Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate the
a
value of x.
b Write down the value of these trig ratios.
12 x
(Do not calculate the angles,  or  .)
i tan 
ii cos 
q
iii sin  5
7 Calculate the value of x correct to 3 significant figures.

a m b
7. 32 cm
o
83 10 15 x
x o o
42 27
(Hint: Find its perpendicular height first.)
8 Draw the following diagrams. (Only calculate the value of the pronumerals if
you feel you need practice.)
a A person is flying a kite on a 40 m length of string. The angle of

elevation of the kite from the person is 5417 . Label the vertical
height of the kite, as x.
b A cable car*, 150 m from the base of a mountain, takes tourists to

the top of the mountain along its 200m cable. Label the angle, that this
cable* makes with the vertical, as  .
(*cable car = a little room with windows that slides along a steel rope.
*cable = steel rope)
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c A scuba diver descends* to a depth of 18 m directly below her boat.

She then swims 30 m at this same depth. At what angle to the
horizontal must she swim to go directly back to her boat? (Label this
angle,  .)
(*descends = goes down)
d A small flag, used to advertise a restaurant, hangs from a horizontal

metal rod that is fixed to a wall. A wire stay, 53 cm long, is tied to the
outer tip of the 45 cm rod and is fixed to the wall above the rod. Label
the angle of inclination of the wire stay to the metal rod as  .
9 Draw this diagram then calculate the answer.
A ceiling spotlight, that is 7  5 m above a dance floor, makes a circle of

light on the floor. If the edge of the light beam makes an angle of 31
to the vertical, how wide is the circle of light?
10 Draw a rough sketch of this orientation trip, then calculate the answers.
A man leaves checkpoint A and runs north for 2 km, then N 23W for 1  5 km.
He then turns and runs due south for 6 km to checkpoint B.
a On what bearing must he run so he can get back to checkpoint A?
b A helicopter is waiting at checkpoint A. If the man is injured, what is

the true bearing that the helicopter must go to collect the man?
The heights of these cranes increase

Where is the vertical ladder?
as their angles of elevation increase.
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11 Write your own story for this diagram. N
Use the words ‘changes direction’ and A

W x E
‘until’ in your story. 0 km50o
20
W o E
B 50 S
50
S
0k
m
12 Copy and complete this text using the word list.
Word List: measurement, direction, clockwise, of, nor, bearings,

trigonometry, true, east, north, exactly
To walk on a bearing of N 37  E, you must walk in a direction that is 37  east

of north. This bearing can also be written as a ______________ bearing, like
this: 037  . True ______________ are usually written with three digits and
are always measured from ____________ in a _____________ direction.
A bearing of S 52  E is 52  ____________ of south and can also be written as a

true bearing by subtracting 52  from 180  . This equals 128  . This means
that if town X is S 52  E of O and town Y is 128  T of O, then these two towns
are both in the same ______________ from O.
If a town is due north of you, then this town is _______________north of you

and is neither west ________ east of you. However, if a town is said to be
north of you, and the word ‘due’ is not used, then this town may also be east or
west _____ you.
Note: When you are given directions of NE, SE, SW or NW, it is best to write
the angle _______________ of 45  on your diagram. This means that when
you do calculations in _________________, you will know the angle to use
because it is written in your diagram!
Important
Go to your mathematics book if you wish to practise questions that
involve the sine rule, cosine rule or area of a triangle.
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Appendix
Appendix
Trigonometry listening texts

1 A woman rides her bicycle S 53W for 50 km, then stops. After resting for 20
minutes, she then cycles 40 km due east to B, where she is picked up by a
friend in a car. (Answer = diagram 8)
2 A man drives a car for 50 km on a bearing of S 53 E until he reaches town B.

At B he meets a friend who has come from town C, which is due north of B.
(Answer = 6)
3 A plane flies from A in a direction of 037 . After flying 50 km, the plane is
due east of C. (Answer = 1)
4 A ship sails on a bearing of N 53W . After sailing 50 n.m., a lighthouse, B, is

sighted. The lighthouse is due east of the ship. (Answer = 3)
5 A yacht sails 40 km due east from A to B, then sails due south until its bearing
is 127 T* ( S 53 E *) from A. (Answer = 5)
(*Teacher to choose.)
6 A man walks on a bearing of N 37 E . When he is due east of B he discovers

that he has walked 50 km. (Answer = 2)
7 An athlete leaves point A, running on a bearing of S 53W . After 50 km, he

changes direction and swims 40 km due east to C. From there he cycles back
to his starting point. (Answer = 7)
As text 8 is the last one, students can look at diagram 4 while they listen to it.
8 A yacht bears 307 *( N 53W *) for 50 n.m. until it is due west of C.

(Answer = 4)
(*Teacher to choose.)
 Remember
NE is N45  E , SE is S45  E , SW = S45  W , NW = N45  W
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Answers
Activity 1
1 a adjacent b hypotenuse c opposite
d ratio, compares
a b b c a
2 a , , , b i ii Yes
b a c b b
a the opposite side to 
c i 
c the hypotenuse
a the adjacent side to 
ii 
c hypotenuse
3 a AEB  D (both 90  , given)
so the corresponding angles are equal.
 BE is parallel to CD.
 C   (corresponding angles are equal in parallel lines.)
b The triangles are similar because the corresponding (or matching)
angles of these triangles are equal.
AB AC
c  (ratios of corresponding sides of similar triangles.)
BE CD
AB 15

3 9
AB 15
3  3
3 93
15
AB 
3
5
d The ratios of corresponding sides of similar triangles are equal.
Activity 2
3 4 3 4 3 4
1 a sin  = , cos  = , tan  = , sin  = , cos  = , tan  =
5 5 4 5 5 3
3 4 3
b i True (Both are .) ii False (   1 )
5 5 5
3 4
iii True ( = )
4 3
3
3 4
iv True ( 5  
4
5 5 5
3 5
 
5 4
1
3 5
 
51 4
3
 )
4
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2 Trigonometry uses ratios to calculate lengths and angles in triangles. Basic

trigonometry uses the ratios of sides of right-angled triangles. The longest
side of a right-angled triangle is called the hypotenuse. The other two sides
are opposite or adjacent to the acute* angles.
For example: In this triangle
c a is the hypotenuse
q b b is the side opposite  , and
c is the side adjacent to  .
a
The three basic trigonometric ratios are sin  , cos  and tan  .
3 a 18 units b i opposite ii sin 32
x
iii sin 32  c i 58 ii cos 58
18
x
iii cos 58  d sin 32 = cos 58 In the triangle above,
18
x
both these trig. ratios are equal to .
18
4 a the hypotenuse b 18 is adjacent to 32 .
18 o
32 18
c i cos 32 ii cos 32  d
x
Activity 3
o 1
1 a 3  27 b 73 2 a   53 b ACD
. 27
3
c i 3 AD  3  0  8
ii iii 1  8 (See below)
 24
To get 1  8 You can either use Pythagoras’s theorem, like this:
12  BE 2  0  82  BE  0  6
 CD  3  0  6
 1 8
BE
or: cos 53  (You might also use sin 37 or tan 37 .)
1
 BE  0  6
 CD  3  0  6
 1 8
3 a sin 20  0  34 , cos(90  20)  cos 70
 0  34
 sin 20  cos 70
b Your calculator should show that these are equal:
sin10  cos80, sin 30  cos 60, sin 50  cos 40
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Answers
c cos 30  sin 60(Both  0  866..)

4 a 13  7 b 45  68 c 0 1599
Activity 4
x b 6  12 x c 12
1 a 6 6
12 6
1
121 x x
x  12
12  6   12 12 2 12 1 x6   x1
12 x1
1
x 1 x
12  6   12 2 6 x  12
12 1 1
6 x 122
x  72 
16 61
x2
2 a x b tan 60 12 x
12  tan 60   12 
12 12 12
x  12  tan 60 tan 60
x
x  20  8 12
x  0 1
12
c x  tan 60  x
x
x  tan 60  12
x  tan 60 12

tan 60 tan 60
12
x
tan 60
x  69
3 a 12  0 mm b 25  6 mm c 30  0 mm d 30  4 m
e 24  2 cm f 29  0 m g 4  7 units h 5  6 units
i 14 1 units
Activity 5
1 a No b Step 3 c Step 4 d Step 5
e   20 f i Keys for different calculators will vary. ii 20
g Calculator keys will vary.
h 48 minutes. There are 60 seconds in one minute, so 47 55.95 is closer to
48 minutes, than 47 minutes.
 15  2
2 a   sin 1   b   cos1  
 17   5
7
c   tan 1  
5
3 a 25 , 2454 b 32 , 3214
c 69 , 6854
4 a 5237 b 4834
c 547 
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Answers
Activity 6 – Calculator practise

Answers will vary because calculators are different. When you get the right answer,
write down the keys you pressed. After this, press the keys that you wrote down. Do you
still get the right answer? If not, you will need to try again or check with your teacher.
Activity 7
1 Your sentences might look like these:
a From the top of a cliff, the angle of depression of a ship out at sea is 42  .
b 42  is the angle of depression from the top of a cliff to a ship out at sea.
2 Angles of elevation are measured from the horizontal, looking up at
something high, whereas angles of depression are measured from the
horizontal looking down at something low. This means that these angles are
always between the horizontal and the line of sight.
Angles of elevation and depression are equal because they are alternate
angles in parallel lines.
3 a b
s
o
23
tree 80 m
x
o
52
6. 3 m x
shadow
x 8  1 m (2 sig.figs) x 190 m (2 sig.figs)
c d
q o
16 15 x
o
38 25
25 m
60 m
40 m
5734 m
 39  (2 sig. figs) x 6219 (4 sig. figs)
4 a x = 2432 m b 145  9 km/h
1250 m
o
27 12
5 Your question might look like this:
The angle of elevation from a sailing boat to a helicopter is 5645 . If the
horizontal distance from the boat to the helicopter is 48 m, what is the altitude of
the helicopter? (Altitude 73 m.)
6 a
o
35
o
48
70 m x 63 m. No. 63 m > 25 m
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Answers
b
o
35
o
48
70 m x 37 m
x
c
q
70 m  70 
25 m
7 a
x x 134 m
o
69 32
50 m
b
85 m
  4425
134 85 = 49 m q
50 m 
Activity 8
1 a ladder, ground, 50 b ladder, wall, 40
c ladder, wall, 40 d ladder, horizontal, 50
e ladder, vertical, 40
2 a i The angle between the road and the horizontal (or ground) is 8  .
ii The road is inclined to the horizontal at an angle of 8  .
iii The road makes an angle of 8  with the horizontal.
b 82 3 a guy wire b ladder
c ramp d car e ladder
Activity 9
1 A flat carport roof, attached to the side of a house, is 4  1 m above the ground.
The other side of the carport roof is held up by poles that are 3  1 m high. If
the distance between the side of the house and the poles is 2  9 m, find the
pitch* of the carport roof.
2 The answers on the next page show:
• the two words that describe the arms of the angle
• the diagram
• the answer
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Answers
2 a road,  16  or 1557
horizontal 2m
q
7m
b ladder,  50  or 503
ground 3m
2.3 m
q
c diagonals  106  or 10616
qa
1.8 m  74  or 7344
2.4 m
d sides a  58  or 587
q (  29  )
1 8m .
m
10
e guy wire,   2334

vertical
2 183 = 122 m
q 3
guy wire
53.2 m
3 a ski slope, o x  1  3 km
vertical 72 x
400 m
b height, o
17 12 .
x =. 13. 87 m
equal sides .
x 13 25 m
Perimeter =. 35.94 m
.
c rope, ground A x 46m
x
o
B 55
3.2 m C
d anchor chain, .
Length of chain out =. 9 1 m
surface of .
1. 2 m (x =. 7 9 m)
water
o (a = 58o )
32 boat
. .
anchor a surface
chain x 4. 2 m
. .
.
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Answers
e wire, mast 41 48
o
x 58 m
.
65m
4 The roof of a large shed rises steadily to a maximum height of 2  3 m and then
falls away at the same angle and height on the other side of the shed, making
the roof look like an isosceles triangle. The pitch of this roof is 37  . How
wide is the shed?
Activity 10
1 a N 70  E = 070  (You can also write 070  T.)
A is in a direction of N 70  E (or 070  T) from O.
b S 20  E = 160  (You can also write 160  T.) (90 + 70 = 160)
The bearing of A from B is S 20  E (or 160  T).
c N 70  W = 290  (You can also write 290  T.)
A is on a true bearing of 290  from O.
C N N
2 a b
o
25
o
W E W 117 E
D X
A
S S
plane
N
c o
30
W E
330 A
o
Activity 11
1 a west b S 25 W c 144 (324  180)
2 a II b I c III
3 a flies, due, north (x 188 n.m.) b direction, east (x 87 n.m.)
c west, south, bearing (The bearing from Z to Y is S 3948 E or 14012 T.)
d towards, west, B, due, of (The bearing of C from A is N 6326 .)
4 a x 341 km N
town
x 350 km
o
13
W E
o
S
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Answers
b x 1046
   1050 km(3 sig.figs)
N
o
P 27 E
o
63
47
5k
m
S N
W
x E
c x 712 km N
o
126
A
W E
57
6k N
o S m
216
W
x E
B
S
d x 458 m, distance she ran  11  0 km x N
W E
5. 23 km
checkpoint
o
355
W E
o
starting point
 S
5 Your stories might look like these:

a A man walks 5 km on a bearing of 300  from A.
b A yacht sails 15 nautical miles from port A on a bearing of S 30  E. It
then changes direction and sails to C which is due north of B.
c From A, Jane drives her car NE for 15 km to town B. She then turns onto
a new road, and drives due south to town C. Town B and C are 24 km
apart. What is the bearing of town A from town C?
d A man runs for 20 km on a bearing of N 56  E. After arriving at point B,
he runs N 34  W , until he is due north of his starting point, A.
Listening Activity – See appendix

1 diagram 8 2 diagram 6
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Activity 12
1 a A is on a bearing of S   E from B. or N
The bearing from B to A is S   E. W B E
(Answer: S 30  E) q N
o
30
S
W E
A
S
b The bearing from the man to his N
starting point is N   W.
W E
(Answer: N 2921 W)
N
3. 2 km
q
E
1. 8 km
S
c Town Y is on a bearing of S   E N N
from town X. (Answer: S 59  E X
or S 592 E ) q
45 km
W E
75 km Y
S
2 The bearing from X to Y is 330 . (or 330 T)
3 a C b N
P 290 km H
330 km
q
W E
C
S
c The true bearing of Poeppel Corner from Cameron Corner is 319  .
d The true bearing from Surveyor General’s Corner to Cameron
Corner is 104  T. (90   ) T
N
q
S 1300 km H
W
330 km
W E
C
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Activity 13 – Extension
1 S   E = S 18  E or 162  T (   24 )
L
qa
80
N
n.
m
o
42
.
o
42
P E
.
m
o
48
n.
35
S
S
2 25429 T (= 180 + 60 +  )
N
m T
24 k
o
q 60
M
m
W 6k E
o B
30 60
o
3 217  T H
M
25
q 35
o
km
o
L
o
55 55
km S
75
qa
T
Activity 14 – Revision
1 0  29 2 2  80 3 42 4 9  86
5 12 12
5 90 6 a 13 b i ii iii
12 13 13
7 a 61 1 m b 22 1 m
8 a x  32  5 m b   4835 (or   49 )
q
0m
m 20
x
40
o
o
o
54 17 150 m
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c   3058 d   3153
m
53 c
q
18 m 45 cm
q Restaurant
30 m flag
9 x  90 m 10 a N1237 E b 19237 T

edge of light beam
1. 5 km
N
o
31 o
7. 5 m x 23
y
x 2 km
6 km
y A E
q
You cannot use these 4 x
q
approximated figures S
to get the bearings y  0  59 , x  1  38
above.
You must use your
calculator well!
11 You might write something like this:
A plane flies 200km from A to B on a bearing of 230 . It then changes
direction and flies 500km on a bearing of 140 . After this, it flies due north
until it is due east of its starting point. How far is it from this starting point?
( x  168 km )
12 To walk on a bearing of N 37  E, you must walk in a direction that is 37  east
of north. This bearing can also be written as a true bearing, like this: 037  .
True bearings are usually written with three digits and are always measured
from north in a clockwise direction.
A bearing of S 52  E is 52  east of south and can also be written as a true
bearing by subtracting 52  from 180  . This equals 128  . This means that if
town X is S 52  E of O and town Y is 128  T of O, then these two towns are
both in the same direction from O.
If a town is due north of you, then this town is exactly north of you and is
neither west nor east of you. However, if a town is said to be north of you,
and the word ‘due’ is not used, then this town may also be east or west of you.
Note: When you are given directions of NE, SE, SW or NW, it is best to write
the angle measurement of 45  on your diagram. This means that when you
do calculations in trigonometry, you will know the angle to use because it is
written in your diagram!
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About the author
About the Author
After graduating in 1977 from Macquarie University with both a Mathematics Degree
and a Diploma of Education, Marilyn Murray taught mainstream mathematics for
10 years at Chatswood High School.
Having taught all levels of mathematics up to Extension 2 Mathematics, Marilyn

retrained as an ESL teacher in 1988. Since then, she has been teaching the literacy of
mathematics to newly arrived migrants and refugees at Intensive English Centres for
more than 20 years.
Since 1989, Marilyn Murray has been involved in the Professional Development of
many teachers with regard to the language of mathematics. Over the years she has
spoken to many mathematics faculties in both public and private schools, shared work
with other primary and high school ESL teachers, presented workshops at Training and
Development Basic Training ESL courses, been involved with the production of
professional development materials such as videos, lecture and workshop materials,
written articles about the literacy of mathematics for MANSW (Mathematical
Association of NSW) and ATESOL (Association for Teaching English to Speakers of
Other Languages) and presented workshops to visiting teachers from other countries.
She has also produced computer-based interactive activities for mainstream

mathematics and for the literacy of mathematics. She also maintains a website at
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/murraymb/ for both students and teachers
of mathematics.
Marilyn Murray is currently at Marsden Intensive English Centre in Sydney, Australia
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Marilyn Murray

Book 5 - The Language of Trigonometry

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Book 5 - The Language of Trigonometry

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For language-based interactive activities and

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-

Book Book Book

Written and illustrated Written and illustrated Written and illustrated

Written and illustrated Written and illustrated

About this series of books

These books contain: –

This series of books focuses on the language demands of:

If students need further non language-based practice, most mainstream mathematics

Some activities in these books require students to answer questions following a

The Language of Probability

Note: The language of Reading and

Pre-test basic trig. *Using a calculator in

In the diagram to the right, C

(*similar = same shape, different size.) (*corresponding = matching, same place)

a a is opposite  and _______________ to  .

3 Answer these questions about this triangle.

b Write true or false for the right-angled triangle above.

3 Answer the following questions about this triangle.

a How long is the hypotenuse?

4 Answer the following questions about this new triangle.

a What is the name of the side labelled as x?

Understanding calculator answers

 Use a calculator to find tan 20  . (Press the calculator keys: tan 20  )

What does 0.36 mean?

Your triangle might look like this: o 0. 36

(*is approximately equal to means close to, nearest)

The sides of this triangle are 10 times

x bigger than the smaller triangle, so x is 10

Can you see any right-angled triangles here?

a Write tan 73 correct to two decimal places.

3 a If   20 , use a calculator to find sin  , and cos(90   ) .

Trigonometry in right-angled triangles

Step 2 Decide which trig.* ratio to use. tan

(*trig. = short form of trigonometric)

make a mathematical sentence) opp

Step 4 List the numbers then, substitute* List Substitution

Step 5 Make the pronumeral* the subject* x

Step 1 Name the labelled sides, adjacent, opposite or hypotenuse.

Finding degrees and minutes

1948 = 19 degrees and 48 minutes

Calculate the size of  to the nearest

a In step 1, is the hypotenuse labelled?

e There are two answers in step 6. Which answer is approximated* to

ii Is 19.7988 approximately equal to* 20  or 20 units?

g In step 5, use a calculator to show that 19.7988… 194755.95 ,

h Is 47 55.95 47 minutes or is 47 55.95 48 minutes?

2 Rewrite the pronumeral,  , as the subject of the equation.

*Reliable digits are the numbers that you trust to be true.

In this triangle, x the calculation for x, looks like this:

Which digits in 14  912987 …are reliable?

x  14  912987 (8 sig. figs.*) x  14  91 (4 sig. figs)

x  14  9 (3 sig. figs.) x 15 (2 sig. figs.)

(*sig. figs. = short form of significant figures)

In the real world….

However, in the mathematics classroom…..

2 You might write: tan 45    10     or tan 45 DMS 10 DMS 

Activity 6 – Calculator practice 

Question (continued) Answer

(similar = same shape, different size.) (corresponding = matching, same place)

The roof of a large shed _ steadily to a maximum ______