TERMINOLOGY

Angle of depression: The angle between the horizontal
and the line of sight when looking down to an object
below
Angle of elevation: The angle between the horizontal and
the line of sight when looking up to an object above
Angles of any magnitude: Angles can be measured around
a circle at the centre to nd the trigonometric ratios of
angles of any size from 0c to 360c and beyond
Bearing: The direction relative to north. Bearings may
be written as true bearings (clockwise from North) or as
compass bearings (using N, S, E and W)
Complementary angles: Two or more angles that add up
to 90c
Cosecant: The reciprocal ratio of sine (sin). It is the
hypotenuse over the opposite side in a right triangle
Cotangent: The reciprocal ratio of tangent (tan). It is the
adjacent over the opposite side in a right triangle
Secant: The reciprocal ratio of cosine (cos). It is the
hypotenuse over the adjacent side in a right triangle
Trigonometric identities: A statement that is true for
all trigonometric values in the domain. Relationships
between trigonometric ratios
 Chapter 6 Trigonometry 291

INTRODUCTION
TRIGONOMETRY IS USED IN many fields, such as building, surveying and
navigating. Wave theory also uses trigonometry.
This chapter revises basic right-angled triangle problems and applies them
to real-life situations. Some properties of trigonometric ratios, angles greater
than 90c and trigonometric equations are introduced. You will also study
trigonometry in non-right-angled triangles.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus), in the second century, wrote Hē mathēmatikē syntaxis (or
Almagest as it is now known) on astronomy. This is considered to be the rst treatise on
trigonometry, but was based on circles and spheres rather than on triangles. The notation ‘chord
of an angle’ was used rather than sin, cos or tan.
Ptolemy constructed a table of sines from 0c to 90c in steps of a quarter of a degree. He also
calculated a value of r to 5 decimal places, and established the relationship for sin (X ! Y ) and
cos (X ! Y ) .

Trigonometric Ratios
In similar triangles, pairs of corresponding angles are equal and sides are in
proportion. For example:

You studied similar triangles in

Geometry in Chapter 4.

In any triangle containing an angle of 30c, the ratio of AB:AC = 1:2.

Similarly, the ratios of other corresponding sides will be equal. These ratios of
sides form the basis of the trigonometric ratios.
In order to refer to these ratios, we name the sides in relation to the angle
being studied:

• the hypotenuse is the longest side, and is always opposite

the right angle
• the opposite side is opposite the angle marked in the
triangle
• the adjacent side is next to the angle marked