Sec 5 Maths P2

6.4 Solving Simple Trigonometric Equations (Page 124)

• Let sin 𝜃 = 𝑘, − 1 ≤ 𝑘 ≤ 1, for 0° ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 360° = 2𝜋.
Positive acute angle = 𝜙 = sin−1 |𝑘| for 0 < |𝑘| < 1
• Let cos 𝜃 = ℎ, − 1 ≤ ℎ ≤ 1, for 0° ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 360° = 2𝜋.
Positive acute angle = 𝜙 = cos −1 |ℎ| for 0 < |ℎ| < 1
• Let tan 𝜃 = 𝑟, − ∞ < 𝑟 < ∞, for 0° ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 360° = 2𝜋.
Positive acute angle = 𝜙 = tan−1 |𝑟| for |𝑟| > 0
• The solution of the above equations can be found as follows:
− If θ is in the first quadrant, then 𝜃 = 𝜙.
− If θ is in the second quadrant, then 𝜃 = 180° − 𝜙 = 𝜋 − 𝜙.
− If θ is in the third quadrant, then 𝜃 = 180° + 𝜙 = 𝜋 + 𝜙.
− If θ is in the fourth quadrant, then 𝜃 = 360° − 𝜙 = 2𝜋 − 𝜙.

• Assume that − 2𝜋 = −360° ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 0° and 𝜙 is the positive acute

angle. Then the solution can be found as follows:
− If θ is in the fourth quadrant, then 𝜃 = − 𝜙.
− If θ is in the third quadrant, then 𝜃 = −(180° − 𝜙) = −(𝜋 − 𝜙).
− If θ is in second quadrant, then 𝜃 = −(180° + 𝜙) = −(𝜋 + 𝜙).
− If θ is in the first quadrant, then 𝜃 = −(360° − 𝜙) = −(2𝜋 − 𝜙).
Example 10 (Page 124)
1
To solve: sin 𝜃 = , 0° ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 360°
2
1
Positive acute angle = sin−1 = 30°
2

The solutions are

𝜃 = 30° or 𝜃 = 180° − 30° = 150°

Example 11 (Page 125)

To solve: 5 sin 𝑥 = −2 , 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 2𝜋
2
sin 𝑥 = −
5
2
Positive acute angle = sin−1 = 0.4115
5

The solutions are

𝑥 = 𝜋 + 0.4115 = 3.55 or 𝑥 = 2𝜋 − 0.4115 = 5.87 (3 s. f.)

Example 12 (Page 125)

√3
To solve: cos 𝑥 = , 0° ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 360°
2
 √3
Positive acute angle = cos−1 = 30°
2

The solutions are

𝑥 = 30° or 𝑥 = 360° − 30° = 330°

Example 13 (Page 126)

To solve: sin 𝜃 = √3 cos 𝜃, 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 2𝜋
sin 𝜃
= √3
cos 𝜃

tan 𝜃 = √3
𝜋
Positive acute angle = tan−1 √3 =
3

The solutions are

𝜋 𝜋 4𝜋
𝜃= or 𝜃 = 𝜋 + =
3 3 3

Exercise 6D (Page 126)

No. 4 (Page 127)

(a) To solve: 7 sin 𝜃 = 5 , 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 2𝜋
5
sin 𝜃 =
7
5
Positive acute angle = sin−1 = 0.7956
7

The solutions are

𝜃 = 0.796 or 𝜃 = 𝜋 − 0.7956 = 2.35 (3 s. f.)
(b) To solve: 2 cos 𝜃 = − √2 , 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 2𝜋
√2
cos 𝜃 = −
2

√2 𝜋
Positive acute angle = cos−1 =
2 4

The solutions are

𝜋 3𝜋 𝜋 5𝜋
𝜃=𝜋− = or 𝜃 = 𝜋 + =
4 4 4 4

(c) To solve: 3 cos 𝜃 = − 2 , 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 2𝜋

2
cos 𝜃 = −
3
2
Positive acute angle = cos−1 = 0.8411
3

The solutions are

𝜃 = 𝜋 − 0.8411 = 2.30 or 𝜃 = 𝜋 + 0.8411 = 3.98 (3 s. f.)

(d) To solve: 4 sin 𝜃 = −3 , 0 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 2𝜋

3
sin 𝜃 = −
4
3
Positive acute angle = sin−1 = 0.8481
4

The solutions are

𝜃 = 𝜋 + 0.8481 = 3.99 or 𝜃 = 2𝜋 − 0.8481 = 5.44 (3 s. f.)