Precalculus

SENIOR
HIGH
SCHOOL

Module
Graphs of Tangent and Cotangent
Functions 8
Quarter 2
Precalculus
Quarter 2 – Module 8: Graphs of Tangent and Cotangent Functions
First Edition, 2020

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Precalculus
SENIOR
HIGH
SCHOOL

Module

8
Quarter 2

Graphs of Tangent and

Cotangent Functions
Introductory Message

For the Facilitator:

Welcome to the (Pre Calculus (Senior High School) Module on Graphs of

Tangent and Cotangent Functions !

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and

independent learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims
to help learners acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely:
Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while
taking into consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them
to manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to the (Pre Calculus) Module on Graphs of Tangent and Cotangent

Functions !

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an
active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest - This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATION

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the learning episode, you are expected to:

1. graph tangent and cotangent functions, its (a) period (b) phase shift
and (c) vertical shift.

PRETEST

A. Direction: Read each statement carefully then write the letter that
corresponds to the correct answer.

1. Which of the following is the period of y = tan 2 x ?


a. c. 2
2
b.  d. 3
1
2. Which of the following is the period of y = 2cot x ?
2
a.  c. 3
b. 2 d. 4
3. What is the equation of a tangent function with a period of 8 and
stretch vertically with a factor of 2 ?
1 1
a. y = 2 tan x c. y = tan x
5 8
1 1
b. y = 2tan x d. y = 2 tan x
4 8
4. Which of the following is the correct movement of the phase shift and
1 
vertical shift of the graph of y = cot ( x − ) + 3 ?
4 2

a. The graph shifted units to the right and 3 units upward
2

b. The graph shifted units to the right and 3 units downward
2
 
c. The graph shifted units to the left and 3 units upward
2

d. The graph shifted units to the left and 3 units downward
2
5. Which of the following is the phase shift and vertical shift of

y = 3 tan 2( x + ) + 4 ?
2

a. phase shift= units , vertical shift = 4 units
2
b. phase shift= 3 units , vertical shift = 3 units

c. phase shift= 2 units , vertical shift = units
2

d. phase shift= units , vertical shift = 2 units
2
6. Which of the following are the 3 possible x values in graphing
1
y = 2tan x ?
2
 
a. −  ,0 and  c. − ,0 and
8 8
   
b. − ,0 and d. − ,0 and
4 4 16 16

RECAP

In our previous discussion, we already discussed the graphs of sine and

cosine functions, its amplitude and period.

2
Amplitude =a Period =
b
Identify the amplitude and period of the given sine and cosine functions.

y = 3sin 2(x −  )
1
1. y = 2sin x 3.
3
1 1  
2. y = −2cos x 4. y = − cos  x −  − 4
4 2 3
 LESSON

1.1 Graphs of Tangent and Cotangent Functions

The tangent and cotangent functions are not defined for all real
numbers. In order to graph this function, it will be useful to construct table
 3
of values. Tangent function is undefined for  , ... while for cotangent
2 2
is0,  ,2 ... , near these values of x the values, the value of tan x and
cot x increases or decreases without bound.
Illustrative Examples:

1.Sketch the graph of y = tan x and y = cot x over the interval

 
− x
2 2
       
x − − − − 0
2 3 4 6 6 4 3 2
− 3 −1 3 0 3 1 3
−
Undefined
undefined
tan x
3 3
cot x 0 3 −1 − 3
Undefined
3 1 3 0
−
3 3

Graph of Tangent Function Graph of Cotangent Function

 Using the figure above, the graph of tangent function is not
 3
defined for  , while for cotangent it is not defined for 0, ,2 .
2 2
At these values, the graph increases and decreases without bound, so
tangent x and cotangent x are undefined which makes the graph
discontinuous since its graph has breaks. Asymptote exists at these
breaks. The amplitude is not defined, while the period is  and the
phase shift and vertical shift are both equal to zero.

In general, to sketch the graph of y = a tanbx and y = cotbx, where

a  0 and b  0 , the steps are the following:

➢ For y = a tanbx ,

1. Determine the period = , then draw one cycle of the graph on
b
   
 − ,  for y = a tanbx .
 2b 2b 

2. Determine the vertical asymptote given by x= .
2b
3. Divide the interval formed by the vertical asymptotes in Step 2 into
four equal parts, and get the three division points exclusively between
the asymptotes.
4. Evaluate the function at each of these x -values identified in step 3.
These points will correspond to the signs of the x - intercept of the
graph.
5. Plot the points found in step 3, and join them with a smooth curve
approaching to the vertical asymptotes. Extend the graph to right
amnd to the left as needed.

➢ For y = a cotbx :

1. Determine the period = , then draw one cycle of the graph on
b
 
 0,  for y = a cotbx .
 b
 
2. Determine the vertical asymptote given by x = 0 and x = .
b
3. Divide the interval formed by the vertical asymptotes in Step 2 into
four equal parts, and get the three division points exclusively between
the asymptotes.

4. Evaluate the function at each of these x -values identified in step 3.

These points will correspond to the signs of the x - intercept of the
graph.

5. Plot the points found in step 3, and join them with a smooth curve
approaching to the vertical asymptotes. Extend the graph to right and
to the left as needed.

1
2. Sketch the graph of y = tan 2 x
2

Using the Steps of tangent

function :


The period of the function is
2
and the adjacent asymptotes
 3
are x =  , ,.... Dividing
4 4
  
the interval  − ,  into 4
 4 4
equal parts , therefore the x
 
values are − ,0 and .
8 8
 
−
x 8 0 8
1 1 0 1
tan 2 x −
2 2 2
 1
3. Sketch the graph of y = 4cot x
3

Using the Steps:

The period of the function is
3 and the adjacent
asymptotes are x = 0,3 ,....
Dividing the interval (0,3 )
into 4 equal parts , therefore
3 3
the x values are , , and
4 2
9
.
4
3 3 9
x 4 4
2
1 4 0 −4
4cot x
3

In general, for y = a tanb( x − c) + d and y = a cotb( x − c) + d . The

amplitude is not defined. The value of a vertically stretches or shrinks

compared to the graph of y = tan x and y = cot x .The Period = , the
b
Phase Shift is c units to the left when c  0, and c units to the right if

c  0 .While the vertical shift is d units upward when d  0 , and d units

downward if d 0. The asymptotes have these equations, for tangent

 2n + 1 
functions, b( x + c ) =   and for cotangent function, b( x + c) = n
 2 
where n is an integer.
  
1. Sketch the graph of y = 3 tan 2 x −  + 2 .
 4
Use your knowledge of the period,the phase and vertical shift to graph
tangent and cotangent functions

The figure shows the graph

of tangent function with a
 
period of = . The
b 3

Phase shift is units to
4
the right. The vertical shift
is 2 units upward, and
stretch vertically by a
factor of 2.

 
2. Sketch the graph of y = 5 cot 2 x +  − 2
 6

The figure shows the graph

of cotangent function with
 
a period of = . The
b 2

Phase shift is units to
6
the left. The vertical shift
is 2 units downward, and
stretch vertically by a
factor of 5.
 ACTIVITIES

A. Direction: Identify the period of the given tangent and cotangent

function and sketch the graphs of nos. 1 & 2.
1
1. y = tan x
4
1
2. y = cot x
3
1
3. y = 2tan x
2
4. y = cot 2 x

B. Direction: Complete the table by determining the period, phase shift

( Left / Right ) and vertical shift ( Upward / Downward ) of the given
functions.

P PS VS
1. y = tan 3( x −  ) L/R U/D
1
2. y = cot 2( x +  )
2
2
3. y = cot(x + ) 3
3
3
4. y = tan( x − ) − 1 4
4
5. y = 3 tan 2( x +  ) + 3
5

WRAP-UP

What are the steps in graphing y = a tanbx and y = a cotbx ?

How do you identify the period, phase shift and vertical shift of the
equations and graphs of y = a tan b( x − c) + d and
y = a cotb( x − c) + d ?
 VALUING

The graph of tangent and cotangent function is undefined for

some values of x and the graph is asymptotic at this point.
Asymptotes are boundary lines where the graph cannot cross. This
means that the graph gets closer and but never touches that line as it
heads towards infinity.
As a teenager many boundaries or limitations are imposed by
our government, LGU and our parents. These are set rules that we
need to follow. Some of these rules are the curfew hours, no of hours
using our gadgets, watching television and even entering
relationships. In a sheet of paper, list the set of rules imposed by your
LGU and your parents and how you made sure that you follow these
rules.

POSTTEST

A. Direction: Read each statement carefully then write the letter that
corresponds to the correct answer.

1
1. Which of the following is the period of y = 2cot x ?
8
a.  c. 3
b. 2 d. 8
2. Which of the following is the period of y = tan 2 x ?

a. c. 2
2
b.  d. 3

3. What is the equation of a tangent function with a period of 6 and

stretch vertically with a factor of 3 ?
1 1
a. y = 2 tan x c. y = 3tan x
5 6
1 1
b. y = 2tan x d. y = 2 tan x
4 8
4. Which of the following are the 3 possible x values in graphing
1
y = 2tan x ?
2
 
a. −  ,0 and  c. − ,0 and
8 8
   
b. − ,0 and d. − ,0 and
4 4 16 16
5. Which of the following is the correct movement of the phase shift and
1
vertical shift of the graph of y = cot ( x −  ) − 1 ?
4
a. The graph shifted  units to the right and 1 unit upward
b. The graph shifted  units to the right and 1 unit downward

c. The graph shifted units to the left and 1 unit upward
2

d. The graph shifted units to the left and 1 unit downward
4
6. Which of the following is the phase shift and vertical shift of

y = 3 tan 2( x + ) + 4 ?
2

a. phase shift= units , vertical shift = 4 units
2
b. phase shift= 3 units , vertical shift = 3 units

c. phase shift= 2 units , vertical shift = units
2

d. phase shift= units , vertical shift = 2 units
2
KEY TO CORRECTION
 References

Hayden, J.D, and B.C Hall. Trigonometry. PRENTICE HALL, Inc., 1993.

Libretexts. “5.1: Graphing the Trigonometric Functions,” August 15, 2020.

https://math.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Precalculus/Book:_Elementar
y_Trigonometry_(Corral)/05:_Graphing_and_Inverse_Functions/5.01:_G
raphing_the_Trigonometric_Functions.

PRECALCULUS LEARNER’S MATERIAL. Department of education: Bureau of

Learning Resources, 2016.