Author Miloš Kocić

Table of values for basic trigonometric functions

𝜶 𝟎° 𝟑𝟎° 𝟒𝟓° 𝟔𝟎° 𝟗𝟎°

𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜶 0 1 √2 √3 1
2 2 2
𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜶 1 √3 √2 1 0
2 2 2
𝒕𝒈𝜶 0 √3 1 √3 -
3
𝒄𝒕𝒈𝜶 √3
- √3 1 0
3

Basic trigonometric identities

𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼 = 1

𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼
𝑡𝑔𝛼 =
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼
𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼
𝑐𝑡𝑔𝛼 =
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼
𝑡𝑔𝛼 ∙ 𝑐𝑡𝑔𝛼 = 1

1
𝑐𝑡𝑔 𝛼 = , 𝑡𝑔𝛼 ≠ 0
𝑡𝑔 𝛼
𝑡𝑔 𝛼
sin 𝛼 =
√1 + 𝑡𝑔2 𝛼

1
cos 𝛼 =
√1 + 𝑡𝑔2 𝛼

Trigonometric functions of complementary angle

Theorem 1. For every 𝛼, 0° < 𝛼 < 90° we know that

𝑠𝑖𝑛(90° − 𝛼) = 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼, 𝑐𝑜𝑠(90° − 𝛼) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝛼

𝑡𝑔(90° − 𝛼) = 𝑐𝑡𝑔 𝛼 , 𝑐𝑡𝑔(90° − 𝛼) = 𝑡𝑔𝛼

Author Milos Kocic

Trigonometric functions of complementary angle

As we know so far if 𝛼 + 𝛽 = 90° then we say that angle 𝛼 is complementary angle to 𝛽 and otherwise.
In a right angle triangle sharp angles are complementary angles so we have that 𝛽 = 90° − 𝛼. Let us
now formulate a theorem.

Theorem 1. For every 𝛼, 0 < 𝛼 < 90° we know

sin(90° − 𝛼) = cos 𝛼, cos(90° − 𝛼) = sin 𝛼 ,

tg(90° − 𝛼) = ctg 𝛼, ctg(90° − 𝛼) = tg 𝛼 ,

Example 1. If we know that cos 40° = 𝑙 where 𝑙 is pre given number then calculate:
sin 40°, cos 40°, 𝑡𝑔 40° , 𝑐𝑡𝑔 40°, sin 50° , cos 50°, 𝑡𝑔 50°, 𝑐𝑡𝑔 50°.

Solution:

sin 40° √1−𝑙 2

sin 40° = √1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 40° = √1 − 𝑙 2 , 𝑡𝑔 40° = cos 40° = ,
𝑙

𝑙
𝑐𝑡𝑔40° = , sin 50° = sin(90° − 40°) = cos 40° = 𝑙,
√1 − 𝑙 2

cos 50° = cos(90° − 40°) = sin 40° = √1 − 𝑙 2 ,

𝑙 √1 − 𝑙 2
𝑡𝑔 50° = , 𝑐𝑡𝑔 50° =
√1 − 𝑙 2 𝑙

Example 2. Prove following identities for every sharp angle 𝑥:

1 1 1
1) 𝑐𝑜𝑠2 𝑥
+ 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑥 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑥𝑐𝑜𝑠2 𝑥

2) 𝑡𝑔2 𝑥 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑥 = 𝑡𝑔2 𝑥𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝑥

1 1
3) (cos 𝑥 + 𝑡𝑔𝑥) (cos 𝑥 − 𝑡𝑔𝑥) = 1

1−2𝑐𝑜𝑠2 𝑥
4) = 𝑡𝑔 𝑥 − 𝑐𝑡𝑔𝑥
sin 𝑥 cos 𝑥
Author Miloš Kocić

Trigonometric functions of sharp angle

How to calculate rest of the basic elements of a triangle if we know two sides and angle? For
this purpose we introduce new sort of functions trigonometric functions.

Let us have an right angled triangle ∆𝐴𝐵𝐶 with right angle at point 𝐶 .Sides 𝐶𝐴 and 𝐶𝐵 are
opposite to sharp angles and side 𝐴𝐵 is a hypotenuse. Let us now have that ∡𝐶𝐴𝐵 = 𝛼 and
∡𝐶𝐵𝐴 = 𝛽.

Two right angled triangles with equal sharp angles are similar to each other. If we have two
similar triangles with sides (𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐) and (𝑎1 , 𝑏1 , 𝑐1 ) than we know that corresponding sides are
proportional:
𝒂 𝒂𝟏 𝒃 𝒃𝟏 𝒂 𝒂
= , = , = 𝒃𝟏 ... (1)
𝒄 𝒄𝟏 𝒄 𝒄𝟏 𝒃 𝟏

If we change angle 𝛼 the relations (1) are changing. So we can conclude that quottients (1)
are depending from the value of angle 𝛼. With quotients (1) we define functions of angle 𝛼.
We can now formulate:
𝒂
Definition 1. 1) Number is called sinus of angle 𝛼 and denoted as sin 𝛼.
𝒄

𝒃
2) Number is called cosine of angle 𝛼 and denoted as cos 𝛼.
𝒄

𝒂
3) Number 𝒃
is called tangent of angle 𝛼 and denoted as tg 𝛼.

𝒃
4) Number 𝒂
is called cotangent of angle 𝛼 and denoted as ctg 𝛼.

𝒂 𝒃 𝒂 𝒃
= 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜶 , = 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜶, = 𝒕𝒈𝜶, = 𝒄𝒕𝒈𝜶
𝒄 𝒄 𝒃 𝒂

Example 1. In right angled triangle we know that 𝑎 = 4 and 𝑏 = 3. Calculate

sin 𝛼 , cos 𝛼 , tg 𝛼 , ctg 𝛼 , sin 𝛽 , cos 𝛽 , tg 𝛽 and ctg 𝛽 .

Solution: 𝑐 = √𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 = √25 = 5

4 3 4 3
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛼 = 5 , 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼 = , 𝑡𝑔 𝛼 = , 𝑐𝑡𝑔 𝛼 =
4 3 4

3 4 3 4
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛽 = 5 , 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛽 = , 𝑡𝑔 𝛽 = , 𝑐𝑡𝑔 𝛽 =
5 4 3
Author Miloš Kocić

Basic trigonometric identities

𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼 = 1, … (1)

sin 𝛼
𝑡𝑔 𝛼 = ,
cos 𝛼
𝑡𝑔𝛼 ∙ 𝑐𝑡𝑔 𝛼 = 1

Example 2. Prove following trigonometric identity 𝑐𝑜𝑠 4 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛4 𝛼 = 1 − 2𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼.

Solution: First we will transform expression 𝑐𝑜𝑠 4 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛4 𝛼 using formula for square
difference and formula (1) we get

𝑐𝑜𝑠 4 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛4 𝛼 = (𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼) ∙ (𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼) = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 =

= 1 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 − 𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼 = 1 − 2𝑠𝑖𝑛2 𝛼