Plane Trigonometry

Trigonometry of Right Triangles

Cofunction Identities
Example:
1. Sin 3A = Cos 6B
Sin 3A = Sin(90 – 6B)
o

3A = 90 – 6B
o

3A + 6B = 90
o

A + 2B = 30
o
The Pythagorean Theorem

For
   any right triangle

with sides a and b, and

hypotenuse c, the
square of the
hypotenuse is equal to
the sum of the squares
of the other two sides.
Example # 1
 An observer wishes to determine the height
of a tower. He takes sights at the top of the
tower from A and B which are 50 feet apart,
at the same elevation on direct line with the
tower. The vertical angle at point A is 30° and
at point B is 40°. What is the height of the
tower?
  Solution:
tan 40 =

X= eq. 1

tan 30 =

X+50 = eq. 2
 h
Equate eq. 1 - eq. 2

+ 50 =
 30 40

50ft x
h = 92.54 ft.
Example # 2
 The captain of a ship views the top of a
lighthouse at an angle of 60° with the
horizontal at an elevation of 6 meters above
sea level. Five minutes later, the same captain
of the ship views the top of the same
lighthouse at an angle of 30° with the
horizontal. Determine the speed of the ship if
the lighthouse is known to be 50 meters
above the sea level.
  
Solution:
h = 44m
tan 60 =

X= = 25.4m

tan 30 =

50m h X+Y=
60 30
X + Y = 76.21
6m
25.4 + Y = 76.21

x y Y = 50.81m

 
Note:
where v = velocity  
Note:
d = distance
t = time = 0.17
Example # 3
 An observer on the top of a 200 feet building
finds that the angle of depression of an open
manhole is 36°15’. How far is the manhole
from the base of the building if they are from
the same horizontal plane?
  
Solution:
tan 36̊ 15’ =
o
36 15’ d=

d = 272.77 ft
200ft

36 15’

d
Exercise
 A PLDT tower and a monument stand on a
level plane. The angles of depression of the
top and bottom of the monument viewed
from the top of the PLDT tower at 13° and 35°
respectively. The height of the tower is 50 m.
Find the height of the monument.

Ans: 33.514 m
Trigonometric Identities
An equation involving trigonometric functions
that hold all values of the variable.
Examples
Simplify:

1. sin²x (1 + cot²x)
2. sec x – (sec x) sin²x
 

4.
 
Sum and Difference Formula
Double Angle Formula
Half Angle / Power-Reducing
Formula
Examples
1. Simplify: cos (x+y) + cos (x-y)

2. Solve for x: sin 2x = cos x

3. If tan x=1/2 , tan y=1/3 , find the value of

tan (x+y)
Oblique Triangles
Sine Law and Cosine Law
Sine Law
a) One side and two angles are given.
b) Two sides and the angle opposite to one of
those sides are given.

Cosine Law
a) Three sides are given.
b) Two sides and the included angle are given.
Example #1  Solution:
C = 180 – 52 – 70
Find the value of a.° C = 58

26.7
Example #2
A boy is flying two kites at the same time. He
has 380 feet of line out of one kite and 420 to
the other. He estimates the angle between two
lines to be 30°. Approximate the distance
between the two kites.
  Solution:

380ft 30
420ft
Exercise
 The sides of a triangular lot are 130 m, 180
m and 190 m. The lot is to be divided by a
line bisecting the longest side and drawn
from the opposite vertex. Find the length of
the line.
 C  
Solution:

a=130 b=180
x
B 95 95 A
c=190
Spherical Trigonometry
Right Spherical Triangle
A right spherical triangle is one which has an
angle equal to 90 degrees. A spherical triangle
unlike a plane triangle, may have two or even
three right angles.
Napier’s Rule
•Rule # 1:
The Sine of any middle
part is equal to the
product of the tangents
of the adjacent parts.

 Rule # 2:
The Sine of any middle
part is equal to the
product of the cosines of
the opposite parts.
Napier’s Rule

 Co-functions:
Cos co-θ = Sin θ
Tan co-θ = Cot θ
Sin co-θ = Cos θ
Examples

1. Find (b) using Rule #1

Sin b = Tan co – A • Tan a

= Cot A • Tan a

Sin b = Tan
   a
Tan   A
 Examples

2. Find (b) using Rule # 2

Sin b = Cos co - B • Cos co - c

= Sin B • Sin c
Examples

3. Solve for side b of a

right spherical triangle
ABC whose parts are
a=46° , c=75° and
C=90°
Exercise

Find (A) if a = 45° and b = 60°