Right Triangle

Trigonometry

Today’s Objective:

Review right triangle trigonometry from Geometry and

expand it to all the trigonometric functions.

Begin learning some of the Trigonometric identities.

1
The sides of a right -angled triangle are
given special names:
The hypotenuse, the opposite and the
adjacent.
The hypotenuse is the longest side and is
always opposite the right angle.
The opposite and adjacent sides refer to
another angle, other than the 90o.

A
The Trigonometric
Functions

SINE
COSINE

TANGENT
 Opp
Sin  
Hyp
hypotenuse
hypotenuse
opposite
opposite
Adj
Cos  
Hyp

Opp adjacent
Tan  
Adj
S OH C AH T OA
The six trigonometric functions of a right triangle, with an
acute angle , are defined by ratios of two sides of the triangle.

The sides of the right triangle are:

hyp
 the side opposite the acute angle , opp
 the side adjacent to the acute angle , θ
 and the hypotenuse of the right triangle. adj

The trigonometric functions are

sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant.
opp
sin  = cos  = adj tan  = opp
hyp hyp adj
hyp hyp
csc  = sec  = cot  = adj
opp adj opp
Calculate the trigonometric functions for  .

5
4

3
The six trig ratios are
4 3
sin  = cos  =
5 5
4 3
tan  = cot  =
3 4
5 5
sec  = csc  =
3 4
Angle of Elevation and Angle of Depression
When an observer is looking upward, the angle formed
by a horizontal line and the line of sight is called the:

angle of elevation. line of sight object

observer angle of elevation
horizontal

When an observer is looking downward, the angle formed

by a horizontal line and the line of sight is called the:

observer horizontal
angle of depression. angle of depression
line of sight
object
 Example 2:
A ship at sea is sighted by an observer at the edge of a cliff
42 m high. The angle of depression to the ship is 16. What
is the distance from the ship to the base of the cliff?

observer horizontal
cliff 16○ angle of depression
42 m line of sight

16○
ship
d
42
d= = 146.47.
tan 16
The ship is 146 m from the base of the cliff.
Example 3:
A house painter plans to use a 16 foot ladder to reach a spot
14 feet up on the side of a house. A warning sticker on the
ladder says it cannot be used safely at more than a 60 angle
of inclination. Does the painter’s plan satisfy the safety
requirements for the use of the ladder?
ladder
14 16 house
sin  = = 0.875 14
16
θ
Next use the inverse sine function to find .
 = sin1(0.875) = 61.044975

The angle formed by the ladder and the ground is about 61.
The painter’s plan is unsafe!