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IB Studies Exam questions

Trig Transformations
Q prts in red are for extending yourself

1. The temperature in degrees Celsius during a 24 hour period is shown on the graph and is given
by the function f(t) = a cos (bt) + c, where a, b and c are constants, t is the time in hours
and (bt) is measured in degrees.

(a) Write down the value of a.

(1)

(b) Find the value of b.

(2)

(c) Write down the value of c.

(1)

(d) Write down the interval of time during which the temperature is increasing from
–4 °C to –2 °C.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 1

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 2
2. The graph of the function f(x) = a sin (bx) + c is shown below for –360° ≤ x ≤ 1080°.

(a) Write down the period of f(x).

(1)

(b) Write down the value of

(i) a;

(ii) b;

(iii) c.
(3)

P is one of the points where the graph y = f(x) intersects the x-axis. The x-coordinate of P lies
between –180° and 180°.

(c) (i) Mark and label the point P on the graph above.

(ii) Estimate the x-coordinate of P.

(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 3

3. The diagram below shows the graph of the functions:

f(x) = p cos (qx), where p, q  and g(x) = sin(x) – 1.

(a) Write down the period of f(x).

(1)

(b) Write down the value of p.

(1)

(c) Calculate the value of q.

(2)

(d) Use your graphic display calculator to find any solutions to the equation f(x) = g(x) in the
interval 180° ≤ x ≤ 360°.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 4

4. Consider the function y = 3 cos(2x) + 1.

(a) Sketch the graph of this function for 0 ≤ x ≤ 180°.

(3)

(b) Write down the period of the function.

(1)

(c) Using your graphic display calculator find the smallest possible value of x,
0 ≤ x ≤ 180°, for which 3 cos(2x) + 1 = 2.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 5

5. The graph of the function f(x) = 2 cos (4x) – 1, where 0° ≤ x ≤ 90°, is shown on the diagram
below.

(a) On the diagram draw the graph of the function g(x) = sin(2x) – 2,
for 0° ≤ x ≤ 90°.
(2)

(b) Write down the number of solutions to the equation f(x) = g(x), for 0° ≤ x ≤ 90°.
(1)

(c) Write down one value of x for which f(x) > g(x), for 0° ≤ x ≤ 90°.
(1)

f(x) < g(x) in the interval a < x < b.

(d) Use your graphic display calculator to find the value of

(i) a;

(ii) b.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 6

6. The graph of the function f(x) = a sin (bx) + c is shown below for 0° ≤ x ≤ 360°

(a) Write down the period of f(x).

(1)

(b) Write down the value of

(i) a;

(ii) b;

(iii) c.
(3)

(c) Find the number of solutions to the equation f(x) = 3 in the interval 90° ≤ x ≤ 270°.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 7

7. The following diagram shows the graph of y = a cos bx for 0° ≤ x ≤ 240°.

(a) Write down

(i) the period;

(ii) the amplitude.

(2)

(b) Find the value of

(i) a;

(ii) b.
(4)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 8

8. The depth, in metres, of water in a harbour is given by the function d = 4 sin (0.5t) + 7, where t
is in minutes, 0  t  1440.

(a) Write down the amplitude of d.

(1)

(b) Find the maximum value of d.

(1)

(c) Find the period of d. Give your answer in hours.

(2)

On Tuesday, the minimum value of d occurs at 14:00.

(d) Find when the next maximum value of d occurs.

(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 9

9. The graph below represents the temperature (T Celsius) in Washington measured at midday
during a period of thirteen consecutive days starting at Day 0.
These points also lie on the graph of the function

T(x) = a + b cos (cx), 0  x  12,

where a, b and c  .

T
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 x

(a) Find the value of

(i) a;

(ii) b.
(2)

(b) Show that c = 30.

(1)

(c) Using the graph, or otherwise, write down the part of the domain for which the midday
temperature is less than 18.5.
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 10

10. The diagram below shows the graphs of two sine functions, f(x) and g(x) , for –180° ≤ x ≤ 180°.

(a) Write down

(i) the equation of f(x);

(ii) the equation of g(x).

(4)

(b) Use your graphic display calculator to solve the equation f(x) = g(x) in the interval
–90° ≤ x ≤ 90°.
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 11

11. The graph of y = a sin 2x + c is shown below, −180  x  360, x is measured in degrees.

–180 –120 –60 60 120 180 240 300 360

–1

(a) State:

(i) the period of the function;

(ii) the amplitude of the function.

(b) Determine the values of a and c.

(c) Find the value of the first negative x-intercept.

(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 12

 sin (2 x)
12. (a) Sketch the graph of the function y =1+ for 0  x  360 on the
2
axes below.
(4)

y
2

x
90 180 270 360

–1

–2

(b) Write down the period of the function.

(1)

(c) Write down the amplitude of the function.

(1)
(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 13

13. The temperature (C) during a 24 hour period in a certain city can be modelled by the function T
(t) = – 3 sin (bt) +2, where b is a constant, t is the time in hours and bt is measured in degrees.
The graph of this function is illustrated below.

T (C)

5
4
3

0 t (hours)
–1

(a) Determine how many times the temperature is exactly 0C during this 24 hour period.

(b) Write down the time at which the temperature reaches its maximum value.

(c) Write down the interval of time in which the temperature changes from −1C to 2C.

(d) Calculate the value of b.

(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 14

14. Below is a graph of the function y = a + b sin (cx) where a, b and c are positive integers and x is
measured in degrees.

7
y
6

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

x

Find the values of a, b and c.

(Total 6 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 15

15. The graphs of three trigonometric functions are drawn below. The x variable is measured in
degrees, with 0 ≤ x ≤ 360°. The amplitude 'a' is a positive constant with 0 < a ≤ 1.

Graph A Graph B
a

2
y 0
90 180 270 360
x

–a
90 180 270 360
x

Graph C
a

0
90 180 270 360

–a

(a) Write the letter of the graph next to the function representing that graph in the box below.

FUNCTION GRAPH
y = a cos (x)
y = a sin (2x)
y = 2 + a sin (x)

(b) State the period of the function shown in graph B.

(c) State the range of the function 2 + a sin (x) in terms of the constant a.

(Total 8 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 16

16. The curve shown in the figure below is part of the graph of the function, f (x) = 2 + sin (2x),
where x is measured in degrees.

f(x)
4

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

–180–150–120 –90 –60 –30 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 x

–0.5

(a) Find the range of f (x).

(b) Find the amplitude of f (x).

(c) Find the period of f (x).

(d) If the function is changed to f (x) = 2 + sin (4x) what is the effect on the period, compared
to the period of the original function?

(Total 8 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 17

17. The diagram shows the graph of y = sin ax + b.

0 x
30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 210° 240° 270° 300° 330° 360°

(a) Using the graph, write down the following values

(i) the period;

(ii) the amplitude;

(iii) b.

(b) Calculate the value of a.

(Total 8 marks)

18. Consider the function f (x) = 2 sin x – 1 where 0 ≤ x ≤ 720°.

(a) Write down the period of the function.

(b) Find the minimum value of the function.

(c) Solve f (x) = l.

(Total 8 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 18

19. The graph below shows part of the function y = 2 sin x + 3.
y

0
x
0º 90º 180º 270º 360º 450º

(a) Write the domain of the part of the function shown on the graph.

(b) Write the range of the part of the function shown on the graph.

(Total 4 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 19

20. The diagram below shows the graph of y = – a sin x° + c, 0 ≤ x ≤ 360.
y

0 x
90 180 270 360
–1

–2

–3

Use the graph to find the values of

(a) c;

(b) a.

(Total 4 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 20

21. (a) For y = 0.5 cos 0.5 x, find

(i) the amplitude;

(ii) the period.

(b) Let y = –3 sin x + 2, where 90° ≤ x ≤ 270°.

By drawing the graph of y or otherwise, complete the table below for the given
values of y.

x y
–1
2

(Total 4 marks)

IB Questionbank Mathematical Studies 3rd edition 21