Chapter 2.

1
Trigonometry in a Right angled Triangle

2.1.1. Angles, Angle Measurement

Positive and Negative Angles

Degrees and Radians

An entire circle contains or rad.

To convert degrees to radians (or vice versa), use the proportion

Coterminal Angles

If two angles have the same initial side and the same terminal side, they are coterminal
angles. One way to find a coterminal angle of a given angle is to add to the original
angle.

An angle is in standard position if its vertex is at the origin of a rectangular coordinate

system and its initial side coincides with the positive -axis.

The angle is determined by the position of the terminal side. The angle is said to be in a
certain quadrant if its terminal side lies in that quadrant.

If the terminal side coincides with one of the coordinate axes, the angle is a quadrantal
angle.
1
2.1.2. The Trigonometric Functions

There are six possible ratios of two sides of a triangle. They are sine (sin), cosine (cos),
tangent (tan), cotangent (cot), secant (sec), and cosecant (csc).

The length of the hypotenuse is , the length is for the side opposite angle , and the
other side is adjacent to angle . We can use these descriptions of the sides to rephrase our
definitions for the trigonometric function.

With these relationships, we can find any trigonometric functions of any angle of a right
triangle.

2
 Trigonometric Functions of Complementary Angles

If and are complementary angles, then

Reciprocal Identities

Quotient Identities

When denominator is zero, none of these identities is true.

Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle

Reference Angles

The acute angle, , between the terminal side side of and -axis is called the reference
angle for .

3
4
Note: The reference angle is always measured from the -axis and never from -axis.

Example 1

Given the point on the terminal side of an angle .

Find the six trigonometric functions of .

Example 2

Given the point on the terminal side of an angle .

Find the six trigonometric functions of .

Example 3

Given the point on the terminal side of an angle .

Find the six trigonometric functions of .

5
Example 4

A point on the terminal side of an angle has the coordinates . Write the six
trigonometric functions of to three decimal places.

2.1.3 The Right Triangle

The side opposite each of these vertices is labeled with the lowercase version of the same
letter. Thus, side opposite , side is opposite , and side is opposite . Since
this is a right triangle, angles and are complementary. To solve a triangle means to find
the sizes of all unknown sides and angles.

Example 5

Given and , solve the right triangle .

Example 6

Solve right triangle ( ), if and .

Example 7

Solve for the right triangle if rad and , as shown in the figure.

6
Angles of Elevation or Depression

Frequently when solving problems involving trigonometry, we have to use the angle of
elevation, which is the angle, measured from the horizontal, through which an observer
would have to elevate his or her line of sight in order to see an object. Similarly, the angle
of depression is the angle, measured from the horizontal, through which an observer has to
lower his or her line of sight in order to see an object.

Example 8

A person is standing from the base of a tower. The angle of elevation to the top of the
tower is . How high is the tower?

Example 9

Two people are in a hot air balloon. One of them is able to get a sighting from the gondola
of the balloon as it passes over one end of a football field. The angle of depression to the
other end of the football field is . This person knows that the length of the football
field is yd. how high was the balloon when it went over the football field?

Exercise 2.1

1 In Exercises (i to viii), find the values of the indicated functions. In Exercises (i to iv),
give answers in exact form. In Exercises(v to viii), the values are approximate.

i. Given cos 𝜽=12/13, find sin 𝜽 and cot 𝜽.

ii. Given sin 𝜽=1/2, find cos 𝜽 and csc 𝜽.
iii. Given tan 𝜽=2, find sin 𝜽 and sec 𝜽.
iv. Given sec 𝜽=√ , find tan 𝜽 and cos 𝜽.
v. Given sin 𝜽=0.750, find cot 𝜽 and csc 𝜽.
vi. Given cos 𝜽=0.0326, find sin 𝜽 and tan 𝜽.
vii. Given cot 𝜽=0.254, find cos 𝜽 and tan 𝜽.
viii. Given csc 𝜽=1.20, find sec 𝜽 and cos 𝜽.

7
2 If y = sin 𝜽, what is cos 𝜽 in terms of y?

3 A brace is used in the structure shown in Fig. 3. Its length is .

Find l if a = 28.0 cm and 𝜽 = 34.5o.

4 One World Trade Center refers to the main building of the rebuilt World Trade
Center in New York City, which was opened in 2014.
A person standing on level ground 350.0 ft from the base of the building must look
upward (from the ground) at an angle of 78.85° to see the tip of the spire on top of
the building. Use a right triangle to find the height of the building to 4 significant
digits. (Does your answer remind you of a famous date in U.S. history?) (This
problem is included in memory of those who suffered and died as a result of the
terrorist attack of September 11, 2001.)

5 In 2000, about 70 metric tons of soil were removed from under the Leaning Tower
of Pisa, and the angle the tower made with the ground was increased by about 0.5°.
Before that, a point near the top of the tower was 50.5 m from a point at the base
(measured along the tower), and this top point was directly above a point on the
ground 4.25 m from the same base point. See Fig. 5. How much did the point on the
ground move toward the base point?

6 On level ground, a tree 12.0 m high has a shadow 85.0 m long. What is the angle of
elevation of the sun?

7 In order to determine the length of a lake, a surveyor places poles in the ground at
points A, B, and C and makes the measurements shown in Fig. 7. Determine the
length of the lake, DE.

8
8 The bottom of the doorway to a building is 2.65 ft above the ground, and a ramp to
the door for the disabled is at an angle of 6.0° with the ground. How much longer
must the ramp be in order to make the angle 3.0°?

9 A rectangular piece of plywood 4.00 ft by 8.00 ft is cut from one corner to an

opposite corner. What are the angles between edges of the resulting pieces?

10 Part of the Tower Bridge in London is a drawbridge. This part of the bridge is 76.0
m long. When each half is raised, the distance between them is 8.0 m. What angle
does each half make with the horizontal?

11 A surveyor sights two points directly ahead. Both are at an elevation 18.525 m
lower than the observation point. How far apart are the points if the angles of
depression are 13.500° and 21.375°, respectively? See Fig.

9
12 From a ship at sea, the angles of elevation of the top and bottom of a vertical
lighthouse standing on the edge of a vertical cliff are 31◦ and 26◦, respectively. If
the lighthouse is 25 m high, calculate the height of the cliff correct to one decimal
place.

13 From a point on level ground, the angles of elevation of the top and the bottom of
an antenna standing on top of a building are 34 o and 27o respectively. If the
building is 45 m high, how tall is the antenna? Give the answer correct to two
decimal places.

14 A vertical power pole on level ground is supported by two wires that run from
the top of the pole to the ground as shown in Figure. One wire is 8.5 m long and
makes an angle of 55.6o with the ground and the other wire is 7.8 m long. Find
the height of the pole (to three decimal places) and the angle (nearest degree)
that the second wire makes with the ground.

Figure

15 From the top of a vertical cliff 80.0m high the angles of depression of two buoys
lying due west of the cliff are 23◦ and 15◦, respectively. How far apart are the
buoys? Give your answer to 1 decimal place.

10