UNIT 7

INVERSE
TRIGONOMETR-IC
FUNCTIONS
1
INVERSE TRIGONOMETRIC
FUNCTIONS
A function must be one to one before it can have an
Inverse. Lets see an example below:
f ( x)  sin x :

sin x is one to one only if it is restricted to the

domain    x  
2 2

2
 f ( x)
f ( x)  sin x
1
x
 

2
2
1
Domain:  
  x  ,x R
2 2
Range: 1 y  1 , y  R

3
 1
f ( x)
f ( x )  sin x 
2

Domain: x
1 x  1 , x  R 1 1


Range: 
2
 
  y  ,y R
2 2
Therefore, there exists a unique inverse function
called arcsine: f 1 ( x)  arcsin x
4

f 1 ( x)  sin 1 x
E.g:
3
sin 60 
2

3 
arcsin  60  Radians
2 3
1
sin

Calculator: Mode in degrees

5
 f ( x )1 f ( x )  cos x

x
 
2
1

Domain: 0 x   , x R
6

Range: 1  y  1 , y R
 f ( x)
1
f ( x)  cos x

Domain:

2
1  x  1 , x  R

x Range:
1 1 0 y   , y  R
Therefore, there exists a unique inverse fucntion
called arccos:
1
f ( x)  arccos x
7
1 1
f ( x)  cos x
 f ( x)

f ( x )  tan x

  x

2 2

Domain:    x   , x  R
2 2
8

Range: y R
 f ( x)
1
f ( x)  tan x

2
x

Domain: x  R
 Range:

2  
  y  , y  R
2 2 9
  1
E.g:1 Find the exact value of: sin  arccos 
 2

 1 1 
sin  cos   sin (60)
 2

3

2

3 2
0.866  0.707  10

2 2
E.g:2 Find the exact value of:   3  
arcsin  cos 
  4 

  3  
arcsin  cos 
  4 

 2  
sin 1      45  
 2  4
 

11
E.g:3  15 
Find the exact value of: sin  arccos 
 17 
15
arccos  28.0748694
17
 15 
sin  arccos 
17   sin 28.07248694

 0.470588235
Not Exact!!!

Thus to find the solution, we draw a triangle 12

like in unit 3 for exact value problems.

  15 
sin  ar ccos  17
 17  8y
15
  arccos 
17
15 15
cos 
17
y  17  15
2 2 2

y  8
 15 
sin  arccos   sin 
 17 
8
 13

17
UNIT 8

TRIGONOMETR-IC
EQUATIONS
14
 TRIGONOMETRIC EQUATIONS
Trigonometric equations are called:

Identities: Satisfy all values of the unknown angles

sin 
2
 cos  2
 1

Equations: Satisfy only particular values of the

unknown angles
sin   0
  0 ,
15
 If a given equation has one solution, then in general
it can have unlimited umber of solutions. Thus, the
complete solution of sin  0 is given by:
  0  2n  and     2n 
where n is any integer

Knowing the Quadrants 90

180   
2nd Quadrant 1st Quadrant
180 0 360

3rd Quadrant 4th Quadrant

180   360  
16

270
 Eg. 1 Solve the equation for 0  x  2
1
sin x 
2
Step 1 Identify the quadrants

Sine is positive in 1st and 2nd quadrants

Step 2
S A
17
T C
Step 3 Solve for 1
sin x 
2
x  30 

1st quadrant

x  30  radians
6
2nd quadrant
x  180  30
5 radians
 150 
6

Solution:
x   ,
5 radians
18

6 6
 2
Eg.2 Solve cos x  
2
Cos is negative in 2nd and 3rd quadrants
2nd quad
S A
x  180  45
T C
 135  3
cos x  
2 4
2 3rd quad x  180  45
1  2
 225  5
x  cos  
  2 
x  45 4
Ignore negative sign when 3 5
x 
19

finding inverse ,
4 4
Eg.3 Solve 4sin 2
x  2  0
4sin 2 x  2  0
2
sin x 
2

4
2 2
sin x  
4
 
2

2 2
sin x  sin x  
2 2
S A
S A
T C T C

Sine +ve in 1st and 2nd quad, -ve in 3rd and 4th quad 20
 2
sin x 
2
x  45

I : x  45 
III : x  180  45
4 5
 225 
II : x  180  45 4
 135 
3 IV : x  360  45
4  315  7
4
Solution:
 3 5 7
x  , , , 21

4 4 4 4
Eg.4 Solve sin 2 x  sin x  0
sin 2 x  2sin x cos x
2sin x cos x  sin x  0
sin x [2cos x  1]  0
sin x  0

y  sin x

x  0,  , 2
22

sin x  0
2cos x  1  0 S A
T C
2cos x  1 Cos is +ve in 1st and 4th quad
1
cos x 
2
x  60 4th quadrant
1st quadrant x  360  60
x  60 5
 300 
 3

3
 5
x  0,  , 2 ,
23
,
3 3
Eg.5 cos 2 x  cos x  0
cos 2 x  2 cos x  1
2

Use this identity as second fucntion

in the equation is cos only

2cos x  1  cos x  0
2

2cos x  cos x  1  0
2
factorize

 2 cos x  1  cos x  1  0
2cos x  1  0 cos x  1  0 24
2 cos x  1  0 Cos is -ve in 2nd & 3rdquad

1
cos x   S A
2
T C
x  60

2nd quadrant 3rd quadrant

x  180  60 x  180  60

 120  240
2 4
  25

3 3
 cos x  1  0 Or can use cos graph to
cos x  1 determine the x values.

x  0 1
Cos is +ve in 1st & 4th quad  2
S A 1
1st quadrant
x  0 T C
You can see that at x=0 and
x= 2 the y value is 1.
4th quadrant
x  360  0
 360
 2 26
 Solution:
2 4
x  0, , , 2
3 3

Note:

When sinx or cosx is equal to 0, 1 and -1 we can also use

graphs to determine the x – values. Whichever one you
find easier.

27
Eg.6 3
sin 2 x  
2
When sin2x or cos2x is equal to a value do not use the identity unlike in
Eg. 5.

Let A = 2x Sin is -ve in 3rdquad & 4tquad.

3
sin A   S A
2
A  60 T C

3rd quadrant 4th quadrant

A  180  60 A  360  60
 240  300
28
 A  240 A  300
Since 2x is the double angle, we expect to have 4 solutions in the interval
0 to 360 thus we add 360 to the values of A and then solve for x by
dividing A by 2 as A=2x
 360  360

A  240 A  300 A  600 A  660

Divide by 2

x  120 x  150 x  300 x  330

Solution:
2 5 5 11
x  , , , 29

3 6 3 6
 40 sin  x  0.73  5
Eg.7

For this question, use Rad mode

Let A = x  0.73 to find the value of A.

40 sin A  5
S
5 A
sin A  T C
40
A  0.91
1st quadrant 2nd quadrant

A  0.91 A  3.14  0.91

 2.23 30
 A  0.91 A  2.23
x  0.73  0.91 x  0.73  2.23
x  0.18 x  1.5
Solution:
x  0.18, 1.5
NOTE:
The answer has to be between 0  x  2 (6.28)
.
• If your answer is less than 0 i.e a negative value then add 6.28 to the
answer. Eg. x= -0.84 then actual answer will be x = -0.84 + 6.28 = 5.44

• if your answer is greater than 6.28 then subtract 6.28 from the answer.31
Eg. If x= 6.93 then actual answer will be x = 6.93 – 6.28 = 0.65