Trigonometric Functions Definitions and Examples

Trigonometric Functions Definitions, Formulas, & Examples

GET TUTORING NEAR ME!

(800) 434-2582

By submitting the following form, you agree to Club Z!'s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

    Trigonometric Functions Definitions and Examples

    Introduction

    In mathematics, the trigonometric functions are functions of an angle. They relate the angles of a triangle to the lengths of its sides. Trigonometric functions are important in the study of triangles and modeling periodic phenomena, among many other applications. In this blog post, we will explore the definitions and examples of trigonometric functions. We will also discuss some of their applications in various fields.

    Trigonometric Functions

    Trigonometric functions are mathematical functions that allow us to calculate the sides and angles of a right-angled triangle. The most commonly used trigonometric functions are sine (sin), cosine (cos) and tangent (tan).

    These functions can be used to solve problems in geometry, physics and engineering. For example, they can be used to calculate the height of a building, the distance between two points or the force of a moving object.

    In addition to the three main trigonometric functions, there are also inverse trigonometric functions which can be used to calculate the angle of a triangle if two sides are known.

    What are Trigonometric Functions?

    Trigonometric functions are mathematical functions that allow us to calculate relationships between angles and sides in triangles. The most common trigonometric functions are sine (sin), cosine (cos), and tangent (tan).

    These functions can be used to solve problems in a variety of fields, including engineering, physics, and astronomy. In each field, there are different ways to use trigonometric functions. For example, in engineering, trigonometry is often used to calculate things like the strength of beams or the amount of material needed for a project.

    In physics, trigonometry is used to understand wave behavior and calculate things like the speed of sound or the amount of light that reflecting off a surface. And in astronomy, trigonometry is used to calculate the distance to stars and planets.

    The Three Main Trigonometric Functions

    The three main trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, and tangent. These functions are used to describe the relationships between the sides and angles of a triangle.

    Sine (sin) is the ratio of the length of the side opposite to an angle to the length of the hypotenuse.

    Cosine (cos) is the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to an angle to the length of the hypotenuse.

    Tangent (tan) is the ratio of the length of the side opposite to an angle to the length of the side adjacent to that angle.

    Trigonometric Functions Formulas

    There are three main trigonometric functions: sine, cosine, and tangent. These functions have a number of properties and can be used to solve various problems in mathematics and physics. In this article, we will take a look at the definitions and examples of these functions.

    The sine function is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite to the angle to the length of the hypotenuse in a right angled triangle. For example, if we consider the angle 30 degrees, then the sine of this angle is equal to sin 30 = opposite/hypotenuse = 1/2. The cosine function is defined as the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to the angle to the length of the hypotenuse in a right angled triangle. For example, if we consider again the angle 30 degrees, then cos 30 = adjacent/hypotenuse = ?3/2. The tangent function is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite to the angle to the length of the side adjacent to that angle. Thus, for our example anglesin 30= opposite/adjacent= 1/(?3/2)= 2/?3 . These ratios remain constant for a given angle and can be used to calculate other unknown quantities in a triangle if two sides and one angle or two angles and one side are known.

    Trigonometric Functions Values

    The most basic trigonometric function is the sine function. The sine of an angle is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the hypotenuse. In a right angled triangle, this is simply written as sin(?) = opposite / hypotenuse. The inverse sine function gives us the angle for a given ratio, and is denoted by sin-1(x).

    The cosine function is similarly defined, but using the length of the adjacent side instead of the opposite side. This gives us cos(?) = adjacent / hypotenuse. As with the sine function, we can also invert this to find the angle for a given cosine ratio using cos-1(x).

    The tangent function is again similar, but this time using the length of the side adjacent to the angle divided by the length of the side opposite to it. This gives us tan(?) = adjacent / opposite. We can invert this to find angles for given tangent ratios using tan-1(x).

    There are also two more functions, known as secant and cosecant. These are just inverted versions of cosine and sine respectively: sec(?) = 1/cos(?), and cosec(?) = 1/sin(?). There are no standard inverse functions for these, so they cannot.

    Trig Functions in Four Quadrants

    Most people are familiar with the SohCahToa trigonometric functions, which are useful for finding the sides of a right-angled triangle given one angle and either one side or two other sides. However, these functions can also be used in cases where the angle is not right angled, and in fact can be used to calculate any missing side or angle in a triangle given any two known sides or angles.

    The SohCahToa functions only work in one quadrant (the top right quadrant), but there are variations of these functions that work in all four quadrants. These are known as the four main trigonometric functions: sine (sin), cosine (cos), tangent (tan) and cotangent (cot).

    To use these functions, you need to know the size of the angle you’re working with. This is usually given in degrees, but it can also be given in radians. An angle of 1 radian is about 57.3 degrees, so to convert from radians to degrees you multiply by 57.3 (or divide by 0.017453).

    The sine function gives the ratio of the length of the side opposite an angle to the length of the hypotenuse (the longest side). The cosine function gives the ratio of the length of the side adjacent to an angle to the length of the hypotenuse.

    Trigonometric Functions Graph

    Trigonometric functions are mathematical functions that allow us to relate the angles of a triangle to the lengths of its sides. The three most common trigonometric functions are sine (sin), cosine (cos), and tangent (tan).

    These functions can be graphed on a coordinate plane. The x-axis is typically labeled with the angle in degrees, while the y-axis is labeled with the function value. For example, the sin function has a range of -1 to 1, so the y-axis would be labeled accordingly.

    The sin and cos functions are periodic, meaning they repeat themselves at regular intervals. The period of these functions is 360° (2? radians). This means that if you were to graph the sin function from 0° to 360°, you would get the same shape as if you were to graph it from 360° to 720°.

    The tan function is not periodic. This means that its graph will look different depending on where you start your graphing.

    All three trigonometric functions are important in mathematics and have many applications in physics and engineering.

    Domain and Range of Trigonometric Functions

    The Domain and Range of Trigonometric Functions are the set of all real numbers for which the function produces a result, and the set of all possible results that the function can produce. The most common trigonometric functions are sine, cosine, and tangent, but there are many others. The domain of a function is the set of all input values for which the function produces a result. The range of a function is the set of all output values that the function can produce. For example, the sine function has a domain of all real numbers, and a range of -1 to 1. The cosine function has a domain of all real numbers, and a range of -1 to 1. The tangent function has a domain of all real numbers except those where the cosine is 0, and a range of -infinity to infinity.

    Trigonometric Functions Identities

    There are many trigonometric function identities that allow us to rewrite expressions in different ways. These identities can be used to simplify expressions or to solve equations. Here are some of the most common trigonometric function identities:

    • The reciprocal identity states that for any angle , the reciprocal of sine ? is cosine ? and vice versa. This means that we can rewrite expressions like sin?/cos? as cos?/sin?.

    • The Pythagorean identity states that for any angle ?, the square of sine ? plus the square of cosine ? is equal to 1. This means that we can rewrite expressions like sin2? + cos2? as 1.

    • The tangent identity states that for any angle ?, the tangent of ? is equal to sine ? divided by cosine ?. This means that we can rewrite expressions like tan?/sin? as cos?/tan?.

    Inverse Trigonometric Functions

    The inverse trigonometric functions are those that “undo” the regular trigonometric functions. In other words, they are used to find angles when you know the sides of a right triangle.

    There are three main inverse trigonometric functions: inverse sine (sin-1), inverse cosine (cos-1), and inverse tangent (tan-1). These are also sometimes written as arcsin, arccos, and arctan.

    To use an inverse trig function, you put the ratio of the two sides of a right triangle into the function. For example, if you have a right triangle with an angle of 30 degrees and a side length ratio of 1:2, you would put 1/2 into the sin-1 function to get 30 degrees.

    You can also use inverse trig functions to solve problems that involve more than one regular trig function. For example, if you have a triangle with two known angles and one known side, you can use the inverse cosine function to find the other side.

    Trigonometric Functions Derivatives

    The trigonometric functions are a set of functions that relate the angles of a triangle to the lengths of its sides. In particular, they allow us to calculate the height of a triangle given the length of its base and vice versa.

    The derivatives of the trigonometric functions are important in calculus and other branches of mathematics. They allow us to find the rate of change of the function at any point on its graph. For example, if we know the derivative of sine at x=0, then we can find the slope of the tangent line to the sine curve at that point.

    differentiation allows us to find how a function changes when X changes infinitesimally small amounts. When we differentiate trigonometric functions, we use small angle approximations because it is easier than using limits. This process is called implicit differentiation

    To differentiate trigonometric functions, we use their derivatives:

    sin(x)’ = cos(x)
    cos(x)’ = -sin(x)
    tan(x)’ = sec2(x)
    cot(x)’ = -csc2(x)
    These derivatives can be derived using either the limit definition or implicit differentiation (taking derivatives with respect to x).

    Integration of Trigonometric Function

    In mathematics, trigonometric functions are functions of an angle. They relate the angles of a triangle to the lengths of its sides. Trigonometric functions are important in many areas, such as engineering, navigation, and physics.

    The three most common trigonometric functions are sine (sin), cosine (cos), and tangent (tan). These are usually abbreviated to sin, cos, and tan. The inverse trigonometric functions are the reciprocal functions of the trigonometric functions. They are usually denoted by sin-1, cos-1, and tan-1.

    The sine function is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite to the angle to the length of the hypotenuse. It is usually abbreviated to sin(?) or simply sin ?. The cosine function is defined as the ratio of the length of the adjacent side to the length of the hypotenuse. It is usually abbreviated to cos(?) or simply cos ?. The tangent function is defined as the ratio of the length of the side opposite to the angle to that of the adjacent side. It is usually abbreviated to tan(?) or simply tan ?.

    These ratios remain constant for a given angle regardless of changes in size or position; they are called ratios because they do not involve any units of measurement (such as inches or centimeters).

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, the trigonometric functions are a set of functions that allow us to model various phenomena in the world around us. These functions are defined in terms of the ratios of sides of a right triangle, and can be used to solve for unknown values in many different situations. With a strong understanding of these functions, we can unlock a great deal of hidden knowledge about the universe and the things within it.


    Find the right fit or it’s free.

    We guarantee you’ll find the right tutor, or we’ll cover the first hour of your lesson.