Trigonometric graphs - Higher
This circle has the centre at the origin and a radius of 1 unit.
The point P can move around the circumference of the circle. At point P the \(x\)-coordinate is \(\cos{\theta}\) and the \(y\)-coordinate is \(\sin{\theta}\) where \({\theta}\) is measured anti-clockwise from the positive \(x\)-axis.
As the point P moves anticlockwise round the circle from (1, 0), the angle \(\theta\) increases until P returns to its starting position at (1, 0) when \(\theta\) = 360掳. If P continues moving past (1, 0), \(\theta\) becomes greater than 360掳, and the next time P is at (1, 0), \(\theta\) will be 720掳. And so on. Instead of P moving anticlockwise from (1, 0), if it goes clockwise then \(\theta\) will be negative!
No matter where P is on the circle, the \(x\)-coordinate gives the value of \(\cos{\theta}\) and the \(y\)-coordinate gives the value of \(\sin{\theta}\). Thus, the values of \(\cos{\theta}\) and \(\sin{\theta}\) will sometimes be positive and sometimes negative depending on the value of \(\theta\).
The graphs of \(y = \sin{\theta}\) and \(y = \cos{\theta}\) can be plotted.
The graph of y = sin 胃
The graph of \(y = \sin{\theta}\) has a maximum value of 1 and a minimum value of -1.
The graph has a period of 360掳. This means that it repeats itself every 360掳.
The graph of y = cos 胃
The graph of \(y = \cos{\theta}\) has a maximum value of 1 and a minimum value of -1.
The graph has a period of 360掳.
The graph of y = tan 胃
This is defined as \(\tan{\theta} = \frac{o}{a}\) and from the circle \(o = \sin{\theta}\) and \(a = \cos{\theta}\).
\(\tan{\theta} = \frac{\sin{\theta}}{\cos{\theta}}\)
As the point P moves anticlockwise round the circle, the values of \(\cos{\theta}\) and \(\sin{\theta}\) change, therefore the value of \(\tan{\theta}\) will change.
The graph has a period of 180掳.
Calculating angles from trigonometric graphs
The symmetrical and periodic properties of the trigonometric graphs will give an infiniteNever ends, repeats forever. number of solutions to any trigonometric equation.
Example
Solve the equation \(\sin{x} = 0.5\) for all values of \(x\) between \(-360^\circ \leq x \leq 360^\circ\).
\(\sin{x} = 0.5\)
Using a calculator gives one solution:
\(x = 30^\circ\)
Draw the horizontal line \(y = 0.5\).
The line \(y = 0.5\) crosses the graph of \(y = \sin{x}\) four times in the interval \(-360^\circ \leq \theta \leq 360^\circ\) so there are four solutions.
There is a line of symmetry at \(x = 90^\circ\), so there is a solution at \(180 - 30 = 150^\circ\).
The period is 360掳 so to find the next solutions subtract 360掳.
The solutions to the equation \(\sin{x} = 0.5\) are:
\(x\) = -330掳, -210掳, 30掳 and 150掳.
Question
Solve the equation \(\cos{x} = 0.75\) for all values of \(x\) between \(-360^\circ \leq x \leq 360^\circ\). Give your answer to the nearest degree.
\(\cos{x} = 0.75\)
Using a calculator gives one solution:
\(x = 41^\circ\) (to the nearest degree)
Draw the horizontal line \(y = 0.75\).
The line \(y = 0.75\) crosses the graph of \(y = \cos{x}\) four times in the interval \(-360^\circ \leq x \leq 360^\circ\) so there are four solutions.
There is a line of symmetry at \(x = 0^\circ\), so there is a solution at -41掳.
The period is 360掳 so to find the other solutions add and subtract 360掳.
The solutions to the equation \(\cos{x} = 0.75\) are:
\(x\) = -319掳, -41掳, 41掳 and 319掳.
Question
Given that \(\tan{60} = \sqrt{3}\), calculate the other values of \(x\) in the interval \(0^\circ \leq x \leq 720^\circ\) for which \(\tan{x} = \sqrt{3}\).
Using a calculator gives one solution:
\(x = 60^\circ\) (to the nearest degree)
The period of the graph \(y = \tan{x}\) is 180掳 so to calculate the other solutions keep adding 180掳.
\(x\) = 60掳, 240掳, 420掳 and 600掳.