Chapter 5: Problem 8
Find the exact value. (a) \(\sin 210^{\circ}\) (b) \(\sin \left(-315^{\circ}\right)\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
(a) -1/2, (b) \(\sqrt{2}/2\)
Step by step solution
01
Determine the Reference Angle for 210°
The angle 210° is in the third quadrant where sine is negative. The reference angle is the positive acute angle that 210° makes with the x-axis. To find it, subtract 180° from 210°: \[ 210^{\circ} - 180^{\circ} = 30^{\circ} \] Thus, the reference angle is 30°.
02
Calculate Sine of the Reference Angle
The sine value for the reference angle of 30° is known from the unit circle: \[ \sin 30^{\circ} = \frac{1}{2} \] Since 210° is in the third quadrant, where sine is negative, \[ \sin 210^{\circ} = -\sin 30^{\circ} = -\frac{1}{2} \]
03
Determine the Reference Angle for -315°
Convert -315° to a positive angle by adding 360°: \[ -315^{\circ} + 360^{\circ} = 45^{\circ} \] This means -315° has the same trigonometric values as 45°.
04
Calculate Sine of the Positive Angle
Since -315°'s equivalent positive angle is 45°, and knowing that sine is positive in the first quadrant where 45° lies:\[ \sin 45^{\circ} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \] Therefore, \[ \sin (-315^{\circ}) = \sin 45^{\circ} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Sine Function
The sine function is a fundamental concept in trigonometry, representing the ratio of the length of the side opposite to a given angle in a right triangle to the length of the hypotenuse. More formally, if you have a right triangle with an angle \( \theta \), the sine of \( \theta \) can be expressed as: \[ \sin(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite side}}{\text{hypotenuse}} \] This function is periodic and has a range from -1 to 1, meaning that the sine of any angle will always result in a value between -1 and 1.
- It repeats every 360°, which means adding or subtracting 360° from an angle provides the same sine value.
- It's useful in problems involving waveforms and oscillations owing to its periodic nature.
Reference Angle
The concept of a reference angle is a handy tool in trigonometry. A reference angle is the smallest angle that the terminal side of a given angle makes with the x-axis.
- It simplifies the process of finding sine, cosine, and tangent values for angles larger than 90° or negative angles.
- The reference angle is always a positive acute angle (less than 90°), which simplifies calculations.
Unit Circle
The unit circle is a circle with a radius of one, centered at the origin (0,0) on the coordinate plane. It provides a simple way to visualize trigonometric functions like sine and cosine.
- Each point on the unit circle corresponds to the cosine and sine of an angle.
- For a given angle \( \theta \), the x-coordinate of the point on the unit circle is \( \cos(\theta) \) and the y-coordinate is \( \sin(\theta) \).
Quadrants
In the coordinate system, quadrants are the four sections of the plane, split by the x-axis and y-axis. Each quadrant has distinct properties regarding the signs of trigonometric functions.
- The first quadrant: both sine and cosine are positive here.
- The second quadrant: sine is positive, but cosine is negative.
- The third quadrant: both sine and cosine are negative.
- The fourth quadrant: sine is negative, but cosine is positive.