Chapter 5: Problem 28
Find the exact value of each of the following expressions without using a calculator. $$\csc \left(240^{\circ}\right)$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The exact value of \( \text{csc}(240^{\text{°}}) = -\frac{2\text{√3}}{3} \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the related angle in the unit circle
The angle given is \(240^{\text{°}}\). Since the unit circle completes one full cycle at 360°, calculating \(240^{\text{°}}\) is straightforward. \(240^{\text{°}}\) is in the third quadrant.
02
Determine the reference angle
In the third quadrant, the reference angle \( \theta_{ref} \) for \(240^{\text{°}}\) is obtained by subtracting \(180^{\text{°}}\). Therefore, \(240^{\text{°}} - 180^{\text{°}} = 60^{\text{°}}\).
03
Find the sine of the reference angle
Know that \( \text{sin}(60^{\text{°}}) = \frac{\text{√3}}{2} \). Also, since \(240^{\text{°}}\) is in the third quadrant and sine is negative there, \(\text{sin}(240^{\text{°}}) = -\frac{\text{√3}}{2} \).
04
Calculate the cosecant
The cosecant function is the reciprocal of the sine function. Thus, \(\text{csc}(240^{\text{°}}) = \frac{1}{\text{sin}(240^{\text{°}})}\). By substituting, \( \text{csc}(240^{\text{°}}) = \frac{1}{-\frac{\text{√3}}{2}} = -\frac{2}{\text{√3}} \).
05
Rationalize the denominator
To rationalize \( -\frac{2}{\text{√3}} \), multiply both the numerator and the denominator by \( \text{√3} \) to get \(-\frac{2 \times \text{√3}}{3} = -\frac{2\text{√3}}{3} \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Unit Circle
The unit circle is a fundamental concept in trigonometry. It is a circle with a radius of one, centered at the origin of a coordinate plane. This circle helps to define trigonometric functions for all angles.
Within the unit circle:
Within the unit circle:
- Angles are measured starting from the positive x-axis and move counterclockwise.
- Each angle has coordinates on the circle corresponding to \( ( \text{cos}(\theta), \text{sin}(\theta) ) \), where \( \theta \) is the angle in radians or degrees.
- The unit circle is divided into four quadrants, with specific angle ranges for each.
Reference Angle
Reference angles are useful for simplifying trigonometry problems. They are the smallest angle that a given angle makes with the x-axis.
Here's how to find the reference angle for any given angle:
Here's how to find the reference angle for any given angle:
- For angles in the first quadrant, the reference angle is the same as the original angle.
- In the second quadrant, subtract the angle from \(180^{\circ}\).
- In the third quadrant, subtract \(180^{\circ}\) from the angle.
- In the fourth quadrant, subtract the angle from \(360^{\circ}\).
Cosecant Function
The cosecant function, denoted as \( \text{csc}(\theta) \), is the reciprocal of the sine function. This means:
\[ \text{csc}(\theta) = \frac{1}{\text{sin}(\theta)} \]
\[ \text{csc}(\theta) = \frac{1}{\text{sin}(\theta)} \]
- We use the cosecant function to find out the ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side in a right triangle.
- It is undefined for angles where the sine is zero (e.g., \(0^{\circ}, 180^{\circ}, 360^{\circ}\)).
Rationalizing Denominators
Rationalizing the denominator involves modifying a fraction so that the denominator becomes a rational number (i.e., no square roots).
Here’s the step-by-step process:
Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Take the fraction \( -\frac{2}{\text{√3}} \) which needs rationalizing.
- Multiply the numerator and the denominator by \( \text{√3} \), which gives:
\[ -\frac{2}{\text{√3}} \times \frac{\text{√3}}{\text{√3}} = -\frac{2 \times \text{√3}}{\text{√3} \times \text{√3}} = -\frac{2 \text{√3}}{3} \]