Chapter 5: Problem 9
Find the exact value of the trigonometric function at the given real number. (a) \(\cos \frac{3 \pi}{4}\) (b) \(\cos \frac{5 \pi}{4}\) (c) \(\cos \frac{7 \pi}{4}\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
(a) \(-\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\), (b) \(-\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\), (c) \(\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\)
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Quadrant
First, determine which quadrant each angle corresponds to by considering their positions on the unit circle. (a) \( \frac{3\pi}{4} \) is in the second quadrant. (b) \( \frac{5\pi}{4} \) is in the third quadrant. (c) \( \frac{7\pi}{4} \) is in the fourth quadrant.
02
Use Reference Angles
Find the reference angle for each given angle, which is the acute angle formed with the x-axis.(a) The reference angle for \( \frac{3\pi}{4} \) is \( \pi - \frac{3\pi}{4} = \frac{\pi}{4} \).(b) The reference angle for \( \frac{5\pi}{4} \) is \( \frac{5\pi}{4} - \pi = \frac{\pi}{4} \).(c) The reference angle for \( \frac{7\pi}{4} \) is \( 2\pi - \frac{7\pi}{4} = \frac{\pi}{4} \).
03
Determine the Sign Based on Quadrant
Determine the sign of the cosine function in each respective quadrant.(a) In the second quadrant, cosine is negative: \( \cos \frac{3\pi}{4} = -\cos \frac{\pi}{4} \).(b) In the third quadrant, cosine is also negative: \( \cos \frac{5\pi}{4} = -\cos \frac{\pi}{4} \).(c) In the fourth quadrant, cosine is positive: \( \cos \frac{7\pi}{4} = \cos \frac{\pi}{4} \).
04
Calculate Cosine of Reference Angles
Calculate the cosine of the reference angle \( \frac{\pi}{4} \). The value is the same for each case due to the reference angle being the same.\( \cos \frac{\pi}{4} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \).
05
Apply Signs to Results
Apply the determined sign from each quadrant to the calculated cosine value of the reference angle.(a) \( \cos \frac{3\pi}{4} = -\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \).(b) \( \cos \frac{5\pi}{4} = -\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \).(c) \( \cos \frac{7\pi}{4} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \).
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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 really helpful tool for understanding trigonometric functions like cosine, sine, and tangent. It’s a circle with a radius of 1, centered at the origin of a coordinate system. This makes it easy to relate angles to points on the circle. In the unit circle:
- The x-coordinate of a point is the cosine of the angle.
- The y-coordinate of a point is the sine of the angle.
Reference Angles
A reference angle is like a helper to find the trigonometric function values of any angle. It's the smallest angle that a given angle makes with the x-axis, and it is always an acute angle (less than 90° or \( \frac{\pi}{2} \) radians). Reference angles are the same for angles that appear in different quadrants. To find the reference angle:
- For angles in the first quadrant, the reference angle is the angle itself.
- For angles in the second quadrant, subtract the angle from \( \pi \) (or 180°).
- For angles in the third quadrant, subtract \( \pi \) from the angle.
- For angles in the fourth quadrant, subtract the angle from \( 2\pi \) (or 360°).
Quadrants
The coordinate plane is divided into four sections called quadrants. These quadrants are numbered from 1 to 4 in a counter-clockwise direction:
- The first quadrant is where both x and y are positive.
- The second quadrant has a positive y and a negative x.
- The third quadrant has both coordinates negative.
- The fourth quadrant has a negative y and a positive x.
- is positive in the first and fourth quadrants.
- is negative in the second and third quadrants.
Cosine Function
The cosine function, often represented as \( \cos \), relates the angle in a right triangle to the ratio of the adjacent side over the hypotenuse. In the unit circle, the cosine of an angle is the x-coordinate of the point where the terminal side of the angle intersects the circle.
- For angles in the unit circle, the cosine function provides the horizontal distance from the origin to the terminal point.
- The function is periodic, repeating every \( 2\pi \) radians or 360°.
- The cosine function values range between -1 and 1.