Chapter 4: Problem 58
In Exercises 53-68, evaluate the sine, cosine, and tangent of the angle without using a calculator. \(-840^\circ\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The sine of -840 degrees is \(-\sqrt{3}/2\), the cosine is -0.5, and the tangent is \(\sqrt{3}\).
Step by step solution
01
Normalizing the angle
First, normalize the angle to a value between 0-360 degrees, by adding multiples of 360 degrees until the angle lies in this range. Since -840 degrees is negative, it implies we are measuring the angle clockwise. Adding \(360^\circ\) times 3 or \(3 * 360 = 1080^\circ\) will bring the angle to a positive range. Therefore, \(-840^\circ + 1080^\circ = 240^\circ\). Now, the angle is 240 degrees.
02
Evaluating trigonometric functions
Next, utilize the knowledge of the unit circle to know the sine, cosine and tangent of the 240 degree angle. From a unit circle, we know that \( cos(240^\circ) = -0.5\), \(sin(240^\circ) = -\sqrt{3}/2 \), and \( tan(240^\circ) = sin(240^\circ) / cos(240^\circ);\) which simplifies to \( tan(240^\circ) = \sqrt{3}\). Here, the positive sign indicates the direction of the angle.
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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 powerful tool in Trigonometry. It simplifies the understanding and calculation of trigonometric functions like sine, cosine, and tangent. Imagine a circle drawn on a coordinate plane with its center at the origin (0,0) and a radius of 1. This is the unit circle. Each point on the circle represents an angle corresponding to the rotation from the positive x-axis.
If a point on the unit circle has the coordinates \(x, y\), then:
If a point on the unit circle has the coordinates \(x, y\), then:
- The x-coordinate represents the cosine value of that angle.
- The y-coordinate represents the sine value of that angle.
- The tangent of an angle is calculated as the sine divided by the cosine, \[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\sin(\theta)}{\cos(\theta)} \].
Angle Normalization
Angle normalization is the process of bringing an angle within a standard range. This is typically between \(0^{\circ}\) and \(360^{\circ}\) for degrees, or between \(0\) and \(2\pi\) when working with radians. If an angle is less than \(0^{\circ}\) or more than \(360^{\circ}\), it needs to be adjusted by adding or subtracting full rotations (multiples of \(360^{\circ}\)).
In the case of \(-840^{\circ}\), we normalize it by adding \(1080^{\circ}\) (or \(3 \times 360^{\circ}\)). This brings the angle to \(240^{\circ}\). Normalizing helps in finding an equivalent angle that is easier to use with the unit circle and trigonometric functions.
In the case of \(-840^{\circ}\), we normalize it by adding \(1080^{\circ}\) (or \(3 \times 360^{\circ}\)). This brings the angle to \(240^{\circ}\). Normalizing helps in finding an equivalent angle that is easier to use with the unit circle and trigonometric functions.
Sine
The sine of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the hypotenuse. In the context of the unit circle, it's the y-coordinate of the point where the terminal side of the angle intersects the circle.
For \(240^{\circ}\), which is in the third quadrant of the unit circle, both sine and cosine will have negative values. Therefore, \( \sin(240^{\circ}) = -\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \). The negative sign indicates that in the third quadrant, the angle lands in the negative y-space of the circle.
For \(240^{\circ}\), which is in the third quadrant of the unit circle, both sine and cosine will have negative values. Therefore, \( \sin(240^{\circ}) = -\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \). The negative sign indicates that in the third quadrant, the angle lands in the negative y-space of the circle.
Cosine
Cosine is similar to sine; however, it represents the x-coordinate on the unit circle. For any angle, cosine is the ratio of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse in a right triangle.
At \(240^{\circ}\), which is located in the third quadrant, \( \cos(240^{\circ}) = -0.5 \). The negative sign reflects the placement in the left part of the x-axis, as the x-value is negative.
Cosine provides us information on the horizontal alignment of the angle. Just like sine, its pattern repeats every \(360^{\circ}\).
At \(240^{\circ}\), which is located in the third quadrant, \( \cos(240^{\circ}) = -0.5 \). The negative sign reflects the placement in the left part of the x-axis, as the x-value is negative.
Cosine provides us information on the horizontal alignment of the angle. Just like sine, its pattern repeats every \(360^{\circ}\).
Tangent
Tangent is a trigonometric function represented as the ratio of sine to cosine. On the unit circle, it represents the slope of the line created by an angle.
Tangent illustrates how steep a line is at an angle, which is helpful in both geometric interpretation and algebraic solutions of problems.
- In simpler terms, \( \tan(\theta) = \frac{\sin(\theta)}{\cos(\theta)} \).
Tangent illustrates how steep a line is at an angle, which is helpful in both geometric interpretation and algebraic solutions of problems.