Chapter 3: Problem 2
Use the unit circle to evaluate each function. \(\cos 225^{\circ}\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
\(\cos 225^{\circ} = -\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\)
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Angle on the Unit Circle
Locate the angle \(225^{\circ}\) on the unit circle. This angle is in the third quadrant because it is between \(180^{\circ}\) and \(270^{\circ}\).
02
Determine the Reference Angle
The reference angle for \(225^{\circ}\) is \(225^{\circ} - 180^{\circ} = 45^{\circ}\). Reference angles help in identifying the coordinates on the unit circle.
03
Recall Coordinates for the Reference Angle
For the reference angle \(45^{\circ}\), in the first quadrant, the coordinates are \((\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}, \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2})\).
04
Adjust Coordinates for the Third Quadrant
In the third quadrant, both the x and y coordinates are negative. Hence, transform the coordinates to \((-\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}, -\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2})\).
05
Find the Cosine Value
The cosine value is the x-coordinate of the point on the unit circle. Therefore, \(\cos 225^{\circ} = -\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Cosine Function
The cosine function is one of the primary trigonometric functions and plays a vital role in understanding angles and triangles, especially in the context of a unit circle. It associates an angle with the x-coordinate of a point on the unit circle.
- A unit circle is a circle with a radius of one centered at the origin (0,0) of a coordinate plane.
- The cosine of an angle provides the horizontal distance from the center of the circle to its boundary for that angle.
- This function is periodic, repeating values at regular intervals of 360° or 2π radians.
Reference Angle
A reference angle is critical in simplifying the process of finding trigonometric values for non-standard angles. It is the acute angle formed by the terminal side of a given angle and the horizontal axis.
- The reference angle always lies between 0° and 90° (or between 0 and π/2 radians).
- This angle helps to utilize known values of trigonometric functions from the first quadrant.
- The rule to find the reference angle varies slightly depending on the angle's quadrant.
Trigonometric Functions
Trigonometric functions, including cosine, sine, and tangent, are fundamental to mathematics and have a widespread application across different fields. These functions relate the angles of a triangle to the lengths of its sides in right-angled triangles.
- The major trigonometric functions are sine, cosine and tangent, each representing a ratio of two sides of a triangle.
- Cosine (cos) relates the adjacent side over the hypotenuse.
- Sine (sin) relates the opposite side over the hypotenuse.
- Tangent (tan) relates the opposite side over the adjacent side.