Trigonometry : Trigonometric Functions and Graphs

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Trigonometry

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Functions

If \displaystyle sin\ x=A, express \displaystyle sin\ 2x in terms of \displaystyle A. (\displaystyle 0< x< 30^{\circ})

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle A\sqrt{1-A^2}

\displaystyle 2A\sqrt{1-A^2}

\displaystyle 2A\sqrt{1+A^2}

\displaystyle A\sqrt{1+A^2}

\displaystyle 2\sqrt{1-A^2}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 2A\sqrt{1-A^2}

Explanation:

We need to use the double angle formula:

\displaystyle sin\ 2x=2(sin\ x)(cos\ x)

\displaystyle sin\ x is known, but we need to find \displaystyle cos \ x:

\displaystyle sin^2x+cos^2x=1\Rightarrow cos\ x=\pm \sqrt{1-sin^2x}

In this problem \displaystyle x is a first quadrant angle (\displaystyle 0< x< 30^{\circ}), so we can only use the positive value for \displaystyle cos\ x.

\displaystyle cos\ x=\sqrt{1-sin^2x}=\sqrt{1-A^2}

\displaystyle sin\ 2x=2(sin\ x)(cos\ x)=2A\sqrt{1-A^2}

Example Question #82 : Trigonometry

If  \displaystyle tan\ x=\sqrt{3}, what is the value of \displaystyle cos\ x? (\displaystyle 0^{\circ}< x< 90^{\circ})

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 0.5

\displaystyle 1

\displaystyle 0.25

\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{3}}2{}

\displaystyle 0.75

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 0.5

Explanation:

We need to use a Pythagorean identity:

\displaystyle sec^2x=1+tan^2x=1+(\sqrt{3})^2=1+3=4\Rightarrow sec\ x=\pm 2

Since \displaystyle 0^{\circ}< x< 90^{\circ}, we can only use the positive value of \displaystyle sec\ x. That means \displaystyle sec\ x=2.

\displaystyle cos\ x=\frac{1}{sec\ x}=\frac{1}{2}=0.5

Example Question #85 : Trigonometry

If  \displaystyle cot\ x=\sqrt{3}, what is the value of \displaystyle cos\ x? (\displaystyle 0^{\circ}< x< 90^{\circ})

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 0

\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}

\displaystyle 1

\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{2}}{2}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

Explanation:

We need to use a Pythagorean identity:

\displaystyle csc^2x=1+cot^2x=1+(\sqrt{3})^2=1+3=4\Rightarrow csc\ x=\pm 2

Since \displaystyle 0^{\circ}< x< 90^{\circ}, we can only use the positive value for \displaystyle csc\ x. That means \displaystyle csc\ x=2.

\displaystyle sin\ x=\frac{1}{csc\ x}=\frac{1}{2}

Based on another Pythagorean identity we have:

\displaystyle cos^2x+sin^2x=1\Rightarrow cos^2x=1-sin^2x=1-(\frac{1}{2})^2=1-\frac{1}{4}=\frac{3}{4}

\displaystyle \Rightarrow cos\ x=\pm \sqrt{(\frac{3}{4})}=\pm \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

Since \displaystyle 0^{\circ}< x< 90^{\circ}, we can again only use the positive value for \displaystyle cos\ x.

\displaystyle cos\ x=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Functions

\displaystyle sin (cot^{-1}(4/3)) = ?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \frac{4}{5}

\displaystyle \frac{5}{4}

\displaystyle \frac{5}{3}

\displaystyle \frac{3}{5}

\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{3}{5}

Explanation:

To solve this, start by setting up a triangle that has an angle with a cotangent of 4/3. This triangle would therefore have two legs of lengths 4 and 3, with the side of length 3 being opposite the angle in question. (Cotangent is adjacent over hypotenuse.) Note that the angle itself does not have to be solved for; we just need to find its sine. To do that, we first need to find the length of the hypotenuse using the Pythagorean Theorem:

\displaystyle 3^{2} + 4^{2} = c^{2}

Solving this gives a hypotenuse of length 5.  Now, the sine of this angle is opposite (i.e. the side of length 3) over hypotenuse (length 5), which gives an answer of \displaystyle \frac{3}{5}.

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Functions

Which is not true about the following function?

\displaystyle f(x) = 4cos(\pi x ) + 4

Possible Answers:

Amplitude of \displaystyle 4

No phase shift

Minimum of \displaystyle 0

Period of \displaystyle 1

Minimum of \displaystyle 0

Correct answer:

Period of \displaystyle 1

Explanation:

Breaking down the equation piece by piece, if we look at it as \displaystyle f(x) = acos(bx + c) + d:

  • \displaystyle a = d = 4. This means both that we do have an amplitude of \displaystyle 4 and a minimum of \displaystyle 4 because \displaystyle d - a = 4 - 4 = 0.
  • \displaystyle c = 0 (because it is not present), meaning that we do have no phase shift.
  • \displaystyle b = \pi. This means that our period is \displaystyle \frac{2\pi}{\pi} = 2, which means that we do not have a period of 1 and that we therefore have our answer.

Example Question #12 : Trigonometric Functions

What is the phase shift of \displaystyle f(x) = sin(2\pi x - \pi)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle -\frac{1}{2}

\displaystyle -\pi

\displaystyle \pi

\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}

\displaystyle 0

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}

Explanation:

Remember that when a trigonometric equation is written as...

\displaystyle f(x) = asin(bx - c) + d

...then the phase shift is \displaystyle c/b (instead of simply \displaystyle c.) In this problem, \displaystyle c = \pi (and take careful that you do not set \displaystyle c = -\pi by mistake) while \displaystyle b = 2\pi. Therefore, our phase shift is \displaystyle \frac{c}{b} = \frac{\pi}{2\pi} = \frac{1}{2}.

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Functions And Graphs

In this cosine function, \displaystyle t is time measured in seconds:

\displaystyle f(t) = 3cos(16\pi x - \pi) + 3

Which is not true about this function?

Possible Answers:

Minimum of \displaystyle 0

Phase shift of \displaystyle \frac{1}{4}

Amplitude of \displaystyle 3

\displaystyle y-intercept of \displaystyle 6

Frequency of \displaystyle 8 Hertz (cycles per second)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle y-intercept of \displaystyle 6

Explanation:

Examining the equation based on this form:

\displaystyle f(x) = acos(bx + c) + d

  • \displaystyle a = d = 3. This means that we do have both an amplitude of \displaystyle 3 since \displaystyle a = 3 and a minimum of \displaystyle 0 since \displaystyle d - a = 3 - 3 = 0.
  • \displaystyle c = \pi. This is not relevant until we examine \displaystyle b.
  • \displaystyle b = 16\pi. Let's examine what this means step by step:
    • Phase shift of \displaystyle \frac{1}{4} is confirmed because our phase shift is equal to \displaystyle \frac{c}{b} = \frac{1\pi}{16\pi} = \frac{1}{16}.
    • Frequency of \displaystyle 8 Hertz is confirmed. Here is why: Our period is equal to \displaystyle \frac{2\pi}{b} = \frac{2\pi}{16\pi} = \frac{1}{8} seconds, which means that the frequency is \displaystyle (\frac{1}{8})^{-1} = 8 cycles per second.

 

The phase shift and period are the important points here. If our phase shift were a multiple of our period, then our \displaystyle y-intercept would be our maximum, which is \displaystyle 6, because all we are doing in that case is shifting by an amount of periods or cycles. However, \displaystyle \frac{1}{16} is not a multiple of \displaystyle \frac{1}{8}, which means this is not the case and that we do not have a \displaystyle y-intercept of \displaystyle 6 (and it can absolutely help if you graph the function to check this.)

Example Question #93 : Trigonometry

If you want to roughly approximate an EKG (pulse/heart beat diagram) of a person with a pulse of \displaystyle 90 beats per minute using a sine function, what would \displaystyle b be equal to in the following equation?

\displaystyle f(t) = asin(bx - c) + d, where \displaystyle t is measured in seconds

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 2\pi

\displaystyle \pi

\displaystyle 4\pi

\displaystyle 3\pi

\displaystyle 5\pi

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 3\pi

Explanation:

Firstly, we need to realize that because time in this function is measured in seconds and we need to produce a function that approximates \displaystyle 90 heartbeats in \displaystyle 60 seconds (or \displaystyle 90 periods in \displaystyle 60 seconds), our frequency is...

\displaystyle \frac{90}{60} = \frac{3}{2} beats per second.

We can take the reciprocal from here to get our period for a single heartbeat:

\displaystyle (\frac{3}{2})^{-1} = \frac{2}{3} seconds.

Finally, since we know that \displaystyle \frac{2\pi}{b}must be our period, we can solve for \displaystyle b using algebra.

\displaystyle \frac{2\pi}{b} = \frac{2}{3}

\displaystyle 2b = 6\pi

\displaystyle b = \frac{6\pi}{2} = 3\pi

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Functions

What is the  y-intercept of \displaystyle f(x)=cos(x)?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle (0,1)

\displaystyle (1,0)

\displaystyle (\pi,0)

\displaystyle (0,-1)

Correct answer:

\displaystyle (0,1)

Explanation:

Step 1: Find the value of cos(0)

\displaystyle cos(0)=1\displaystyle x=0, y=1

The graph of \displaystyle cos(x) starts from \displaystyle (0,1)

Example Question #13 : Trigonometric Functions

What is the value of  \displaystyle \small \frac{\sin(105)}{\cos(105) }+\frac{\cos(105) }{\sin(105)}  ?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle \small 2

\displaystyle \small 1

\displaystyle \small -4

\displaystyle \small -2

\displaystyle \small 4

Correct answer:

\displaystyle \small -4

Explanation:

First step: make the denominators equal. To do this multiply the first fraction by \displaystyle \small \sin(105) and the second by \displaystyle \small \cos(105). You will get \displaystyle \small \frac{\sin^{2}(105) + \cos^{2}(105)}{\sin(105)*\cos(105)}  . The numerator will be 1, due to the rule. To make the denominator look something decent, multiply the whole fraction by 2 . You will get \displaystyle \small \frac{2}{2*\sin(105) *\cos(105) } Due to the \displaystyle \small \sin(2x) rule, the denominator will                 be  \displaystyle \small \sin(210), and that is \displaystyle \small -\frac{1}{2}. So, the last equation will be \displaystyle \small \frac{2}{-\frac{1}{2}}. Finally that will be equal to -4.

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