COLLEGE PHYSICS:

MATHEMATICS REVIEW

III). TRIGONOMETRY REVIEW: 1). Angular Measurements: We will use two different units to measure angles. One is the familiar 'degrees' (360o in a circle). The other is radians. An angle in radians is defined as the ratio of the arc length subtended by the angle to the radius of the circle. Thus in the figure, ! radians " #s/r .
r

"s
!

Since for a complete circle the arc length would just be the circumference s = 2 $ r, then the conversion between degrees and radians is: 360o = 2 $ radians .

Note that the unit 'radians' does not obey the usual algebraic rule for units. The ratio of arc length to radius is a pure number (no units), while the angle ! is supposed to carry units (radians). For this reason we sometimes write the unit in parentheses, e.g. For ! radians " #s/r Units: (radians) = meters/meters . 2). Trigonometric Functions: Associated with any angle are 6 numbers which are of great importance. These are given special names and symbols. The numbers can be determined from any right triangle which contains the angle of interest. For the right triangle shown, the numbers are defined by:

sin ! cos ! tan !

" opposite side = hypotenuse " adjacent side = hypotenuse " opposite side = adjacent

a/c b/c a/b

c a ! b

These 3 are the most important (of the 6). The other 3 are the inverses of these. They are: cosecant ! = 1/(sin ! ) ; secant ! = 1/(cos ! ) ; cotangent ! = 1/(tan ! )

3). Trigonometric Relations: Numerous relations between the trigonometric functions can be constructed. We present here four of the more important relations. a). Since the Pythagorean Theorem for the right triangle above is c2 = a2 + b2 , then if we divide this equation by c2 we will find: 1 = a2/c2 + b2/c2 or 1 = sin2 ! + cos2 ! .

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b). We note that if we divide sin ! = a/c by cos ! = b/c , the c's will cancel & we will obtain: (a/c)/(b/c) = a/b Hence: sin ! /cos ! = tan ! .

We have two other relations involving trig functions which are of some importance in obtuse triangles. Given the obtuse triangle shown with sides and angles all labeled, we have: c). Law of Cosines: The square of any side of a triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides plus two times the product of the other two sides times the cosine of the angle between the other sides. c2 = a2 + b2 + 2 ab cos % (or, since % = 180o - ! ) c2 = a2 + b2 - 2 ab cos ! d). Law of sines: sin ! c = sin & a = sin ' b
# b ! " c a $

Section III Exercises: 1) Convert the following angles in degrees into radians: a) 30o b) 60o c) 90o d) 180o

2) Convert the following angles in radians into degrees: a) .42 b) 1.1 c) 2.8 d) 6.7

3) For the following right triangles, determine the missing sides and angles:

a) c

b)

c) c 10 20
o

d)

"
8

4 " 5

"
b

40 a

!
12

4) For the right triangle shown, show that: sin ! = cos ( ; cos ! = sin ( ; tan ! = 1/tan (

c ! b

"

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5) For the triangle [# AOC] shown, determine all unknown quantities from the Law of Sines & Law of Cosines:
# c

6) Repeat #5 using right triangles

# ABC and # OBC

"

10

120 o 6
O

! B

Answer Key: Exercise III: 1) 2) 3) a) .536 a) 24.1o a) b) c) d) 5 & 6) c = 8.544; c = 6.403; a = 3.42; a = 14.3; c = 14.0 b) 1.047 b) 63.03o c) 1.57 ( $/2) d) 3.142 ($) d) 383.9o

c) 160.43o

& &

= 20.6o ; = 38.7o;

' '

= 69.4o = 51.3o

b = 9.40; c = 18.67;

' = 70o & = 50o ' = 21.79o; % = 60o

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&

= 38.21o;