6 Trigonometry

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

6.1 Angles and Their Measures

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Objectives
 Describe angles.

 Use degree measure.

 Use radian measure.

 Convert between degrees and radians.

 Use angles to model and solve real-life

problems.
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Angles

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Angles
As derived from the Greek language, the word
trigonometry means “measurement of triangles.” Initially,
trigonometry dealt with relationships among the sides and
angles of triangles.

An angle is determined by rotating

a ray (half-line) about its endpoint.
The starting position of the ray is
the initial side of the angle, and
the position after rotation is the
terminal side, as shown in
Figure 6.1. Angle
Figure 6.1

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Angles
The endpoint of the ray is the vertex of the angle.

This perception of an angle fits a

coordinate system in which the origin
is the vertex and the initial side
coincides with the positive x-axis.

Such an angle is in standard position,

as shown in Figure 6.2.
Angle in standard position
Figure 6.2

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Angles
Positive angles are generated by counterclockwise
rotation, and negative angles by clockwise rotation, as
shown in Figure 6.3.

Figure 6.3

Angles are labeled with Greek letters  (alpha),  (beta),

and  (theta), as well as uppercase letters A, B, and C.
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Angles
In Figure 6.4, note that angles  and  have the same initial
and terminal sides. Such angles are coterminal.

Coterminal angles
Figure 6.4

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Degree Measure

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Degree Measure
The measure of an angle is determined by the amount of
rotation from the initial side to the terminal side. The most
common unit of angle measure is the degree, denoted by
the symbol .

A measure of one degree (1) is equivalent to a rotation of

of a complete revolution about the vertex.

To measure angles, it is
convenient to mark degrees on
the circumference of a circle,
as shown in Figure 6.5.
Figure 6.5
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Degree Measure
So, a full revolution (counterclockwise) corresponds to
360, a half revolution to 180, a quarter revolution to 90,
and so on.

Recall that the four quadrants in a coordinate system are

numbered I, II, III, and IV.

Figure 6.6 shows which angles

between 0 and 360 lie in each
of the four quadrants.

Figure 6.6
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Degree Measure
Several common angles with their degree measures are
shown below. Note that angles between 0 and 90 are
acute and angles between 90 and 180 are obtuse.

Acute angle: Right angle: Obtuse angle:

between 0 and 90 quarter revolution between 90 and 180

Straight angle: half revolution Full revolution

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Degree Measure
Two angles are coterminal if they have the same initial and
terminal sides. For instance, the angles 0 and 360 are
coterminal, as are the angles 30 and 390.

You can find an angle that is coterminal to a given angle 

by adding or subtracting 360 (one revolution), as
demonstrated in Example 1.

A given angle  has infinitely many coterminal angles.

For instance,  = 30 is coterminal with 30 + n(360),
where n is an integer.

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Example 1(a) – Finding Coterminal Angles

For the positive angle 390, subtract 360 to obtain a

coterminal angle.

390 – 360 = 30 See Figure 6.7.

Figure 6.7

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Example 1(b) – Finding Coterminal Angles cont’d

For the positive angle 135, subtract 360 to obtain a

coterminal angle.

135 – 360 = –225 See Figure 6.8.

Figure 6.8

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Example 1(c) – Finding Coterminal Angles cont’d

For the negative angle –120, add 360 to obtain a

coterminal angle.

–120 + 360 = 240 See Figure 6.9.

Figure 6.9

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Degree Measure
Two positive angles  and  are complementary
(complements of each other) when their sum is 90.

Two positive angles are supplementary (supplements of

each other) when their sum is 180. (See below.)

Complementary angles Supplementary angles

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Radian Measure

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Radian Measure
A second way to measure angles is in radians. This type of
measure is especially useful in calculus. To define a radian,
you can use a central angle of a circle, one whose vertex
is the center of the circle, as shown in Figure 6.10.

Arc length = radius when  = 1 radian

Figure 6.10

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Radian Measure

Because the circumference of a circle is 2 r units, it follows

that a central angle of one full revolution (counterclockwise)
corresponds to an arc length of s = 2 r.

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Radian Measure
Moreover, because 2  6.28, there are just over six radius
lengths in a full circle, as shown in Figure 6.11.

Figure 6.11

Because the units of measure for s and r are the same, the
ratio s / r has no units—it is simply a real number.
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Example 3 – Finding Angles
Find
a. the complement of  =  / 12,
b. the supplement of  = 5 / 6, and
c. a coterminal angle to  = 17 / 6.

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Example 3(a) – Solution
In radian measure, the complement of an angle is found by
subtracting the angle from  / 2, which is equivalent to 90.
So, the complement of  =  / 12 is

( / 2) – ( / 12) = (6 / 12) – ( / 12)

= 5 / 12. See Figure 6.12.

Figure 6.12
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Example 3(b) – Solution cont’d

In radian measure, the supplement of an angle is found by

subtracting the angle from , which is equivalent to 180.
So, the supplement of  = 5 / 6 is

 – (5 / 6) = (6 / 6) – (5 / 6)

=  / 6. See Figure 6.13.

Figure 6.13
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Example 3(c) – Solution cont’d

In radian measure, a coterminal angle is found by adding or

subtracting 2, which is equivalent to 360. For  = 17 / 6,
subtract 2 to obtain a coterminal angle.

(17 / 6) – 2 = (17 / 6) – (12 / 6)

= 5 / 6 See Figure 6.14.

Figure 6.14
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Conversion of Angle Measure

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Conversion of Angle Measure
Because 2 radians corresponds to one complete
revolution, degrees and radians are related by the
equations

360 = 2 rad and 180 =  rad.

From the latter equation, you obtain

and

which lead to the following conversion rules.

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Conversion of Angle Measure

Figure 6.15
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Conversion of Angle Measure
When no units of angle measure are specified, radian
measure is implied.

For instance,  = 2 implies that  = 2 radians.

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Example 4 – Converting from Degrees to Radians

a. Multiply by

b. Multiply by

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Applications

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Applications
The radian measure formula,  = s / r, can be used to
measure arc length along a circle.

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Applications
The formula for the length of a circular arc can be used to
analyze the motion of a particle moving at a constant speed
along a circular path.

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Applications
A sector of a circle is the region bounded by two radii of
the circle and their intercepted arc (see Figure 6.19).

Figure 6.19

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Applications

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Example 9 – Area of a Sector of a Circle

A sprinkler on a golf course fairway sprays water over a

distance of 70 feet and rotates through an angle of 120
(see Figure 6.20). Find the area of the fairway watered by
the sprinkler.

Figure 6.20

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Example 9 – Solution
First convert 120 to radian measure as follows.

 = 120

Multiply by

Then, using  = 2 /3 and r = 70, the area is

Formula for the area of a

sector of a circle.
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Example 9 – Solution cont’d

Substitute for r and .

Multiply.

Simplify.

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