Trigonometry

Trigonometry is the study of relationship between the sides and angles of a

triangle.

As a part of introduction, this document contains some ratios of the sides of a

right triangle with respect to its acute angle, called trigonometric ratios of the
angle. However these ratios can be extended to other angles also. It also contains,
defined trigonometric ratios for the angles of measure 0 to 90. We will calculate
trigonometric ratios for specific angles and establish some identities involving
these ratios, called trigonometric identities.

1. Trigonometric ratios.

B A

BC – Side opposite to angle A

AB – Side Adjacent to angle A
CA – Hypotenuse

Sin of A = opposite side/hypotenuse = BC / AC

Cosine of A = Adjacent Side/hypotenuse = AB/AC
Tangent of A = Opposite Side/Adjacent Side = BC/AB
Cosecant of A = Hypotenuse/Opposite Side = AC/BC
Secant of A = Hypotenuse/Adjacent Side = AC/BC
Cotangent of A = Adjacent Side/Opposite Side = AB/BC
Note that the ratios cosec A, Sec A and cot A are respectively, the reciprocals of
the ratios Sin A, Cos A, Tan A.
Also, observe that tan A =BC/AB = (BC/AC)/(AB/AC) = sin A/cos A and cot A =
cosA/sinA.

So, the trigonometric ratios of an acute angle in a right triangle express the
relationship between the angle and the length of its sides.

Note, that the values of the trigonometric ratios of an angle do not vary with the
lengths of the sides of the triangle,if the angle remains the same.
Now, if we consider its proof, take a point P on the hypotenuse AC,
of the right triangle ABC and draw PM perpendicular to AB,
Recall the AA similarity criterion, Using the criterion, you will see that the
triangles PAM and CAB are similar. Therefore, by the property of similarity
triangles, the corresponding sides of the triangles are proportional.
So, we have (AM/AB) = (AP/AC) = (MP/BC)
(MP/AP) = (BC/AC) = sin A
(AM/AP) = (AB/AC) =cos A
(MP/AM) = (BC/AB)=tan A

B A
M
 This shows that the trigonometric ratios of angles A in triangle PAM do not
differ from those of angle A in triangle CAB.

We have defined six trigonometric ratios of an acute angle.If we know any

one of the ratios, we can obtain the other ratios.

Example: C
If in a right triangle ABC,Sin A =1/3, Then this
means that BC/AC = 1/3,
Sol: The lengths of the sides BC and AC
of the triangle ABC are in the ratio
1:3. So if BC is equal to k,then AC
Will be 3k, where k is any positive B A
Number. To determine other trigonometric ratios for the angle A, we need
to find the length of the third side AB. Let us use the Pythagoras
theorem to determine the required length AB.
AB2 = AC2 – BC2 = (3k)2 – k2 = 8k2 = (2 √2k)2
Therefore, AB = +2√2k
So we get AB = 2√2K
Now, cos A = AB/AC = (2√2K)/3K = 2√2/3
Similarly, you can obtain the other trigonometric ratios of the angle A.

Note: Since the hypotenuse is the longest side in a right triangle, the value of sin A
or cos A is always less than 1 (or ,in particular, equal to 1 ).

Trigonometric Ratios of some specific Angles C

1. Trigonometric ratios of 450

In triangle ABC, right angled at B, if one
Angle is 450, then the other angle is also 450,
So BC = AB B A
Now, suppose BC = AB = a.
Then by Pythagoras theorem, AC2 = AB2 + BC2
. a2 + a2 = 2a2
And therefore, AC = a√2.

Using the definitions of the trigonometric ratios, we have:

Sin 450 = BC/AC = a/a√2 = 1/√2
Cos 450 = AB/AC = a/a√2 = 1/√2
Tan 450 = BC/AB = a/a = 1
Also, cosec 45 = √2
Sec 45 = √2
Cot 45 = 1

2. Trigonometric ratios of 300 and600

Let us now calculate the trigonometric ratios of 300 and 600.
consider an equilateral triangle ABC, since each angle in an
equilateral triangle is 600, therefore
Angle A = Angle B = Angle C = 600 A
Draw the perpendicular AD from A to the side BC.
Now, triangle ABD≈ triangle ACD
And BD = DC
Angle BAD = Angle CAD
Now, Triangle ABD is a right triangle,right angles B C
at D with angle BAD = 30 and angle ABD = 60 D
As we know,for finding the trigonometric ratios ,we need to know the
lengths of the sides of the triangle.so let us suppose AB = 2a
Then BD = ½ BC = a
And AD2 = AB2 – BD2 = (2a)2 – a2 = 3a2
Therefore AD = a√3
Now we have,
Sin 30 = BD/AB = a/2a = ½.
Cos 30 = AD/AB = a√3/2a = √3/2
Tan30 = BD/AD = a/a√3 = 1/√3
 Also,
Cosec 30 = 1/sin 30 = 2
Sec 30 = 2/√3
Cot 30 = √3

Similarly,

Sin 60 = AD/AB = a√3/2a = √3/2

Cos 60 = 1/2
Tan 60 = √3
Cosec 60 = 2/√3
Sec 60 = 2
Cot 60 = 1/√3

3. Trigonometric Ratios of 0 and 90

C
C
C
B A B A B A

From the above fig. as angle A gets smaller ,the length of the side BC decreases.
The point C gets closer to point B, and finally when angle A becomes very close to
0,AC becomes almost the same as AB.

When angle A is very close to 0,BC gets very close to 0 and so the value of Sin A =
BC/AC is very close to 0. Also, when angle A is very close to 0, AC is nearly same as
AB and so the value of cos A = AB/AC is very close to 1.

This helps us to see how we can identify the values of sin A and cos A when A=0.
We define: sin0 = 0 and cos0 = 1.
Using these, we have:
Tan0 = 0,cot0 = 1/tan0 = not defined
Sec0 = 1/cos0 = 1,cosec0=1/sin0 = not defined
Now, let us see what happens to the trigonometric ratios of angle A,when it is
made larger in triangle ABC till it become 90. As angle A gets larger angle c gets
smaller. Therefore, as the case above, the length of the side AB goes on
decreasing. The point A gets closer to point B. Finally when angle A is very close to
90 angle C become very close to 0 and the side AC almost coincides with side BC.

C C C

A B A
B A B
When angle C is very close to 0, angle A is very close to 90,side AC is nearly the
same as side BC, and so sin A is very close to 1. Also when angle A is very close to
90 angle C is close to 0, and the side AB is nearly zero, so cos A is very close to 0.
So we define sin 90 = 1 and cos 90=0.

Note: As angle A increases from 0 to 90 sinA increases from 0 to 1 and cosA

decreases from 1 to 0.

Example: In a triangle ABC, right angled at B, AB=5cm and angle

ACB=30.determine the lengths of the sides BD and AC.
Sol: To find the length of the side BC , we will choose the trigonometric ratio
involving BC and the given side AB.Since BC if the side adjacent to angle C and AB
is the side opposite to angle C, therefore
AB/BC = tan C C
5/BC=tan 30 = 1/√3
BC=5√3cm
To find the length of the side AC, we consider
Sin 30 = AB/AC
1/2 = 5/AC B A
AC = 10cm
Note that alternatively we could have used Pythagoras theorem to determine the
third side in the example above,
AC = √(AB2+BC2) = √(52 +(5√3)2) = 10cm

Trigonometric Ratios of Complementary Angles:

Recall that two angles are said to be complementary if their sum equals 90.In
triangle ABC , right angles at B,
Angle A + angle C = 90,they form such a pair, we have,
C Sin A = BC/AC Cos A =AB/AC Tan A = BC/AB
Cosec A = AC/BC Sec A = AC/AB cot A = AB/BC
Now let us write the trigonometric ratios for angle C = 90-A.
You will find that AB is the side opposite and BC is the
side adjacent to the Angle 90-A. Therefore
Sin (90-A) = AB/AC = Cos A
Cos(90-A) = BC/AC=Sin A
Tan(90-A)=AB/BC = Cot A
Cot(90-A)=BC/AB=Tan A
B A Sec(90-A)=AC/BC =Cosec A
Cosec(90-A)=AC/AB=sec A

Example: Evaluate (tan 65/cot 25)

Sol: Cot A = tan (90-A)
Cot 25 = tan (90-25) = tan 65
Tan 65/cot 25 = tan 65/tan 65 = 1.

Trigonometric Identities
You may recall that an equation is called an identity when it is true for all
values of the variables involved. Similarly, an equation involving trigonometric
ratios of an angle is called a trigonometric identity, if it is true for all values of the
angle(s) involved.
In this section, we will prove one trigonometric identity, and use it further
to prove other useful trigonometric identities. A
In triangle ABC, right angles at B, we have:
AB2 + BC2 = AC2 ---------------------1
Dividing each term by AC2, we get
(AB/AC)2 + (BC/AC)2 = (AC/AC)2 B C
2 2
(Cos A) + (Sin A) = 1
Cos2 A + Sin2 A = 1
This is true for all A such that 0 < A < 90.So this is trigonometric identity.
Let us now divide 1 by AB2. We get
(AB/AB)2 + (BC/AB)2 = (AC/AB)2
1+ tan2A = sec2A

Let us now divide 1 by BC2, we get

(AB/BC)2 + (BC/BC)2 = (AC/BC)2
Cot2A + 1 = Cosec2A

Example: Express the ratios Cos A , Tan A and Sec A in terms of Sin A.
Sol: Cos2A + Sin2A = 1, therefore
Cos2A = 1- Sin2A
CosA = √ (1-sin2A)
TanA = SinA/CosA = SinA/ √ (1-sin2A)
Sec A = 1/CosA = 1/√(1-sin2A)