Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Because PQ has length y 1, OQ length x 1, and OP has length 1 as a radius on the unit circle, sin(t) = y 1 and cos(t) = x 1. Having established these equivalences, take another radius OR from the origin to a point R(−x 1,y 1) on the circle such that the same angle t is formed with the negative arm of the x-axis.
which by the Pythagorean theorem is equal to 1. This definition is valid for all angles, due to the definition of defining x = cos θ and y sin θ for the unit circle and thus x = c cos θ and y = c sin θ for a circle of radius c and reflecting our triangle in the y-axis and setting a = x and b = y.
Ptolemy's theorem states that the sum of the products of the lengths of opposite sides is equal to the product of the lengths of the diagonals. When those side-lengths are expressed in terms of the sin and cos values shown in the figure above, this yields the angle sum trigonometric identity for sine: sin(α + β) = sin α cos β + cos α sin β.
Animation demonstrating how the sine function (in red) is graphed from the y-coordinate (red dot) of a point on the unit circle (in green), at an angle of θ. The cosine (in blue) is the x-coordinate. Using the unit circle definition has the advantage of drawing a graph of sine and cosine functions.
To extend the sine and cosine functions to functions whose domain is the whole real line, geometrical definitions using the standard unit circle (i.e., a circle with radius 1 unit) are often used; then the domain of the other functions is the real line with some isolated points removed.
The meaning of these terms is apparent if one looks at the functions in the original context for their definition, a unit circle: For a vertical chord AB of the unit circle, the sine of the angle θ (representing half of the subtended angle Δ) is the distance AC (half of the chord).
Trigonometric ratios can also be represented using the unit circle, which is the circle of radius 1 centered at the origin in the plane. [37] In this setting, the terminal side of an angle A placed in standard position will intersect the unit circle in a point (x,y), where x = cos A {\displaystyle x=\cos A} and y = sin A {\displaystyle ...
The figure at the right shows a sector of a circle with radius 1. The sector is θ/(2 π) of the whole circle, so its area is θ/2. We assume here that θ < π /2. = = = = The area of triangle OAD is AB/2, or sin(θ)/2.