CE543 | CE CORRELATION COURSE

CHAPTER 2
FUNDAMENTALS
OF TRIGONOMETRY

MODULE 3
PLANE TRIGONOMETRY
This module serves as a review for the BSCE graduating students in the
fundamental principles of trigonometry aligned with the scope and provisions of
the civil engineering licensure examination to ensure that they will meet the
necessary technical and professional knowledge to face the board examination
with confidence and ease.

Objectives
• To provide a refresher course for the fundamental principles of
trigonometry.

3.1 Plane Triangles

• Functions of a Right Triangle

SOH, CAH, TOA, CAO, SHA, CHO

• Pythagorean Theorem
𝑐 2 = 𝑎2 + 𝑏 2
E3-1 The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 34 cm. Find the length of the two legs,
if one leg is 14 cm longer than the other.

E3-2 At full swing, a pendulum 8 m long, subtends an angle of 34 degrees. How

high does the bob of the pendulum rise above its rest position?

3.2 Trigonometric Identities

• Reciprocal Relations

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• Even-Odd Identities
sin(−𝜃 ) = − sin 𝜃 cos(−𝜃 ) = cos 𝜃
tan(−𝜃 ) = − tan 𝜃 cot(−𝜃 ) = − cot 𝜃
sec(−𝜃 ) = sec 𝜃 csc(−𝜃 ) = − csc 𝜃
• Cofunction Identities
sin 𝜃 = cos(90 − 𝜃 ) cos 𝜃 = sin(90 − 𝜃 )
tan 𝜃 = cot(90 − 𝜃 ) cot 𝜃 = tan(90 − 𝜃 )
sec 𝜃 = csc(90 − 𝜃 ) csc 𝜃 = sec(90 − 𝜃 )
• Pythagorean Relations
sin2 𝐴 + cos 2 𝐴 = 1
1 + cot 2 𝐴 = csc2 𝐴
1 + tan2 𝐴 = sec2 𝐴
• Sum and Difference of Angles
sin(𝐴 ± 𝐵) = sin 𝐴 cos 𝐵 ± cos 𝐴 sin 𝐵
cos(𝐴 ± 𝐵) = cos 𝐴 cos 𝐵 ∓ sin 𝐴 sin 𝐵
tan 𝐴 ± tan 𝐵
tan(𝐴 ± 𝐵) =
1 ∓ tan 𝐴 tan 𝐵
• Double Angle
sin 2𝐴 = 2 sin 𝐴 cos 𝐴
cos 2𝐴 = cos 2 𝐴 − sin2 𝐴
2 tan 𝐴
tan 2𝐴 =
1 − tan2 𝐴
• Half Angle

𝐴 1 − cos 𝐴
sin = ±√
2 2

𝐴 1 + cos 𝐴
cos = ±√
2 2

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𝐴 1 − cos 𝐴 sin 𝐴
tan = =
2 sin 𝐴 1 + cos 𝐴
sin 𝜃 cos 𝜃
E3-3 Evaluate 1+cos 𝜃 + sin 𝜃

a. Sin(θ) b. Csc(θ) c. Cot(θ) d. Sec(θ)

E3-4 If A+B+C=180° and tanA+tanB+tanC=5.67, find the value of tanAtanBtanC

3.3 Oblique Triangles

• Sine Law
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
= =
sin 𝑎 sin 𝑏 sin 𝑐
• Cosine Law
𝑎2 = 𝑏2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑏𝑐 cos 𝐴
𝑏2 = 𝑎2 + 𝑐 2 − 2𝑎𝑐 cos 𝐵
𝑐 2 = 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 − 2𝑎𝑏 cos 𝐶
E3-5 A tower 125 ft high is on a cliff on the bank of a river. From the top of the
tower, the angle of depression of a point on the opposite shore is 28°40’,
and from the base of a tower, the angle of depression of the same point is
18°20’. Find the width of the river and the height of the cliff.

3.4 Angles

Angle is the space between two rays that extend from a common point
called the vertex.

An Acute Angle is an angle < 90°

A Right Angle is an angle = 90°
An Obtuse Angle is an angle > 90°
A Straight Angle is an angle = 180°
A Reflex Angle is an angle > 180°
Complementary Angles are angles whose sum is 90°
Supplementary Angles are angles whose sum is 180°
Explementary Angles are angles whose sum is 360°

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• Units of Angle
𝜋
90° = 𝑟𝑎𝑑 = 100 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑠 = 1600 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑠
2

3.5 Properties of Triangle

• Area of a Triangle
1
𝐴𝑅𝐸𝐴 = 𝑏ℎ
2
1
𝐴𝑅𝐸𝐴 = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝜃
2
𝑎+𝑏+𝑐
𝐴𝑅𝐸𝐴 = √𝑠(𝑠 − 𝑎)(𝑠 − 𝑏)(𝑠 − 𝑐 ) ; 𝑠 =
2

E3-6 Three circles with radii 3.0, 5.0, and 9.0 cm are externally tangent. What is
the area of the triangle formed by joining their centers?

3.6 Ambiguous Cases

E3-7 Given the triangle ABC, how many possible triangles can be formed for the
following conditions:

a. BC=15cm, AC=7cm, AB=8cm

b. AB=37cm, AC=26cm, angle B=32.5°

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