Chapter 1

Angles and
the
Trigonometric
Functions

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 1.5

Right Triangle
Trigonometry

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Inverse Trigonometric Functions

sin 1 ( x)   sin   x  90    90

provided and

cos 1 ( x)   cos   x 0    180

provided and

tan 1 ( x)   tan   x  90    90

provided and

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Example 2: Evaluating inverse functions
Evaluate each expression. Give the result in degrees.

 2  3
1
a. cos  b.  c. sin  
1
tan 1  3
 2   2 
Solution
a. Since cos 45  2 and 0° ≤ 45° ≤ 180°,
2
 2
cos  1
  45.
 2 

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Example 2: Evaluating inverse functions (cont)
Evaluate each expression. Give the result in degrees.

 2  3
1
a. cos  b.  c. sin  
1
tan 1  3
 2   2 
Solution
b. Since sin 60  3 and –90 ° ≤ 60° ≤ 90°,
2
 3
sin     60.
1

 2 

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Example 2: Evaluating inverse functions (cont)
Evaluate each expression. Give the result in degrees.

 2  3
1
a. cos  b.  c. sin  
1
tan 1  3
 2   2 
Solution
c. Since tan 60  3 and –90 ° < 60° < 90°,

tan 1   3   60.

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Right Triangles

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Trigonometric Functions of an Acute
Angle of a Right Triangle

If α is an acute angle of a right triangle, then

opp adj opp

sin   , cos   , and tan   ,
hyp hyp adj
hyp hyp adj
csc   , sec  , and cot   .
opp adj opp

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Example 4: Trigonometric functions in a right
triangle
Find the values of all six trigonometric functions for the
angle a of the right triangle with legs of length 1 and 4.

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Example 4: Trigonometric functions in a right
triangle
Solution
The length of the hypotenuse, c, is 4 2
 12
or 17.
Since the length of the side opposite α is 1 and the length
of the adjacent side is 4, we have
opp 1 17 adj 4 4 17
sin     , cos     ,
hyp 17 17 hyp 17 17

opp 1 hyp
tan    , csc    17,
adj 4 opp
hyp 17 adj
sec    , csc    4.
adj 4 opp
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Solving a Right Triangle
Finding all of the unknown parts is called solving the
triangle.

In solving right triangles, we usually name the acute

angles α and β (beta) and the lengths of the sides opposite
those angles a and b. The 90° angle is γ (gamma), and the
length of the side opposite γ is c.

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Example 5: Solving a right triangle
Solve the right triangle in which
α = 30° and c = 6.

Solution
Since α = 30°, γ = 90°, and the sum of the measures
of the angles of any triangle is 180°, we have β = 60°.

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Example 5: Solving a right triangle (cont)
Since sin α = opp/hyp, we have sin 30° = α > 6 and
1
a  6  sin 30  6   3.
2

Since cos α = adj/hyp, we have cos 30° = b/6 and

3
b  6  cos30  6   3 3.
2
The angles of the right triangle are 30°, 60°, and 90°, and
the sides opposite those angles are 3 3 , and 6,
respectively.

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Applications
Using trigonometry, we can find the size of an object
without actually measuring the object. Two common
terms used in this regard are angle of elevation and angle
of depression.

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Example 7: Finding the height of an object
A guy wire of length 108 meters runs from the top of an
antenna to the ground. If the angle of elevation of the top
of the antenna, sighting along the guy wire, is 42.3°, then
what is the height of the antenna?

Solution
Since α = 30°, γ = 90°, and the sum of the measures
of the angles of any triangle is 180°, we have β = 60°.

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Example 7: Finding the height of an object
(cont)

Solution

Let y represent the height of the antenna.

Since sin(42.3°) = y/108,
y = 108 · sin(42.3°) ≈ 72.7.
The height of the antenna is approximately 72.7 meters.

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