TRIGONOMETRY

TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS ON RIGHT

TRIANGLES
 Trigonometry , which comes from the greek word “ trigonon” ( three
angles ) and “metron” (measure ), is a branch of mathematics that deals with
angles, triangles, and trigonometric functions. Using a right triangles, we can
define the different trigonometric functions.
 C
60º

A 30º B

Triangle ABC is a right with m<B = 90º. if m<A=30º and m<C= 60º, what can you
say about the relationship between the sides of the triangle?
 The figure below is right triangle ABC with c= 90º. Capital letters are used
to represent the vertices of the triangle and the small letters are used for
the corresponding lengths of the opposite sides. The three sides of a right
triangle are labeled as the hypotenuse, the side opposite the angle and the
side adjacent to the angle

Hypotenuse c

Opposite a

A C
Adjacent b
 Using the lengths of the three sides of a right triangle, we can define six
ratios that we can call trigonometric ratios ( or trigonometric functions ) with
respect to an acute angle. These functions are called sine, cosine, tangent,
cosecant, secant, and cotangent, and they are defined as follows with respect to
an acute angle

sin = = csc = =

cos = = sec = =

tan = = cot = =

Because of similarity of triangles, the values of these trigonometric ratios are

independent of the size of the right triangle.
1. In the given right triangle, find the values of the six trigonometric
functions of

5 4

The side opposite angle is 4, the side adjacent to is 3 and the hypotenuse 5. therefore, sin

sin = , cos = , tan = , csc = , sec = , cot =

2. In right ABC, a =7 and b = 24. Find the values of the six trigonometric functions of B.
B

c a=7

A C
b = 24
Since only two measurements are given, we need to use the pythagorean theorem to find the measure of the
remaining side so that we will be able to find the values of the six trigonometric functions of B.
C=
=
=
= 25
The side opposite angle B is 24, and the side adjacent to B is 7. therefore,
sin B = , cos B = , tan B = , csc B = , sec B = , cot B = .
For each of the following trigonometric values, find the values of the other five
trigonometric functions of the acute angle .

1. sin = 6. tan =

2. cos = 7. cos =

3. tan = 8. sin =

4. sin = 9. sec = 2

5. cos = 10. tan =

Trigonometric Ratios on Calculator
Angle measurement using degree system

Let us consider a complete circle which measure 360º, then 1 degree (1º) is of a full rotation. A
degree itself can be broken down further into 60 equal parts with each part called 1 minute . Denote this as
1'. Hence, one minute is of a degree . In other words, there are 60 minutes in every degree. The next
smaller unit of angle measure is a second. One second is denoted as 1 or of a minute. Thus, there are 60
seconds in every minute.

1º = 60 or 1 = ( )º 1 = 60 or 1 "= ( )’
Table below shows how to red angles written in degree measure.

The expression Is read As

52º 10' 52 degrees , 10 minutes

55225
5º 27' 30 5 degrees, 27 minutes, 30 seconds
13º 24’ 75“ 13 degrees, 24 minutes, 75 seconds
Example 1: add 48º 49' and 72º 26’
Solution : We can add in column with degrees in the first column and
minutes in the second column.

48º 49'
+ 72º 26'
120º75'

Since 60 minutes is equal to 1 degree, we can carry 1 degree from the

minutes column to the degrees column.

120º 75’ = 121º 15’

Example 2: subtract 24º 14’ from 90º.
Solution: In order to subtract 24º 14’ from 90º we need to borrow 1º and
write that 1º as 60 .

90º 89º 60’ ( still 90 º)

- 24º 14’ - 24º 14’
_________ _________
65º 46'
 An alternative way of using minutes and seconds is to break down degrees
into smaller units in the decimal degrees. For example, 30.5º, 101.75º, and
62.831º are the measures of angles written in decimal degrees.

To convert from decimal degrees to degrees and minutes, we simply

multiply the fractional part ( the part to the right of the decimal
point ) of the angle by 60.

Example 3: Change 27.25º to degrees and minutes.

Solution: Multiply 0.25 by 60 we have the number of minutes

equivalent to 0.25º
27.25º = 27º + 0 .25º
= 27º + 0.25 ( 60' )
= 27º + 15'
= 27º 15'
Example 4:
Change 10º 45’ to decimal degrees.

Solution: We have to reverse the process we used in example 3. To

change 45’ to a decimal we must divide by 60.

10º 45’ = 10º + 45’ = 10º + 45 ( )º

= 10 º + = 10º + 0.75º = 10.75º
USE OF CALCULATORS ON TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS
 Consequently, the only angles we were able to determine using the trigonometric ratios were
those special angles such as 0º, 30º, 45º, 60º, and 90º. We can find the decimal
approximations for trigonometric functions of any acute angle by using a calculator
with keys for sine , cosine , and tangent.

Example 5. Using a calculator, find the values of :

1. sin 14º
2. cos 27º 11’
3. tan 25º 15’ 16’’
4. sin 16º 22’ 13"
5. cos 11º 36’ 12“
6. cot 14º 26’ 35“
7. sec 20º 12’ 18“
8. csc 45º 10’ 29“
9. sin 27º 19“
10 cos 11’ 6"
SOLUTIONS OF RIGHT TRIANGLES
 “Solving a right triangle” means finding the measures of the unknown sides
and angles. If the two sides are given, we can find the missing side using the
pythagorean theorem.
For example, if we want to find the value of b, given a and c, we can use the
formula However, if the given measurements are those of one acute angle and
one of the three sides, then the trigonometric ratios are useful.
Example:
1. Solve ABC if c= 90º, a = 20º, and a = 12 cm.

B
c
a = 12 cm
20º
A b C
Solution:
we have to find c, b, and B.
sin A = Using Pythagorean theorem Using the tangent function,

c= b² = c² - a² tan A =

c= = b=

c= = =

c = 35 cm. ≈ 32.88 cm or 33 cm. ≈ 32.97 cm or 33 cm.

For <B, B = 90º - A = 90º - 20º = 70º
Solve ABC if C = 90º, A = 55º, and b = 21. B
Find a , c, and B
Solution: c a

Since A + B = 90º, then B = 90º - A

90º - 55º = 35º 55º
A C
to find the value of c, we use b = 21
cos A = , to find the value of a

c= a= tan 55º =

= = or a = b tan 55º

= = = 21 tan 55º
c = 37 ≈ 30.46309 or 30 ≈ 29. 9911.
Solve ABC, given that C = 90º and the lengths of the two legs are a= 21
and b = 16.

Solution: c
a = 12

c= A
= b = 16
=
= 20
To find the measure of the acute angle A, Next solve for the
other acute
sin A = angle B.
sin A =
sin A = 0.6 B = 90º - A ≈ 90º - 37º ≈ 53º
sin A = 36º 52’11.63”
Solve QRS with R = 90º, given the measure of one of the acute angle and the length of
one side.

1. Q = 39º, q = 29

2. S = 43º, s = 23.04

3. Q = 29.27º, r = 26.17

4. S = 51.39º, q = 64.39

5. S = 44.57º, r = 100
Solve QRS with R = 90º, given the lengths of the two sides.

1. q = 12, s = 14.3

2. r = 15, s = 10

3. r = 64.87, s = 34.95

4. r = 22.9, q = 16.51

5. q = 201, s = 352
ANGLES OF ELEVATION AND DEPRESSION
The angle of elevation is the angle between the imaginary line of sight and a
horizontal line, where the object is above the observer.

angle of elevation

The angle of depression is the angle between the imaginary line of sight and a
horizontal line, where the object is below the observer.

angle of depression
EXAMPLE

Find the height of a hot air balloon that is directly above a nipa hut if the angle of
elevation of a carabao, 62 m away from the nipa hut, is 14º 55’.

h
14º 55’
Solution : 62 m
tan 14º 55’ =
h = 62 tan 14º 55’
H = 16.5162

The height of the hot air balloon is 16.52 m

2. A man climbs 213 meters up the side of a pyramid and finds that
the angle of depression to his starting point is 52.6º. How high is he
from the ground?

52.6º

213m

Solution:
sin 52.6º =

x = 213 sin 52.6º

= 213 ( 0.7944 )
169 meters
the man is 169 meters above the ground.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1. Aphrodite is flying a kite. If the horizontal distance between them is 80 m

and the string connecting the kite makes an angle of 29º horizontally, find
the length of the string.

2. The length of the shadow of a tree is 7 m when a ray of sunlight makes an

angle of 50º with the horizontal. Find the height of the tree.

3. A boy slid down an 8 m plane inclined at 30º to the ground. What was the
horizontal distance he covered?

4. The top of the ladder is 1.8 m above the ground, and the ladder makes
an angle of 60º with the horizontal ground. Find the length of the ladder.

5. When one end of a seesaw reaches the ground, the other end is 1.5 m
above the ground. If the seesaw is 4 m long, find the angle it makes with
the ground.

6. The angle of elevation of the top of a tower 40 m high is 37º when seen
from a point on ground level. Find the distance of the point from the foot of
the tower.
7. From the window of a building 45 m above ground level, the
angle of depression of a car on ground level is 42º. How far is the
car from the building.?

8. A lighthouse is 72 m high. Find the angle of elevation of its top from a

point 125 m away on the ground level.

9. At a point 27 m from the front of a pole, the angle of elevation of the

top of the pole is 53º. Find the height of the pole.

10. A kite has 120 m of a string attached to it when it flies at an

elevation of 53º. How far is it above the hand holding it?