Trigonometry and Coordinate Geometry

MTH 105

5th July, 2021

By L. Yusuf & J. Aminu

1
Preface
This lecture note is designed to cover the following topics;

1. Circular Measures:

(i) Trigonometric ratios of angles of any magnitude, inverse trigonomet-

ric functions.
(ii) Addition Formulae: sin(A + B); cos(A + B); tan(A + B) and other
proofs. Multiple and half angles, solution of simple trigonometric
equations. Factor formulae. Solution of triangles, heights and dis-
tances (including three dimensional problems)

2. Plane and Polar Coordinates:

(i) Relation between Polar and Cartesian Coordinates, plotting and sketch-
ing of simple curves whose Polar equations are known.
(ii) Coordinate Geometry of Lines and Circle: (Emphasis on concepts
rather than formulae). Pair of straight lines and system of circles.

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 T RIGON OM ET RY

Part I
Introduction
Trigonometry is precisely that branch of mathematics concerned with the mea-
surement of the sides and angles of triangles and their relationship with each
other. The science of trigonometry is based on certain ratios called Trigono-
metric Ratios.

Measurement of Angle
An angle is de…ned as the amount of anti-clockwise rotation of radius vector
about an axis through one end of the radius, from a …xed initial position. The
angle generated by this de…nition is called Positive, otherwise Negative if the
b = 130 and P OX
direction of rotation is clockwise. For example, P OX b = 35 .

Figure 1.1: Positive and Negative Angles

There are two important measures for angle, the Degree and Radian (Circular
1
Measure). An angle de…ned by arc of length 360 of the circumference of the
unit circle (which is 2 ) is called a degree. In other words, 1 degree is the angle
2
corresponding to an arc of length 360 : An angle de…ned by an arc of a unit
length is called a radian.

Since the circumference of the unit circle is 2 ; then we have a simple relation-
ship between the two units which makes conversion from one system to the
other possible. i.e. 2 radians = 360degrees:

Hence,
180
1 radian = degrees

1 degree = radians
180
Example 1.1
Express the angles (i) 25:5 and (ii) 135 in radians.

Solution: To express the given angles in radians, we multiply each with

180 radians since 1 degree = 180 radians. It follows that;

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 (i) 25:5 = 25:5 1degree = 25:5 180 radians = 0:141 67 rad:
3
(ii) 135 = 135 1degree = 135 180 radians = 4 rad:

Example 1.2
Express the angles (i) rad and (ii) 2:3rad in degrees.
3
Solution: To express the given angles in degrees, we multiply each with
180
degrees since 1radian = 180 degrees. This means that;
180
(i) 3 rad = 3 1radian = 3 degrees = 60 :
180
(ii) 2:3rad = 2:3 1radian = 2:3 degrees = 131: 78 :

Trigonometric Ratios of an Acute Angles

The three basic trigonometric ratios can be de…ned in terms of the sides of a
right-angle triangle.

Let x; y and r be the base, height and hypotenuse of the right-angle triangle
ABC in which the angle B CA b is a right-angle (90 ) and the angle ABC b is
denoted by ;then

Figure 1.2: Right-angle triangle

It follows that;
opposite side y
sine of angle = = (1)
hypotenus r
adjacent side x
cosine of angle = = (2)
hypotenus r
opposite side y
tangent of angle = = (3)
adjacent side x

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The reciprocals of the three basic ratios are de…ned as;
hypotenus r
cosecant of angle = = (4)
opposite side y
hypotenus r
secant of angle = = (5)
adjacent side x
adjacent side x
cotangent of angle = = (6)
opposite side y
The six trigonometric ratios can be abbreviated as sin ; cos ; tan ; cosec ; sec
and cot respectively; also, the following relationships exist between them.
1 hypotenus
1. cosec = sin = opposite side

1 hypotenus
2. sec = cos = adjacent side

1 cos adjacent side

3. cot = tan = sin = opposite side

sin opposite side

4. tan = cos = adjacent side

Trigonometric Identities
To derive the trigonometric identities, we consider …gure 1.1 and establish the
Pythagorean theorem with respect to it. i.e.

x2 + y 2 = r2 (*)

By dividing equation (*) by r2 we have;

x2 y2
2
+ 2 =1 (**)
r r
2 2
But from equations (1) and (2) xr2 ; yr2 are cos2 and sin2 respectively; and by
substituting them in (**) we have the …rst identity as;

cos2 + sin2 = 1 (7)

It implies from (7);

cos2 = 1 sin2 (8)

sin2 = 1 cos2

Dividing (7) by cos2 yields;

sin2 1
1+ = (***)
cos2 cos2

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 2
sin 1
And it follows from equations (3) and (5) cos 2 ; cos2 are tan2 and sec2
respectively. By substituting them in (***) we have the second identity as;
1 + tan2 = sec2 (9)
Similarly, dividing (7) by sin2 we have;
cos2 1
+1= (****)
sin2 sin2
2
But cos
sin2
; sin12 are cot2 and cosec2 respectively from equations (4) and (6);
substituting them in (****) yields the third identity;
1 + cot2 = cosec2 (10)
Remark:
With the above relations (Trigonometric Identities) which are generally true for
any acute angle, we can compute all the trigonometric ratios if one is known,
and simplify trigonometric expressions as shown in the examples below.

Example 1.3
Compute for the value of the remaining trigonometric ratios of the acute angle
when sin = 73 :

Solution: To compute for the value of the remaining trigonometric ratios (i.e.
cos and tan ) of the acute angle when sin = 37 , we use the …rst trigono-
metric identity (i.e. cos2 + sin2 = 1) and the relation tan = cos
sin
.

3
Now, since sin = 7 and by making cos subject of the formula we have;
p
cos = 1 sin2
s
2
3
= 1
7
r
9
= 1
49
2p
= 10
7
Similarly,
sin
tan =
cos
3
= 2
p7
7 10
3p
= 10
20
2
p 3
p
Therefore, cos = 7 10 and tan = 20 10:

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Note that:
When you encounter with a problem similar or related to that of Example
1:3, it is not compulsory that you must use trigonometric identity to solve it.
Alternatively, equations (*); (1); (2) and (3) can be utilized in order to solve it.
This can be seen in the below Example 1:4.

Example 1.4
Find the value of the other trigonometric ratios of the angle such that 0
12
90 when cos = 13 :

Solution: To …nd the value of the other trigonometric ratios (i.e. sin and
tan ) of the angle such that 0 90 when cos = 12 13 , we use consider
Figure 1.3 below and then use equations (*); (1) and (2) since cos = 1213 = r
x

from equation (3):

Figure 1.3

p
Now, from equation (*) (i.e. x2 + y 2 = r2 ) we have y = r2 x2 ; and by
substituting r and x in y we have;
p
y = 132 122
p
= 169 144
p
= 25
= 5

And from equation (2) (i.e. sin = yr ) we have;

5
sin =
12
Similarly, from equation (3) (i.e. tan = xy ) we have;

5
tan =
12
5 5
Therefore, sin = 12 and tan = 12 :

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Example 1.5
1 cos2
Simplify :
sin3
cos2
1
Solution: To simplify we use the …rst trigonometric identity (i.e.
sin3
cos2 + sin2 = 1). And by making sin2 subject of the formula we have;

1 cos2 sin2 1
= =
sin3 sin2 sin sin
1
But = cosec from equation (4);
sin
2
1 cos
Therefore, = cosec :
sin3
Example 1.6
2
Show that 2(1 + cos ) = (1 + cos ) + sin2
2
Solution: To show that 2(1+cos ) = (1 + cos ) +sin2 ; we consider the LHS
2
(i.e. 2(1+cos )) and prove that it is equal to the RHS (i.e. (1 + cos ) +sin2 ).

Now, by considering the LHS we have;

2(1 + cos ) = 2 + 2 cos

= 1 + 2 cos + 1

But from equation (7) we have;

1 + 2 cos + 1 = 1 + 2 cos + cos2 + sin2

= 1 + 2 cos + cos2 + sin2
2
= (1 + cos ) + sin2 = RHS

Therefore, 2(1 + cos ) = (1 + cos )2 + sin2 :

Example 1.7
sin
Prove that cosec = cot + 1+cos

sin
Solution: To prove that cosec = cot + 1+cos we consider the RHS (i.e.
sin
cot + 1+cos ) and show that it is equal to the LHS (i.e. cosec ).

Now, by considering the RHS we have;

sin cot (1 + cos ) + sin

cot + =
1 + cos 1 + cos
cot + cot cos + sin
=
1 + cos

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But from equation (6) we have;
cos cos
cot + cot cos + sin sin + sin cos + sin
=
1 + cos 1 + cos
And by taking LCM we have;
cos cos
sin + sin cos + sin cos + cos2 + sin2 (cos + 1) 1
= = = = cosec
1 + cos sin (1 + cos ) sin (1 + cos ) sin
sin
Therefore, cosec = cot + 1+cos :

Exercise 1.1

1. Simplify the following trigonometric expressions.

1 1
(i) cos tan (ii) 1 sin + 1+sin

2. Determine whether 4 3 sin2 x = 3 cos2 x + 1:

3. Show that:
1 sin
(i) tan + cot = sin cos (ii) cot + 1+cos = cosec

4. Prove that:

(i) cos4 sin4 = cos2 sin2 (ii) sec2 cosec 2

= sec2 + cosec 2