VCE Methods Unit 3 and 4

Circular functions


Unit circle

A unit circle is a circle of radius 1 unit. The following diagram shows a unit circle.
The circumference of a unit circle units.
So, for the unit circle that is shown here, the
distance anti-clockwise around the circumference
of the circle from:
A to B is

2
units
A to C is units
and A to D is
3
2
units.




Radians
One radian,

, is the angle subtended at the centre of a unit circle by an arc of length 1 unit.





Defining circular functions

Consider the following unit circle.


The x-coordinate of P = cos , R
The y-coordinate of P = sin , R

tan

, R \ {: cos }








Anti-clockwise is defined as the positive direction;
clockwise is negative.
Degrees ---

180
---> radians, radians ---
180

---> degrees
cos ( + 2) = cos and sin ( + 2) = sin
y cos x, y sin x and y tan x are all many-to-one functions.
VCE Methods Unit 3 and 4
e.g. Evaluate cos and sin .
P() = (1, 0); cos = 1 and sin = 0


Symmetry properties of circular functions

The coordinate axes divide a unit circle into four quadrants. The quadrants are numbered 14
anti-clockwise from the positive direction of the x-axis.


































More symmetry properties
sin () = sin
cos () = cos
tan () = tan

sin (

2
) = cos
sin (

2
) = cos
cos (

2
) = sin
cos (

2
) = sin




VCE Methods Unit 3 and 4
e.g. Find the following given that sin = 0.3.
a sin ()
sin () = sin (2 ) = sin () = 0.3
b cos (

)
b cos (

2
) = sin () = 0.3



Exact values of circular functions




e.g. Evaluate the following.
a sin

a sin
5
6
= sin (

6
) sin

6
=
1
2

b cos

b cos
22
3
= cos (

3
) = cos

3
=
1
2

c cos

c cos
2
3
cos (

3
) = cos

3
=
1
2

c
sin cos tan
0 1 0

1 0 undefined
VCE Methods Unit 3 and 4
Solving circular function equations

e.g. Solve the following equations for x.
a cos 3x 1 = 0, x [0, 2]
cos 3x =
1
2

3x = cos
-1
(
1
2
)
3x =

4
, 2

4
,

4
+ 2, 2

4
+ 2,

4
+ 4, 2

4
+ 4
3x =

4
,
7
4
,
9
4
,
15
4
,
17
4
,
23
4

x =

12
,
7
12
,
3
4
,
5
4
,
17
12
,
23
12


b sin (

) =

, x [2, 2]
x

4
= sin
-1
(
1
2
)

x

4
= +

6
, +

6
2, 2

6
2, 2

6
4
x

4
=
7
6
,
5
6
,

6
,
13
6

x =
17
12
,
7
12
,

12
,
;23
12


c sin 2x = cos 2x, x [0, 2]
tan 2x =
1
3

2x = tan
-1
(
1
3
)

2x =

6
, 2

6
,

6
+ 2, 2

6
+ 2
2x =
5
6
,
11
6
,
17
6
,
23
6

x =
5
12
,
11
12
,
17
12
,
23
12





General solutions to circular function equations
Circular function equations have an infinite number of solutions when the domain is
unrestricted. The following rules give the general solutions to circular function equations for
x where n is the number of complete revolutions.
If cos x = a, x = 2n cos
-1
(a), n Z and a [1, 1]
If sin x = a, x = 2n + sin
-1
(a) or x = (2n + 1) sin
-1
(a), n Z and a [1, 1]
If tan x = a, x = n + tan
-1
(a), n Z and a R


The number of solutions to the equation sin/cos/tan ax = b, x [c, d] for x is a( + ).
VCE Methods Unit 3 and 4
e.g. Find the general solution to each of the following.
a cos x =

x = 2n cos
-1
(
1
2
)

x = 2n

3

x =
6 1
3
, n Z

b 2sin x =
x = 2n + sin
-1
(
2
2
) or x = (2n + 1) sin
-1
(
2
2
)
x = 2n +

4
or x = (2n + 1)

4

x =
8 : 1
4
, n Z or x =
8 : 3
4
, n Z

c tan (

)
2x

3
= n + tan
-1
(1)
2x

3
= n +

4

2x = n +
7
12

x = (
12: 7
24
), n Z


Graphing circular functions

Circular functions are said to be periodic, because they repeat regularly. The period of a
periodic function is the x-interval over which the function repeats and the amplitude of a
periodic function is half the difference between the minimum y-value of the function and the
maximum y-value.

Sin graphs
The graph of y = sin x for x 3 is shown.
VCE Methods Units 3 & 4 Notes
If y = asin nx:
the period is
2

the amplitude is a
and the range is [a, a].
The x-coordinates of the x-axis intercepts of a graph of a circular function are the solutions to
the equation when y = 0, and the y-coordinate of the y-axis intercept is the solution to the
equation when x = 0.

Cos graphs
The graph of y = cos x for x 3 is shown.











If y = acos nx:
the period is
2

the amplitude is a
and the range is [a, a].

Tan graphs









y = tan x, x 3
VCE Methods Units 3 & 4 Notes

If y = atan nx:
the period is

the range is R
and there are asymptotes at x =
2 : 1
2
where k is the number of complete revolutions.
Amplitude is meaningless for tan.

Transformations of circular functions
The graph of y = asin/cos/tan n(x ) + b has been:
translated units in the positive direction of the x-axis
dilated by a factor of
1

from the y-axis

dilated by a factor of a from the x-axis
and translated b units in the positive direction of the y-axis.
The graph would be reflected in the y-axis if n was negative, and it would be reflected in the
x-axis if a was negative.

e.g. Sketch the following.
a y =1 2sin x











c y = 2 tan (

) + 1

b y = 2cos 3(

)











d y =2sin + 4cos






VCE Methods Units 3 & 4 Notes

















Circular function identities

Pythagorean identity
cos
2
+ sin
2
= 1

e.g. Find sin x and tan x given that cos x =

< x < 2.
9
25
+ sin
2
x = 1
sin
2
x =
16
25

sin x =
4
5

tan x =
4
3


Addition formulae
cos (u v) = cos u cos v + sin u sin v
cos (u + v) = cos u cos v sin u sin v
sin (u + v) = sin u cos v + cos u sin v
sin (u v) = sin u cos v cos u sin v

e.g. Evaluate cos

.
cos
5
12
= cos (

6
) = (

6
) (

6
) = (
1
2

3
2
) (
1
2

1
2
) =
3;1
22


Double angle formulae
cos 2u = cos
2
u sin
2
u
*
Remember: SOH CAH TOA
VCE Methods Units 3 & 4 Notes
cos 2u = 2cos
2
u 1
cos 2u = 1 2sin
2
u
sin 2u = 2sin u cos u
tan 2u =
2
1;

e.g. Find sin 2 given that tan =

, 0 < <

.
sin =
4
5
and cos =
3
5

*

sin 2 = 2
4
5

3
5
=
24
25