Wakana Moriguchi

Trigonometric Graphs Investigation

The purpose of this investigation is to investigate how the trigonometric graphs change
its appearance in graphs, tables, and diagrams and explain the reason of these patterns.
y=asinb ( xc ) +d

In graph 1, the two curves are mostly similar but is a little bit different from each other.
One of the similarities of the graphs in the two equations y=sinx and y=cosx is
the maximum and the minimum point is the same. Another similarity is the period of
each curve and the amplitude. This can be clearly seen in the table since the maximum
value that comes out in both of the tables is 0.87 and the minimum value is 0. But the
big difference between the two graphs is the number where the line goes through the
principle axis. The curve of y=sinx goes through the principle axis before or after
90 of y=cosx .

The pattern of the of the equations y=sinx and y=cosx can be shown in the
unit circle. By looking at graph 1, y=sinx and y=cosx is marked at the same
units up on the y-axis. By looking at the picture above, the cosine value of 60 and
1
300 is
and is the same for both. Also, the sine value of 60 and 120
2
3 with the points of y=sinx and y=cosx at the same y-value.
is
2
On 90 , the cosine is 1 where the sine is 0. As the value of the degrees increases,
the cosine value decreases resulting 90 as 0 and the sine value increases, 90
equals 1. When the sine increases, the cosine decreases and when the cosine increases
the sine decreases. The intersection point of the two equations on the graph also makes
it easier to understand how the values of the two curves decrease or increase.
Graph 2

Wakana Moriguchi

On this this graph, it shows the two lines y=sinx and y=2 sinx . By looking
at the two curves, y=2 sinx has a bigger amplitude than y=sinx but has the
same period. Another difference is the maximum value and the minimum value.
The maximum point of y=2 sinx is 2 and the minimum point is -2.
Graph 3

1
y= sinx . The
2
similarity of the two equations is the same with graph 2. The period is the same
and the difference is the maximum and minimum number as well as the amplitude.
1
1
The amplitude for y= sinx is
and the amplitude of y=sinx is 1.
2
2
This graph shows the two different curves

Graph 4

y=sinx

and

Wakana Moriguchi

The graph above shows 4 different functions y=5 sinx , y=sinx ,

y=sinx , and y=5 sinx . As a in y=asinb ( xc ) +d varies, the
amplitude of the function increases or decreases depending on what a is. When
looking at the functions with a negative a , there is a similarity that both of the
curves go down-wards after the lines go through 0. This can be clearly seen with
the two functions y=5 sinx and y=sinx since the wave goes downwards but the other two functions y=sinx , and y=5 sinx go up-wards.
By looking at the three graphs, it can be stated that a in y=asinb ( xc ) +d
affects the amplitude of a function.

Graph 5

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The graph above shows the two functions y=sinx and y=sin ( 2 x)
compared by changing b in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d . The major
difference in the two functions is the period as shown on the chart below.
b
Period
360
y=sinx
1(
)
180
2( y=sin ( 2 x) )
By looking at the graph as well as the chart, it can be seen that the period of
y=sin ( 2 x) is shorter than y=sinx . There is no other difference with the
two functions since the amplitude is the same and maximum and the minimum is
also the same.
Graph 6

1
x
2
Part 6 also compared by changing b in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d . The
only difference between the two functions is the period but different from the
function on graph 5 since the period is longer for the function on this graph.
b
Period (approx.)
360
1 ( y=sinx )
The graph above shows the two functions

y=sinx and

y=sin

Wakana Moriguchi

1
1
( y =sin x )
2
2
By looking at the graph and the chart above, y=sin
period of

720

1
x has the double of the
2

y=sinx .

Graph 7

Graph 7 shows four functions y=sin ( 5 x) , y=sinx , y=sin (x) , and

y=sin (5 x) changing b in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d . The
difference between some of the functions is the period but some of the functions
are similar since b is the same number but instead its either a negative or a
positive.
b
Period
72
5 ( y=sin ( 5 x)
360
1 ( y=sinx )
360
y=sin (1 x )
)
1
72
y=sin (5 x)
)
5
By looking at graph 5, 6, and 7, the period of a function can be found if the period
of y=sinx is already found. By dividing the period of y=sinx which is
360 by b in the equation, it gives the period of that function. For example,
if the function is y=sin ( 5 x) , b is 5. 360 which is the period of y=sinx
divided by 5 is 72 which is the period of y=sin ( 5 x) which is also written in
the chart above.
From looking at the 3 graphs, it can be stated that b in the equation
y=asinb ( xc ) +d affects the period of a function.
Graph 8

Wakana Moriguchi

Graph 9

The above graph shows the functions y=sinx , y=sin ( x1) ,

y=sin ( x5) , y=sin ( x(1)) , and y=sin ( x(5)) with c in the
equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d varied. By looking at the graph 9, it is easier to see
the differences than graph 8. The major difference between the functions are the
places it is located. If c is 6, the function would move 6 units to the right from
y=sinx and if c is 6 , the function would move 6 units to the left from
y=sinx .
From the data above, it can be stated that c in the equation
y=asinb ( xc ) +d affects the horizontal shift of the function from y=sinx .
Graph 10

Wakana Moriguchi

y=sinx , y=sin ( x ) +1 ,
5
y=sin ( x ) +5 , y=sin ( x ) +(1) , and
) with d in the
y=sin ( x ) +
equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d varied. By looking at the graph, the most obvious
difference is the position of where each function is located. The locating of the
function vertically can be found if the location of y=sinx is found. For
example, if d is 6, the function would go up 6 units from y=sinx and if
d is 6 , the function would go down 6 units from y=sinx .
From the graph, it can be stated that d in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d
affects the vertical shift of the function from y=sinx .
The above graph shows the functions

Predict
y=3 sin 2(x +60 ) would be:
a in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d affects amplitude, b affects the
period and c affects the horizontal shift. My prediction is that the function
would have an amplitude of 3, a period of 180 and is shifted horizontally from
y=sinx
60 to the left. I thought that the period would be 180 since
y=sinx has a period of 360 and to get the period of a function, you use
360 b . Also, since y=3 sin 2( x +60 ) is y=3 sin 2(x(60 )) , the
function will shift horizontally to the left from y=sinx .
Predict what

Graph 11

Wakana Moriguchi

From the graph above, my predictions were right. The amplitude of

y=3 sin 2(x +60 ) is 3 and the period of the function is 180 shown as the
blue arrow. Also, the function is shifted 60 to the left as shown on the graph
above with the red arrows.
Predict what y=0.5 sin ( x30 ) +2 would be:
a in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d affects amplitude, c affects the
horizontal shift, and d affects the vertical shift. My prediction is that the
function would have an amplitude of 0.5, horizontal shift to the right by 30 ,
and a vertical shift of 2 units upwards.
Graph 12

By looking at the graph above, my predictions were partially right. The two lines
going upwards represent the approximate maximum point of the two functions
with the blue line for y=0.5 sin ( x30 ) +2 and the red line for y=sinx .
The distance between the two lines is 30 and this means that
y=0.5 sin ( x30 ) +2 is shifted from y=sinx to the right for 30 . Also,
the amplitude is approximately 0.5 if the principal axis is at 2 as shown with a
black line going through 2. But, my prediction was that the function was going to
go through the y-axis at 2, which it didnt on the graph above. My answer would
have been right if the function hasnt been shifted to the right. If the function was

Wakana Moriguchi

at the same position as

y=sinx , it would of gone through the y-axis at 2.

Predict what y=sin ( 0.5 x )3 would be:

a in the equation y=asinb ( xc ) +d affects amplitude, b affects the
period, and d affects the vertical shift. My prediction is that the function would
have an amplitude of 1 that goes through the y-axis downwards since 1 is a
negative, a period of 720 , and a vertical shift going below 3 units of
y=sinx . I was able to get the period since 360 is the period of y=sinx
and 360 divided by 0.5 is 720.
Graph 13

From the graph above my predictions were right. The amplitude of

y=sin ( 0.5 x )3 is 0.5 if the principal axis goes through -3. Also, as shown on
the graph as the red arrow, it shows that the function goes though -3 below
y=sinx and the period of the function is 720 ( 900 180 =720 )
shown as the blue arrow above.
From the graphs and the results, in y=asinb ( xc ) +d
a = the amplitude
b = period
c = horizontal shift
d = vertical shift
This also is the same for y=acosb ( xc ) +d as shown on the graph below.
Graph 14

Wakana Moriguchi

The red lines are the functions using the function y=acosb ( xc ) +d and the
blue lines are the functions with y=asinb ( xc ) +d . By looking at the graph
above, the position of the functions of cosine and sine is constantly the same even
if a, b, c, and d differ in the function y=asinb ( xc ) +d . Also, if you shift the
whole cosine functions to the right for 90 , it would fit perfectly with the sine
functions.
Other functions can be affected in the same way even when y=f (x) is
transformed into y=af (b ( xc ) )+ d . For example the graph below shows the
transformation of y=x 2 .

Graph 14

In the graph above, the function

y=x 2 is being transformed into y=x 2 +6 ,

Wakana Moriguchi

x +6
, y=(6 x)2 , and
2
y=6 x . Each of the transformations have the

y=
same effects of a , b , c , and d in the function y=asin(b ( x c ))+d .
For example, y=6 x 2 has the same affects as a . If a is a negative
number, the function would go through the y-axis downwards in y=asinx and
also affects the amplitude. In y=a x 2 , a affects whether the parabola opens
downwards or upwards and also the compression of it. In the graph above,
y=6 x 2 is used making the parabola open downwards.
x +6

2
both have the affect of shifting. c in y=sin ( xc)
y=x +6 and

y=
x +6

is the same as 6 in
and d in y=sin ( x ) +d is the same as 6 in

y=
2
y=x +6 . By looking at the graph above, the green line is shifted 6 units to the
left from y=x 2 and the orange line is above.
Graph 15

In the graph above, the function y=2 x is being transformed into y=2 x6 ,
y=6 (2 x ) , y=2 x+ 6 , and y=6( 2 x) . The transformations of these functions
are different from how the functions a , b , c , and d in the function
y=asinb ( xc ) +d . For example, there was a difference between c and d
since one of them had an affect on the vertical shift and the other had an affect on the
vertical shift. But, on the graph above, y=2 x6 and y=2 x+ 6 both look like
they have the same affect. The affect of 6 in y=2 x6 is the same since the function
is shifting to the right from y=2 x Also, 6 in the function y=2 x+ 6 had the
same affect as d in the function y=asinb ( xc ) +d , and is going through the yaxis at 6.
The effects of y=6( 2 x) and y=6 (2 x ) is mostly the same and as the number
increases or decreases, it gets steeper or flatter.
From the investigation, a , b , c , and d

in the function

Wakana Moriguchi

y=asinb ( xc ) +d each have a different affect. a has an affect on the amplitude

and the number that is written before sin is always the amplitude, maximum, and
minimum. b has an affect on the period. The period is found by 360 (period of
y=sinx ) divided by b . c affects the horizontal shift of the function. Is c is
a negative number, the function would move to the left from y=sinx and if it is a
positive number, the function would move to the right. d affects the vertical shift of
the function. If d is a negative number, the function would move below y=sinx
and if it is a positive number, it would go above y=sinx .
This affects to all different kinds of functions such as y=x 2 and y=2 x
investigated with graphs 14 and 15.
Graphs of trigonometric functions can be found in the real life in many places. Sound
waves produce the same kind of wave as the sine waves with the horizontal waves
representing the time. The vibration is a string instrument vibrate and this makes the
same shape as the sine function.