The Sine and Cosine of Real Numbers

The sine and cosine of real number are defined to be the corresponding trigonometric functions of an angle of number of radians. Whereas, the radian measure of an angle in standard position is equal to the length of arc t measured along unit circle (see Figure 1) from the point (1, 0) to the point P where the terminal side of intersects the unit circle (see Figure 2). y (0, 1) (-1, 0) O (0, -1) -y Figure 1 (1, 0) x -x O -y Figure 2 y

-x

And so, if t is a real number and of t are defined as follows: sin t = sin

is an angle having radian measure t, then the sine and cosine

cos t = cos

Refer to the unit circle on Figure 3, where the point (x, y) is associated with a real number t; that is, t is the arc length from the point (1, 0) to (x, y) and t radians is the measurement of angle . In figure 3(a), (x, y) is in the first quadrant and t > 0; in Figure 3(b), (x, y) is in the second quadrant and t < 0; in Figure 3(c), (x, y) is in the fourth quadrant and t > 0; in Figure 3(d), (x, y) is in the third quadrant and t < 0. Observe that

y sin t = 1 sin t = y cos t =

x 1 cos t = x

y (x, y) t x O (1, 0) t O (x, y)

(1, 0)

(a)

(b)

y y t O (1, 0) (x, y)

x O (x, y) t

(1, 0) x

(c)

(d)

Figure 3 ______________________________________________________________________________

Therefore the x and y coordinates of the point on unit circle associated with the real number t are cos t and sine t, respectively. This fact is valid for any position of the point (x, y) and any real number t associated with it. We state these results as a theorem. Theorem I. If t is any real number, and t is the length of the arc on unit circle with initial point (1, 0) and terminal point (x, y), then sin t = y and cost t = x

From Theorem I, the domain of the sine and cosine functions is the set of all real numbers. To determine the ranges of these functions, note that because (x, y) is appoint on unite circle. and Therefore the range of each function is closed interval [-1, 1]; that is, and Because sin t and cos t are coordinates of a point on a circle, the sine and cosine of a real number are sometimes called circular functions.

t = 2.5

t=1

t = 4.3 Figure 4

Figure 4 shows the points on the unit circle whose arc lengths from (1, 0) are t = 1, t = 2, and t = 4.3. The sine and cosine of these values of t are approximated by the points y and x coordinates, respectively. From the figure, we obtain.

Exact values of the sine and cosine for certain real numbers can be obtained from the coordinates of points on the unit circle. In particular, central arcs length 0, , , and are called quadrantal numbers. When the arc length is 0, the initial and terminal points of the arc are both (1, 0). Thus and When the arc length is , the terminal point of the arc is at (1, 0). Therefore and When the arc length is , the terminal point of the arc is at (1, 0). Hence and When the arc length is , the terminal point of the arc is at (1, 0). Thus and Summarizing the results in the table below t 0 (x, y) (1, 0) (0, 1) (-1, 0) (0, -1) sin t 0 1 0 -1 cos t 1 0 -1 0

Example 1 Determine the exact trigonometric functions of an arc on unit circle having length . Solution: The terminal point for an arc length is located on the second quadrant. At that point x = y. Substituting y for x in the equation of unite circle, which is , we have

The point is in the first quadrant, we will reject the negative square root. Since

Therefore and From these results and because unit circle is symmetric with respect to both the coordinate axes and the origin, we obtain the coordinates of the point for which arc length is , , and . Thus, and and and Other coordinates of the points for which arc length 0, , , , and , is being shown in the table below. arc length ( ) 0 (x, y) (1, 0) ( , ) ( , ( , ) ) 1 0 sin 0 cos 1

(0, 1)

Example 2. Determine the sine and cosine of each of the following real numbers from the coordinates of a point on the unit circle. a. b. Solution a. The point on the unit circle for arc length is in the third quadrant, and it is symmetric with . Therefore

respect to the origin to the first quadrant point for which arc length and b. The point on the unit circle for arc length

is in the fourth quadrant, and it is symmetric with . Hence

respect to the x-axis to the first quadrant point for which arc length and

Because the circumference of the unit circle , two arcs having initial point at (1, 0) and differing in length by an integer multiple of having the same terminal point on unit circle. Refer to the figures below. There is a figure showing an arc on the unit circle of length . The figure showing an arc of length , and this arc has the same terminal point. In figure showing an arc length of , in this arc also has the same terminal point. As a matter of fact, any arc for which , where is an integer, will have the same terminal point. Because the coordinates of the terminal point of the arc determine the sine and cosine of the arc length, it follows that and where k is any integer. y y

x O y O

Illustration

and so on Since an arc of length arc of length , it follows Theorem II. , where is any integer, has the same terminal point as an

Theorem II. If arc length, t is any real number, and and

is any integer, then

The property of the sine and cosine given in Theorem II is called periodicity. Where a function f is said to be periodic if there exists a positive real number p such that whenever x is in the domain of f, then x + p is also in the domain of f, and

The smallest such positive real number p is called the period of f. By comparing the definition of periodicity to Theorem II, it follows that the sine and cosine are periodic. The period is . It is because of their periodicity that the sine and cosine functions have important applications is connection with periodically repetitive phenomena such as wave motion, vibrations, and business cycles. Example 3. Use the periodicity of the sine and cosine functions as well as the values of when to find each of the following values. a. b. c. and

Solution a.

b.

c.