About Lesson
Visualization:
Consider a unit circle (a circle of radius 1). Consider a line drawn from the origin O, that makes an angle θ with the X-axis in the anti-clockwise direction. This line intersects the circle at a point P. The length of the projection of the line segment OP on the Y-axis is equal to the Sine of θ.
Relationship between Sine and Cosine:
Cosine has a serendipitous co-existence with Sine. The length of projection of the same line segment OP on the X-axis is equal to the Cosine of θ
The basic trigonometric identity:
Just using Pythagoras theorem, we see that sin(θ)^2 + cos(θ)^2 = 1 for all angles θ.
Value of Sines and Cosines of multiples of 90 degrees:
- The Sine of 0 degrees is 0, since a line coinciding with the X-axis has no projection on the Y-axis.
- The Cosine of 0 degrees is 1, since a line drawn within a unit circle and coinciding with the X-axis has a projection of length 1 on the X-axis.
- The Sine of 90 degrees is 1, since a line drawn within a unit circle and coinciding with the Y-axis has a projection of length 1 on the Y-axis.
- The Cosine of 90 degrees is 0, since a line coinciding with the Y-axis has no projection on the X-axis.
- The same logic holds good for 180 degrees and 270 degrees.
- This visualization also allows us to extend the definition of trigonometric functions beyond 90 degrees, since we are no longer restricted to a triangle.
Signs of Sine and Cosine functions:
- Any angle from 0 to 180 degrees has a positive Sine, since the length of projection on the Y-axis is measured along the positive Y-direction.
- Sine is negative for the rest of the angles because the length of projection on the Y-axis is measured along the negative Y-direction.
- Any angle from 0 to 90 degrees and 270 to 360 degrees has a positive Cosine, since the length of projection on the X-axis is measured along the positive X-direction.
- Cosine is negative for rest of the angles because the length of projection on the X-axis is measured along the negative X-direction.
Sine is an odd function:
- Consider an angle θ, having a magnitude between 0 and 90 degrees.
- The Sine of +θ is always positive since the projection on the Y-axis is always along the positive Y-direction.
- The Sine of -θ is always negative since the projection on the Y-axis is always along the negative Y-direction.
- Hence, sin(-θ) = -sin(θ): Sine is an odd function.
- The same also holds good for an angle θ having a magnitude between 90 and 180 degrees: Sin(θ) is always positive whereas sin(-θ) is always negative.
Cosine is an even function:
- Consider an angle θ, having a magnitude between 0 and 90 degrees.
- The Cosine of +θ is always positive since the projection on the X-axis is always along the positive X-direction.
- The Cosine of -θ is always positive since the projection on the X-axis is always along the positive X-direction.
- Hence, cos(-θ) = cos(θ): Cosine is even odd function.
- The same also holds good for an angle θ having a magnitude between 90 and 180 degrees: Cos(θ) and cos(-θ) are both negative.