4

4A Pythagoras’ theorem
4B Pythagoras’ theorem in three dimensions
4C Trigonometric ratios
4D Using trigonometry to calculate
side lengths
4E Using trigonometry to calculate
angle size
4F Angles of elevation and depression
4G Bearings
4H The unit circle — quadrant 1
4I Circular functions
4J Graphs of trigonometric functions
4K Applications

Trigonometry

Raylene competes in the sport of orienteering and is preparing for a race. The race is to complete a
triangular course. The first leg of the course is 1.2 km on a bearing of 200°T. The second leg is 2.3 km
on a bearing of 320°T. Raylene then needs to calculate the distance and the bearing of the third leg,
which will return her to the start/finish line.
Problems involving bearings — used in orienteering as well as navigation and other practical
areas — can be solved using trigonometry. In this chapter, we will further develop the trigonometric
skills covered in Year 9 and apply them to many practical situations.
are yoU ready?
Try the questions below. If you have difficulty with any of them, extra help can be obtained by
completing the matching SkillSHEET. Either search for the SkillSHEET in your eBookPLUS or
ask your teacher for a copy.

eBook plus Rounding to a given number of decimal places

Digital doc 1 Round the following numbers to 3 decimal places.
SkillSHEET 4.1
a 0.6845 b 1.3996 c 0.7487
Rounding to a
given number
of decimal
places
Rounding the size of an angle to the nearest minute and second

eBook plus 2 Round the following angles:

i to the nearest minute
Digital doc
SkillSHEET 4.2
ii to the nearest second.
Rounding a 15°32′40.5″ b 63°15′32.4″ c 27°10′15.8″
the size of
an angle to
the nearest
minute and
second
Labelling the sides of a right-angled triangle

3 Label the sides of the following right-angled triangles using the letters H (for hypotenuse),
O (for opposite) and A (for adjacent) with respect to angle θ.
eBook plus a b c
Q
Digital doc
SkillSHEET 4.3
Labelling the
sides of a
Q
right-angled
triangle
Q

eBook plus Rearranging formulas

Digital doc 4 Rearrange each of the following formulas to make x the subject.
SkillSHEET 4.5 x x
Rearranging a tan (15°) = b tan (28°) = 4.2 c = 5.3
30 x ta 64°)
tan(
formulas

eBook plus
Drawing a diagram from given directions
Digital doc
SkillSHEET 4.6 5 Draw a diagram for each of the following situations.
Drawing
a Kate’s bushwalking route took her from A to B, a distance of 5 km at a bearing of 25°T
a diagram
from given then to C, a further distance of 7.5 km at a bearing of 120°T.
directions b A ship steamed S20°E for a distance of 180 km, then the ship travelled N60°W for a
further 70 km.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 145

 4a pythagoras’ theorem
introduction
In Year 9, Pythagoras’ theorem and the three trigonometric ratios (sine, cosine and tangent)
were introduced. Later in this chapter, the three ratios will be revisited and their various
applications will be discussed. Also, the concept of the unit circle and circular functions will be
introduced. Finally, we will investigate the graphs of sine and cosine functions. In this section,
we will revisit Pythagoras’ theorem.

review of pythagoras’ theorem

In any right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal
to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. The rule is written c
a
as c2 = a2 + b2 where a and b are the two shorter sides and c is the
hypotenuse.
b
The hypotenuse is the longest side of a right-angled triangle and is
always the side that is opposite the right angle.
Pythagoras’ theorem gives us a way of finding the length of x
the third side in a triangle, if we know the lengths of the two other 4
sides.
7
Finding the hypotenuse
We are able to calculate the length of the hypotenuse when we are given the length of the two
shorter sides by substituting into the formula c2 = a2 + b2.
It is easier to know what to do if you remember that:
finding a long side means addition.

Worked example 1

For the triangle at right, calculate the length of the hypotenuse, x,

correct to 1 decimal place.
x
4

7
Think WriTe/draW

1 Copy the diagram and label the sides a, b and c.

Remember to label the hypotenuse as c.
cx
a4

b7
2 Write Pythagoras’ theorem. c2 = a2 + b2
3 Substitute the values of a, b and c into this rule and x2 = 42 + 72
simplify. = 16 + 49
= 65
4 Calculate x by taking the square root of 65. Round x = 65
the answer correct to 1 decimal place. x = 8.1

146 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 Finding a shorter side
Sometimes a question will give you the length of the hypotenuse and ask you to find one of
the shorter sides. In such examples, we need to rearrange Pythagoras’ formula. Given that
c2 = a2 + b2, we can rewrite this as:
a2 = c2 − b2
or b2 = c2 − a2.
It is easier to know what to do in this case if you remember that:
finding a short side means subtraction.

Worked Example 2

Calculate the length, correct to 1 decimal place, of the unmarked side of

the triangle at right.

14 cm
Think Write/draw 8 cm

1 Copy the diagram and label the sides a, b and c.

Remember to label the hypotenuse as c; it does not a
matter which side is a and which side is b.
c  14

b8

2 Write Pythagoras’ theorem for a shorter side. a2 = c2 − b2

3 Substitute the values of a, b and c into this rule and a2 = 142 − 82
simplify. = 196 − 64
= 132
4 Find a by taking the square root of 132. Round to a = 132
1 decimal place. = 11.5  cm

In many cases we are able to use Pythagoras’ theorem to solve practical problems. We can
model the problem by drawing a diagram, and use Pythagoras’ theorem to solve the right-angled
triangle. We then use the result to give a worded answer.

Worked Example 3

A ladder that is 4.5  m long leans up against a vertical wall. The foot of the ladder is 1.2  m from the
wall. How far up the wall does the ladder reach? Give your answer correct to 1 decimal place.
Think Write/draw

1 Draw a diagram and label the sides a, b and c.

Remember to label the hypotenuse as c.

c  4.5 m
a

b  1.2 m

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 147

 2 Write Pythagoras’ theorem for a shorter side. a2 = c2 − b2
3 Substitute the values of a, b and c into this rule and a2 = 4.52 − 1.22
simplify. = 20.25 − 1.44
= 18.81
4 Find a by taking the square root of 18.81. a = 18.81
Round to 1 decimal place and include the unit = 4.3 m
of measurement (m).
5 Answer the question in a sentence. The ladder will reach a height of 4.3 m up
the wall.

Some questions will require you to decide which method is needed to solve the problem. A
diagram will help you decide whether you are finding the hypotenuse or one of the shorter
sides. Other questions will require you to find an unknown on more than one length. In such
cases, draw a labelled diagram, write the equation and solve for the unknown. The following
worked example demonstrates this technique.

Worked example 4

Calculate the value of the pronumeral, correct to 2 decimal places,

in the triangle at right. 3x

78

2x

Think WriTe/draW

1 Copy the diagram and label the sides a, b and c.

b  3x

c  78

a  2x

2 Write Pythagoras’ theorem. c2 = a2 + b2

3 Substitute the values of a, b and c into this rule and 782 = (3x)2 + (2x)2
simplify. 6084 = 9x2 + 4x2
6084 = 13x2
4 Rearrange the equation so that the pronumeral is on 13x2 = 6084
the left-hand side of the equation.

13 x 2 6084
5 Divide both sides of the equation by 13. =
13 13
x2 = 468

6 Find x by taking the square root. Round the answer x = 468

correct to 2 decimal places. = 21.63

148 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 rememBer

1. The hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle and is opposite the right angle.
2. On your diagram, check whether you are finding the length of the hypotenuse or one of
the shorter sides.
3. The length of the hypotenuse can be found if we are given the length of the two shorter
sides by using the formula c2 = a2 + b2.
4. The length of the shorter side can be found if we are given the length of the hypotenuse
and the other shorter side by using the formula: a2 = c2 − b2 or b2 = c2 − a2.
5. When using Pythagoras’ theorem, always check the units given for each measurement.
6. If necessary, convert all measurements to the same units before using the rule.
7. Worded problems can be solved by drawing a diagram and using Pythagoras’ theorem to
solve the problem.
8. Worded problems should be answered in a sentence.
exerCise
4a pythagoras’ theorem
1 We1 For each of the following triangles, calculate the length of the hypotenuse, giving
eBook plus answers correct to 2 decimal places.
Digital doc
a 4.7 b 19.3 c
SkillSHEET 4.1
Rounding to a
given number 804
of decimal 6.3 27.1
places
562

d e 0.9 f 152

7.4
87
10.3
2.7

2 We2 Find the value of the pronumeral, correct to 2 decimal places.

a b c
s u
1.98 8.4
30.1
47.2 2.56 17.52

d 0.28 e f
2870

v 468
1920 x
0.67 w

114

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 149

 3   WE3  The diagonal of the rectangular sign at right is
34  cm. If the height of this sign is 25 cm, find the width.
4 A right-angled triangle has a base of 4  cm and a height
of 12  cm. Calculate the length of the hypotenuse to
2 decimal places.
5 Calculate the lengths of the diagonals of squares that
have side lengths of:
a 10  cm b 17  cm c 3.2  cm.
6 The diagonal of a rectangle is 120  cm. One side has a
length of 70  cm. Determine:
a the length of the other side
b the perimeter of the rectangle
c the area of the rectangle.
7   WE4  Find the value of the pronumeral, correct to 2 decimal places for each of the following.
a b c 2x
25 3x 3x
4x
6x
18 30
x

8 An isosceles triangle has a base of 30  cm and a height of 10  cm. Calculate the length of the two
equal sides.
9 An equilateral triangle has sides of length 20  cm. Find the height of the triangle.
10 A right-angled triangle has a height of 17.2  cm, and a base that is half the height. Calculate the
length of the hypotenuse, correct to 2 decimal places.
11 The road sign shown below is in the form of an equilateral triangle. Find the height of the sign
and, hence, find its area.

76 cm

12 A flagpole, 12  m high, is supported by three wires, attached from the top of the pole to the
ground. Each wire is pegged into the ground 5  m from the pole. How much wire is needed to
support the pole?
13 Ben’s dog ‘Macca’ has wandered onto a frozen pond, and is too frightened to walk back. Ben
estimates that the dog is 3.5  m from the edge of the pond. He finds a plank, 4  m long, and
thinks he can use it to rescue Macca. The pond is surrounded by a bank that is 1  m high. Ben
uses the plank to make a ramp for Macca to walk up. Will he be able to rescue his dog?
3.8 km
14 Sarah goes canoeing in a large lake. She paddles 2.1  km to the
north, then 3.8  km to the west. Use the triangle at right to find out
how far she must then paddle to get back to her starting point in 2.1 km
the shortest possible way.

Starting point

150 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

 15 A baseball diamond is a square of side length 27  m. When a runner on first base tries to steal
second base, the catcher has to throw the ball from home base to second base. How far is that
throw?

Second base

27 m
First
base

Catcher

16 Penny, a carpenter, is building a roof for a new house. The roof has
a gable end in the form of an isosceles triangle, with a base of 6  m
and sloping sides of 7.5  m. She decides to put 5 evenly spaced vertical 7.5 m 7.5 m
strips of wood as decoration on the gable as shown at right. How many
metres of this decorative wood does she need?
17 Calculate the length, in mm, of the hypotenuse of a right-angled 6m
triangle, if the two shorter sides are 5  cm and 12  cm. Give your answer
to 2 decimal places.
18 The hypotenuse and one other side of a right-angled triangle are given for each case below.
Find the length of the third side in the units specified.
a Sides 46  cm and 25  cm, third side in mm
b Sides 843  mm and 1047  mm, third side in cm
c Sides 4500  m and 3850  m, third side in  km
d Sides 20.3  cm and 123  mm, third side in cm
e Sides 6420  mm and 8.4  m, third side in cm
f Sides 0.358  km and 2640  m, third side in m
g Sides 491  mm and 10.8  cm, third side in mm
h Sides 379  000  m and 82  700  m, third side in  km
19 A rectangle measures 35  mm by 4.2  cm. Calculate the length of its diagonal in millimetres to
2 decimal places.
20 A rectangular envelope has a length of 21  cm and a diagonal measuring 35  cm. Calculate:
a the width of the envelope
b the area of the envelope.
21 A sheet of A4 paper measures 210  mm by 297  mm. Calculate the length of the diagonal in
centimetres to 2 decimal places.

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 151

 22 A right-angled triangle has a hypotenuse of 47.3  cm and one other side of 30.8  cm. Calculate
the area of the triangle.
23 A swimming pool is 50  m by 25  m. Peter is bored by his usual training routine, and decides
to swim the diagonal of the pool. How many diagonals must he swim to complete his normal
distance of 1200  m? Give your answer to 2 decimal places.
24 Sarah is making a gate that has to be 1200  mm wide. It must be braced with a diagonal strut
made of a different type of timber. She has only 2  m of this kind of timber available. What is
the maximum height of the gate that she can make?
25 A hiker walks 4.5  km west, then 3.8  km south. How far in metres is she from her starting point?
Give your answer to 2 decimal places.
26 A square has a diagonal of 10  cm. What is the length of each side?
27 Wally is installing a watering system in his garden. The pipe is to go all around the edge of the
rectangular garden, and have a branch diagonally across the garden. The garden measures 5  m
by 7.2  m. If the pipe costs $2.40 per metre (or part thereof), what will be the total cost of the
pipe?
28 The size of a rectangular television screen is given by the length of its diagonal. What is the
size of the screen below to the nearest centimetre if its dimensions are 158  cm wide and
96  cm deep?

4B Pythagoras’ theorem in
three dimensions
Many real-life situations involve 3-dimensional (3-D) shapes: shapes with length, width and
height. Some common 3-D shapes used in this section include boxes, pyramids and right-angled
wedges.

Box Pyramid Right-angled wedge

The important thing about 3-D shapes is that in a diagram, right angles may not look like right
angles, so it is important to redraw sections of the diagram in two dimensions, where the right
angles can be seen accurately.

152 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

Worked example 5

Determine the length AG in this box. A B

6 cm
C
D
E F
5 cm

H 10 cm G

Think WriTe/draW

1 Draw the diagram in 3-D. A B

6 cm
C
D
F
E
5 cm

H 10 cm G

2 Draw, in 2-D, a right-angled triangle that contains A

AG and label the sides. Only 1 side is known, so
we need to find another right-angled triangle
to use. 6

E G

3 Draw EFGH in 2-D and show the diagonal EG. E F

Label the side EG as x. We have two of the three
side lengths so we can calculate the unknown. 5 x 5

H 10 G

4 Use Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate EG. c2 = a2 + b2

x2 = 52 + 102
= 25 + 100
= 125
x = 125
= 11.18 cm
5 Place this information on triangle AEG. Label the A
side AG as y. Now we have two of the three side
y
lengths. 6

E 11.18 G

6 Use Pythagoras’ theorem to find AG. c2 = a2 + b2

y2 = 62 + ( 125 )2
= 36 + 125
= 161
y = 161
= 12.69
7 Answer the question in a sentence. The length of AG is 12.69 cm.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 153

 Worked example 6

A piece of cheese in the shape of a right-angled wedge sits on a table. It has a rectangular base
measuring 14 cm by 8 cm, and is 4 cm high at the thickest point. An ant crawls diagonally across the
sloping face. How far, to the nearest millimetre, does the ant walk?

Think WriTe/draW

1 Draw a diagram in 3-D and label the vertices. B C

Mark BD, the path taken by the ant, with a dotted E 4 cm
line. F
A 8 cm
14 cm D
x

2 Draw in 2-D a right-angled triangle that contains B

BD, and label the sides. Only one side is known, so
we need to find another right-angled triangle to use.
4

D
E

3 Draw EFDA in 2-D, and show the diagonal ED. E F

Label the side ED as x.
8 x 8

A 14 D

4 Use Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate ED. c2 = a2 + b2

x2 = 82 + 142
= 64 + 196
= 260
x = 260
= 16.12 cm
5 Place this information on triangle BED. B
Label the side BD as y.
y
4

D
E 16.12

6 Solve this triangle for BD. c2 = a2 + b2

( )
2
y2 = 42 + 260
= 16 + 260
= 276
y = 276
= 16.61 cm
7 Check the answer’s units. We need to convert cm to = 166.1 mm
mm, so multiply by 10.
8 Answer the question in a sentence. The ant walks 166 mm, correct to the nearest
millimetre.

154 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 rememBer

1. Pythagoras’ theorem can be used to solve problems in three dimensions (3-D).

2. Some common 3-D shapes include boxes, pyramids and right-angled wedges.
3. To solve problems in 3-D it is helpful to draw sections of the original shape in
two dimensions (2-D).

exerCise
4B pythagoras’ theorem in three dimensions
Where appropriate in this exercise, give answers correct to 2 decimal places.
1 We5 Calculate the length, AG.
eBook plus a b A B c
A B A B
Digital doc
SkillSHEET 4.2 C
C 10 D C
Drawing 3-D D D 10.4
shapes
E 10 E
F F

10 7.3
H 10 G H 8.2 G
E F
5
H 5 G

2 We6 Calculate the length of CE in the wedge at right and, hence, A B

obtain AC. E 4
F
D 10 C 7

3 If DC = 3.2 m, AC = 5.8 m, and CF = 4.5 m in the figure at right, A B

calculate the length of AD and BF. E
F
D C

4 Calculate the length of BD and, hence, the height of the pyramid V

at right.
8
A B
8
D
8 C

5 The pyramid ABCDE has a square base. The pyramid is 20 cm high. E

Each sloping edge measures 30 cm. Calculate the length of the EM = 20 cm
sides of the base.

A
B
M
D C

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 155

 6 The sloping side of a cone is 10 cm and the height is 8 cm. What is
the length of the radius of the base?
7 An ice-cream cone has a diameter across the top of 6 cm, and
sloping side of 13 cm. How deep is the cone? 8 cm 10 cm

8 A piece of cheese in the shape of a right-angled wedge sits B C

on a table. It has a base measuring 20 mm by 10 mm, and is 4 mm
E
4 mm high at the thickest point, as shown in the figure. A fly F
crawls diagonally across the sloping face. How far, to the A 20 mm D 10 mm
nearest millimetre, does the fly walk?
9 Jodie travels to Bolivia, taking with her a suitcase as shown in the photo. She buys a carved
walking stick 1.2 m long. Will she be able to fit it in her suitcase for the flight home?
30
cm

65 cm

90 cm

10 A desk tidy is shaped like a cylinder, height 18 cm and diameter

10 cm. Pencils that are 24 cm long rest inside. What lengths of the
pencils are above the top of the cylinder?

11 A 10-m high flagpole is in the corner of a rectangular park

that measures 240 m by 150 m. 10 m
a Calculate: 240 m A
i the length of the diagonal of the park 150 m
ii the distance from A to the top of the pole
B
iii the distance from B to the top of the pole.
b A bird flies from the top of the pole to the centre of the park. How far does it fly?
12 A candlestick is in the shape of two cones, joined at the vertices
as shown. The smaller cone has a diameter and sloping side of 7 cm,
and the larger one has a diameter and sloping side of 10 cm. How tall
is the candlestick?

156 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 13 The total height of the shape at right is 15 cm. Calculate the length
of the sloping side of the pyramid.
15 cm
14 A sandcastle is in the shape of a truncated cone as shown. Calculate the
length of the diameter of the base.
6 cm
20 cm
14 cm
14 cm
30 cm 32 cm

15 A tent is in the shape of a triangular prism, with a height of 120 cm

eBook plus
120 cm as shown at right. The width across the base of the door is
Digital doc 1 m, and the tent is 2.3 m long.
WorkSHEET 4.1 Calculate the length of each sloping side, in metres. Then
2.3 m
Pythagoras’ calculate the area of fabric used in the construction of the sloping
theorem 1m
rectangles which form the sides.

4C Trigonometric ratios
angles and the calculator
Last year you were shown that each angle has specific values for its sine, cosine and tangent.
These values are needed for practically every trigonometry problem and can be obtained with
the aid of a calculator.

Worked example 7

Calculate the value of each of the following, correct to 4 decimal places, using a CAS calculator.
a cos (65°57′ ) b tan (56°45′30″ )

Think WriTe/display
1 On the Main screen, use the soft keyboard
to access trigonometric expressions. For
each entry, insert cos or tan and then tap:
•  Action
•  Transformation
•  dms
Complete the entry lines as:
•  cos(dms(65,57)
•  tan(dms(56,45,30)
Press E after each entry.

a 2 Write your answer to the correct a cos (65°57′) = 0.4075

number of decimal places.
b 2 Write your answer to the correct b tan (56°45′30″) = 1.5257
number of decimal places.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 157

 Worked Example 8

Calculate the size of angle θ, correct to the nearest degree, given sin (θ ) = 0.6583.
Think Write/display
1 Write the given information.
2 To find the size of the angle, we need to
-
‘undo’ sine with its inverse, sin 1.
3 On the Main screen, use the soft keyboard to
access trigonometric expressions. Complete
the entry line as:
-
sin 1(0.6583)
Then press E.

4 Write your answer to the nearest degree. θ = 41°

We also need to be able to find an angle correct to either the nearest minute or nearest second.
When we use an inverse trigonometric function, the angle is expressed in degrees as a decimal.

Worked Example 9

Calculate the value of θ:

a  correct to the nearest minute, given that cos (θ ) = 0.2547
b  correct to the nearest second, given that tan (θ ) = 2.364.
Think Write/display
a 1 On the Main screen, use the soft a
keyboard to access trigonometric
expressions. Complete the entry
line as:
-
cos 1(0.2547)
Press E. Then tap:
•  Action
•  Transformation
•  toDMS
•  D
•  E

2 Write your answer, rounding to the cos (0.2547) = 75°15′

nearest minute. Remember there
are 60 minutes in 1 degree and
60 seconds in 1 minute. Hence, for
the nearest minute, we round up at
30″ or higher.

158 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

b 1 On the Main screen, use the soft b
keyboard to access trigonometric
expressions. Complete the entry
line as:
−
tan 1(2.364)
Press E. Then tap:
• Action
• Transformation
• toDMS
• D
• E

2 Write your answer, rounding to the tan (2.364) = 67°4′16″

nearest second.

Review of SOH CAH TOA

From our work in Year 9 we discovered that we were able to find a side length in a right-angled
triangle if we were given one other side length and the size of one of the acute angles. These
sides and angle were related using one of the three trigonometric ratios.

The sine ratio

The sine ratio is defined as the ratio of the length of the side
opposite angle θ (O) to the length of the hypotenuse (H). This is

e
us
O

Opposite
en
written as sin (θ ) = .

ot
H

yp
H
θ

The cosine ratio

The cosine ratio is defined as the ratio of the length of the adjacent
side (A) to the length of the hypotenuse (H) and is written as
A e
us
cos (θ ) = .
en
ot

H
yp
H

θ
Adjacent
The tangent ratio
O
The tangent ratio is defined as tan (θ ) = , where O is the length
A
of the side opposite angle θ and A is the length of the side adjacent
Opposite

to it.

θ
Adjacent

Having defined the three trigonometric ratios, we need to decide in each case which of the
three to use. We do this by labelling the sides relative to the angle we have been given. We then
select the ratio that contains both the side we are finding and the side we have been given.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 159

 The three ratios can be remembered easily by using the mnemonic or abbreviation
SOH CAH TOA:
• SOH stands for ‘Sine, Opposite, Hypotenuse’.
• CAH stands for ‘Cosine, Adjacent, Hypotenuse’.
• TOA stands for ‘Tangent, Opposite, Adjacent’.

WORKED EXAMPLE 10
For this triangle, write the expressions for the sine, cosine and tangent ratios of the given angle.

c
a

θ
b

THINK WRITE/DRAW

1 Label the diagram using the symbols O, A, H

with respect to the given angle (angle θ).
c=H
a=O

θ
b=A

2 From the diagram, identify the values of O O = a, A = b, H = c

(opposite side), A (adjacent side) and H (the
hypotenuse).
O A O
3 Write the formula for each of the sine, cosine sin (θ ) = , cos (θ ) = , tan (θ ) =
and tangent ratios. H H A

a b a
4 Substitute the values of A, O and H into each sin (θ ) = , cos (θ ) = , tan (θ ) =
formula. c c b

WORKED EXAMPLE 11

Write the trigonometric ratio which must be used in order to find the value of the pronumeral in
each of the following triangles.
a b
18
15 x
6 50°

160 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

 THINK WRITE/DRAW
a 1 Label the sides of the triangle whose lengths are given, using a
the appropriate symbols.
15 = H
6=O

b
O
2 We are given the lengths of the opposite side (O) and the sin (θ ) =
hypotenuse (H). Write the ratio that contains both of these H
sides.
3 Identify the values of the pronumerals. O = 6, H = 15
6
4 Substitute the values of the pronumerals into the ratio. (Since sin (b) = 15
the given angle is denoted with the letter b, replace θ with b.)
b 1 Label the sides of the triangle whose lengths are either given, b
18 = A
or need to be found, using the appropriate symbols.
x=O
50°

O
2 The length of the adjacent side (A) is given and the length of tan (θ ) =
the opposite side (O) needs to be found. Write the ratio that A
contains these sides.
3 Identify the values of the pronumerals. O = x, A = 18, θ = 50°
x
4 Substitute the values of the pronumerals into the ratio. tan (50°) =
18

REMEMBER

1. When using the calculator to find values of sine, cosine and tangent, make sure the
calculator is in Degree mode.
2. To find the size of an angle whose sine, cosine or tangent is given, perform an inverse
− − −
operation; that is, sin 1, cos 1 or tan 1.
3. Use the calculator’s conversion function to convert between decimal degrees and
degrees, minutes and seconds.
4. There are 60 minutes in 1 degree and 60 seconds in 1 minute.
5. The three trigonometric ratios, sine, cosine and tangent, are defined as:
O A O
sin (θ ) = , cos (θ ) = and tan (θ ) = ,
H H A
where H is the hypotenuse, O is the opposite side and A is the adjacent side.
6. The three ratios are abbreviated to the useful mnemonic SOH CAH TOA.
7. To determine which trigonometric ratio to use, follow these steps.
(a) Label the sides of the right-angled triangle that are either given, or need to be
found, using the symbols O, A, H with respect to the angle in question.
(b) Consider the sides that are involved and write the trigonometric ratio containing
both of these sides. (Use SOH CAH TOA to assist you.)
(c) Identify the values of the pronumerals in the ratio.
(d) Substitute the given values into the ratio.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 161

 exerCise
4C Trigonometric ratios
1 Calculate each of the following, correct to 4 decimal places.
a sin (30°) b cos (45°) c tan (25°)
d sin (57°) e tan (83°) f cos (44°)
2 We7 Calculate each of the following, correct to 4 decimal places.
a sin (40°30′) b cos (53°57′) c tan (27°34′)
d tan (123°40′) e sin (92°32′) f sin (42°8′)
g cos (35°42′35″) h tan (27°42′50″) i cos (143°25′23″)
j sin (23°58′21″) k cos (8°54′2″) l sin (286°)
m tan (420°) n cos (845°) o sin (367°35′)
3 We8 Find the size of angle θ, correct to the nearest degree, for each of the following.
a sin (θ ) = 0.763 b cos (θ ) = 0.912 c tan (θ ) = 1.351
d cos (θ ) = 0.321 e tan (θ ) = 12.86 f cos (θ ) = 0.756
4 We9a Find the size of the angle θ in each of the following, correct to the nearest minute.
a sin (θ ) = 0.814 b sin (θ ) = 0.110 c tan (θ ) = 0.015
d cos (θ ) = 0.296 e tan (θ ) = 0.993 f sin (θ ) = 0.450
5 We9b Find the size of the angle θ in each of the following, correct to the nearest second.
a tan (θ ) = 0.5 b cos (θ ) = 0.438 c sin (θ ) = 0.9047
d tan (θ ) = 1.1141 e cos (θ ) = 0.8 f tan (θ ) = 43.76
6 Find the value for each of the following, correct to 3 decimal places.
a 3.8 cos (42°) b 118 sin (37°) c 2.5 tan (83°)
2 220 2 cos (223°)
d e f
sin (45°) cos (14°) 5 sin (118°)
12.8 18.7 55.7
g h i
tan (60°32 ′)
ta sin (35°25′ 42 ′′) cos (89°21′)
3.8 tan (1°5511′ 44
44 ′′) in (27°8′)
2.5 ssin 3.2 cos (34°52 ′)
j k l
in (25°45′)
4.5 ssin 10.4 cos (8383°2′
2 ′) in (12°48′)
0.8 ssin
7 We10 For each of the following triangles, write the expressions for ratios of each of the
eBook plus
given angles:
Digital doc i sine
SkillSHEET 4.3 ii cosine
Labelling the
iii tangent
sides of a
right-angled
a d b c
triangle Q h B
i k
A j
f e g
l

d e f
o
G a b
n
B u
m c v

G
t

162 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 eBook plus 8 We11 Write the trigonometric ratio which must be used in order to find the value of the
pronumeral in each of the following triangles.
Digital doc
SkillSHEET 4.4 a b c
25 5
Selecting an
Q
appropriate
trigonometric
Q
15
ratio based 12 4
30
on the given
information
Q

d f 14.3
2.7 e 17
p t

Q
35o 17.5
A

g 7 h i
Q
20 31 9.8

A
3.1
x

15n

9 Consider the right-angled triangle shown at right.

a Label each of the sides using the letters O, A, H with A
respect to the 41° angle.
b Measure the side lengths (to the nearest millimetre).
c Determine the value of each trigonometric ratio. (Where
applicable, answers should be given correct to 2 decimal
places.)
i sin (41°)
ii cos (41°) 41o
iii tan (41°)
d What is the value of the unknown angle, α?
e Determine the value of each of these trigonometric ratios, correct to 2 decimal places.
i sin (α)
ii cos (α)
iii tan (α)
(Hint: First relabel the sides of the triangle with respect to angle α.)
f What do you notice about the relationship between sin (41°) and cos (α)?
g What do you notice about the relationship between sin (α) and cos (41°)?
h Make a general statement about the two angles.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 163

 4d Using trigonometry to calculate side
lengths
Consider this right-angled triangle.
eBook plus Labelling the sides with respect to the 42° angle, we can
24 m
Interactivity
see that the unknown side is opposite and we are given the x
int-1146 hypotenuse.
Using Using our calculator, we know that the sine ratio of a 42o
trigonometry 42° angle is approximately 0.6691.
42
x
From the diagram at right, sin (42°) = . We can now solve Hy
24 po
this equation to find the value of x. 24 tenus

Opposite
x m e
We are therefore able to calculate a side length if we are
given the size of an angle and one other side.
The solution to the above problem is: 42o
O Adjacent
sin (θ ) = the sine ratio formula
H
x
sin (42°) = the result of substituting into the formula
24
x = 24 × sin (42°) rearranging the formula to make x the subject
x ≈ 16.06 m the result of the calculation.
We need to apply this method using any of the three trigonometric ratios to find a side length.
The steps used in solving the problem are as follows.
Step 1. Label the sides of the triangle, which are either given, or need to be found, with respect
to the given angle.
Step 2. Consider the sides involved and determine which of the trigonometric ratios is required.
(Use the mnemonic SOH CAH TOA to help you.)
(a) Use the sine ratio if the hypotenuse (H) and the opposite side (O) are involved.
(b) Use the cosine ratio if the hypotenuse (H) and the adjacent side (A) are involved.
(c) Use the tangent ratio if the opposite (O) and the adjacent (A) sides are involved.
Step 3. Substitute the values of the pronumerals into the ratio.
Step 4. Solve the resultant equation for the unknown side length.

Worked example 12

Find the value of the pronumeral for each of the following. Give answers correct to 3 decimal places.
a b

6 cm 32o
a
0.346 cm f
35o

Think WriTe/draW
a 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are either a
given, or need to be found. H O
6 cm
a

35n

164 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 O
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio sin (θ ) =
to use. H

a
3 Substitute O = a, H = 6, θ = 35°. sin (35°) =
6
6 sin (35°) = a
4 Make a the subject of the equation. a = 6 sin (35°)
5 Calculate and round the answer, correct to a ≈ 3.441 cm
3 decimal places.
b 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are either b
given, or need to be found.
32n
H A
0.346 cm f

A
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio cos (θ ) =
to use. H

f
3 Substitute A = f, H = 0.346 and θ = 32°. cos (32°) =
0.346
0.346 cos (32°) = f
4 Make f the subject of the equation. f = 0.346 cos (32°)
5 Calculate and round the answer, correct to ≈ 0.293 cm
3 decimal places.

In Worked example 12, the unknown side was in the numerator of the fraction when we
substituted the given information. This calculation step will differ when the unknown value is in
the denominator.

Worked example 13

Find the value of the pronumeral in the triangle shown. Give the answer correct to 2 decimal places.

120 m
5o
P

Think WriTe/draW

1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are either H O

given, or need to be found. 120 m
5o
A P

O
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio to use. tan (θ ) =
A
120
3 Substitute O = 120, A = P and θ = 5°. tan (5°) =
P

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 165

 4 Make P the subject of the equation.
(i) Multiply both sides of the equation by P. P × tan (5°) = 120
120
(ii) Divide both sides of the equation by tan (5°). P=
tan (5°)
ta
5 Calculate and round the answer, correct to 2 decimal P ≈ 1371.61 m
places.

rememBer

1. The trigonometric ratios can be used to find a side length in a right-angled triangle
when we are given one other side length and one of the acute angles.
2. The calculation step will differ depending upon whether the unknown is in the
numerator or denominator of the equation formed after substitution.

exerCise
4d Using trigonometry to calculate side lengths
1 We12 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the following, correct to 3 decimal
places.
a b
8

10 cm a 25o
a

60o

31o
14

2 We13 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the following triangles, correct to
2 decimal places.
4.6 m
a 71o
b 13o
m
n

2.3 m

c 94 mm

68o
t

166 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 3 Find the length of the unknown side in each of the following, correct to 2 decimal places.
a b P c 14 m
8o 5
2' 4
5''

11.7 m
43.95 m
t
1 2'
18o
40o 26'
x

d e f 6o 25'

x
x 80.9 cm
x

21n25' 34"
75.23 km

'
o 42
4 11.2 mm
3

4 Find the value of the pronumeral in each of the following, correct to 2 decimal places.
a x b 23.7 m
36o 42'

y
43.9 cm
46o

c d
34

z p
o1

12.3 m 15.3 m
2'

13o 12'

e f
q 0.732 km
p
73o 5' a
63o 11'
47.385 km b

5 Given that the angle θ is 42° and the length of the hypotenuse is 8.95  m in a right-angled
triangle, find the length of:
a the opposite side
b the adjacent side.
Give each answer correct to 1 decimal point.
6 A ladder rests against a wall. If the angle between the ladder and the ground is 35° and the foot
of the ladder is 1.5  m from the wall, how high up the wall does the ladder reach?

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 167

 4e Using trigonometry to calculate
angle size
To find the size of an angle using the trigonometric ratios, we need to be given the length of two
sides.

Worked example 14

For each of the following, find the size of the angle, θ, correct to the nearest degree.
a b

5m

5 cm Q
3.5 cm
11 m

Think WriTe/draW
a 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are a
either given, or need to be found.

H O
5 cm
3.5 cm

2 O
Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio sin (θ ) =
to use. We are given O and H, so choose H
the sine ratio.
3.5
3 Substitute O = 3.5 and H = 5 and evaluate sin (θ ) =
the expression. 5
= 0.7
−
4 Make θ the subject of the equation using θ = sin 1(0.7)
inverse sine. = 44.427 004°
5 Evaluate θ and round the answer, correct θ ≈ 44°
to the nearest degree.
b 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are b
either given, or need to be found. O
5m

Q
11 m A

O
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio tan (θ ) =
to use. We are given O and A, so choose A
the tangent ratio.

168 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 5
3 Substitute O = 5 and A = 11. As the value tan (θ ) = 11
of tan (θ ) is a simple fraction, we do not
need to evaluate the expression.
− 
5
4 Make θ the subject of the equation using θ = tan 1  11 
inverse tangent. = 24.443 954 78°
5 Evaluate θ and round the answer, correct θ ≈ 24°
to the nearest degree.

When asked for a more accurate measurement of an angle, we are able to use the calculator to
find an angle correct to the nearest minute or nearest second.

Worked example 15

Find the size of angle θ in each of the triangles shown below.

a 3.1 m b
Q

55 cm
7.2 m

Q
42 cm
(Answer correct to (Answer correct to
the nearest minute.) the nearest second.)
Think WriTe/draW
a 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are a 3.1 m A
either given, or need to be found. Q

O
7.2 m

O
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio tan (θ ) =
to use. A

7.2
3 Substitute O = 7.2 and A = 3.1 and tan (θ ) =
evaluate the expression. 3.1
= 2.322 580 645
−
4 Make θ the subject of the equation using θ = tan 1 (2.322 580 645)
inverse tangent.
5 Evaluate θ and write the calculator display. θ = 66.705 436 75°
6 Use the calculator to convert the answer to = 66°42′19.572″
degrees, minutes and seconds and round θ ≈ 66°42′
the answer to the nearest minute.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 169

 b 1 Label the sides of the triangle, which are b
either given, or need to be found.
H

55 cm

Q
42 cm A
A
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio cos (θ) =
to use. H
42
3 Substitute A = 42 and H = 55. cos (θ) = 55

 
θ = cos 1 42
−
4 Make θ the subject of the equation using 
55 
inverse cosine.
5 Evaluate θ and write the calculator display. θ = 40.214 171 02°
6 Use the calculator to convert the answer = 40°12′51.016″
to degrees, minutes and seconds and θ ≈ 40°12′51″
round the answer to the nearest second.

rememBer

1. The trigonometric ratios can be used to find the size of the acute angles in a
right-angled triangle when we are given the length of two sides.
2. To find an angle size we need to use the inverse trigonometric functions.
3. Answers may be given correct to the nearest degree, minute or second.

exerCise
4e Using trigonometry to calculate angle size
1 We14 Find the size of the angle, θ, in each of the following. Give your answer correct to the
eBook plus nearest degree.
Digital doc
a b c
SkillSHEET 4.7
Rounding
angles to the 5.2 4.7
4.8 8
nearest degree

Q Q
Q
3.2
3
2 We15a Find the size of the angle marked with the pronumeral in each of the following. Give
your answer correct to the nearest minute.
a b 7.2 m c
B
12
17
4m Q
10
Q
12

170 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 3 We15b Find the size of the angle marked with the pronumeral in each of the following. Give
your answer correct to the nearest second.
a b c
A
5m
2.7
8
A
3m 3.5
Q
2

4 Find the size of the angle marked with the pronumeral in each of the following, giving your
answer correct to the nearest degree.

a b

13.5 a 89.4
15.3
c
77.3

c 106.4 d
d
43.7
18.7
92.7
b

e f
12.36
13.85 7.3 cm 12.2 cm
e

18.56

9.8 cm A

5 Find the size of each of the angles in the following, giving your answers correct to the nearest
eBook plus minute.
Digital doc
a b c
WorkSHEET 4.2 d x
Using a 5.7
trigonometry 0.798 2.3

56.3 y

0.342 e

b
27.2

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 171

 4F angles of elevation and depression
Many people use trigonometry at work. It is particularly important in careers such as the
eBook plus building trades, surveying, architecture and engineering. Trigonometric ratios have a variety of
eLesson
applications, some of which will be discussed in this section.
eles-0173 Trigonometric ratios can be used to solve problems. When solving a problem, the following
Height of a steps can be of assistance.
satellite 1. Sketch a diagram to represent the situation described in the problem.
2. Label the sides of the right-angled triangle with respect to the angle involved.
3. Identify what is given and what needs to be found.
4. Select an appropriate trigonometric ratio and use it to find the unknown measurement.
5. Interpret your result by writing a worded answer.

angles of elevation and depression

When we need to look up or down in order to see a certain object, our line of vision (that is, the
straight line from the observer’s eye to the object) is inclined. The angle of inclination of the line
of vision to the horizontal when looking up is referred to as the angle of elevation, and when
looking down it is referred to as the angle of depression.
The angle of elevation is measured up from the horizontal line to the line of vision.

Angle of
elevation
Q
Horizontal

The angle of depression is measured down from the horizontal line to the line of vision.

Horizontal
Q Angle of
depression

For any two objects, A and B, the angle of elevation of B, as seen from A, is equal to the
angle of depression of A as seen from B.

B
Angle of depression
of A from B

Angle of elevation
of B from A
A

172 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

Worked example 16

From an observer, the angle of elevation of the top of a tree is 50°. If the observer is 8 metres from
the tree, find the height of the tree.
Think WriTe/draW
1 Sketch a diagram and label the sides of the triangle with
respect to the given angle. Let the height of the tree be h.
h
O

50o
8m A

O
2 Identify the appropriate trigonometric ratio. We are given tan (θ ) =
A and need to find O, so choose the tangent ratio. A

h
3 Substitute O = h, A = 8 and θ = 50°. tan (50°) =
8
4 Rearrange to make h the subject. h = 8 tan (50°)
5 Calculate and round the answer to 2 decimal places. ≈ 9.53
6 Give a worded answer. The height of the tree is 9.53 m.

rememBer

1. To solve a problem involving trigonometric ratios, follow these steps:

(a) Draw a diagram to represent the situation.
(b) Label the diagram with respect to the angle involved (either given or that needs to
be found).
(c) Identify what is given and what needs to be found.
(d) Select an appropriate trigonometric ratio and use it to find the unknown side or angle.
(e) Interpret the result by writing a worded answer.
2. The angle of elevation is measured up and the angle of depression is measured down
from the horizontal line to the line of vision.
Horizontal
Q Angle of
depression

Angle of
Q elevation
Horizontal

3. For any two objects, A and B, the angle of elevation B

of B, as seen from A, is equal to the angle of Angle of depression
depression of A as seen from B. of A from B

Angle of elevation
of B from A
A

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 173

 exerCise
4F angles of elevation and depression
1 We16 The angle of elevation from an observer to the top of a tree is 54°22′. If the tree is
known to be 12.19 m high, how far is the observer from it?
2 From the top of a cliff 112 m high, the angle of depression to a boat is 9°15′. How far is the
boat from the foot of the cliff?
3 A person on a ship observes a lighthouse on the cliff, which is 830 metres away from the ship.
The angle of elevation of the top of the lighthouse is 12°.
a How far above sea level is the top of the lighthouse?
b If the height of the lighthouse is 24 m, how high is the cliff?
4 At a certain time of the day a post, 4 m tall, casts a shadow of 1.8 m. What is the angle of
eBook plus elevation of the sun at that time?
Digital doc 5 An observer, who is standing 47 m from a building, measures the angle of elevation of the top
SkillSHEET 4.8 of the building as 17°. If the observer’s eye is 167 cm from the ground, what is the height of the
Drawing
building?
a diagram
from given 6 A surveyor needs to determine the height of a
directions building. She measures the angle of elevation
of the top of the building from two points, h
38 m apart. The surveyor’s eye level is 180 cm
above the ground. 47n12 35n5
' 0'
a Find two expressions for the height of the x 38 m 180 cm
building, h, in terms of x using the two angles.
b Solve for x by equating the two expressions
obtained in a.
c Find the height of the building.
7 The height of another building needs to be
determined but cannot be found directly. The
surveyor decides to measure the angle of h
elevation of the top of the building from different
sites, which are 75 m apart. The surveyor’s eye 43n35 32n1
' 8'
level is 189 cm above the ground. x 75 m 189 cm
a Find two expressions for the height of the
building, h, in terms of x using the two angles.
b Solve for x.
c Find the height of the building.
8 A lookout tower has been erected on top of a cliff. At a distance of 5.8 km from the foot of the
cliff, the angle of elevation to the base of the tower is 15.7° and to the observation deck at the
top of the tower is 16° respectively as shown in the figure below. How high from the top of the
cliff is the observation deck?

16o
15.7o
5.8 km

174 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 9 Elena and Sonja were on a camping trip to the Angle of depression
1.3 km
Grampians, where they spent their first day
20n
hiking. They first walked 1.5  km along a path 1.5 km
150 m
inclined at an angle of 10° to the horizontal. 10n
Then they had to follow another path, which was 1.4 km
at an angle of 20° to the horizontal. They walked
along this path for 1.3  km, which brought them to the edge of the cliff. Here Elena spotted a
large gum tree 1.4  km away. If the gum tree is 150  m high, what is the angle of depression from
the top of the cliff to the top of the gum tree?
10 a Find the height of a telegraph
pole in the photograph at right
if the angle of elevation to the
top of the pole is 8° from a
point at the ground level 60  m
from the base of the pole.
b Find the height of the light
pole in the figure below.

43.3o
60 m 8°

60 m

11 From a point on top of a cliff, two boats are observed.

32o
If the angles of depression are 58° and 32° and the cliff 58o
is 46  m above sea level, how far apart are the boats?
46 m

12 Joseph is asked to obtain an estimate of the height

of his house using any mathematical technique. He
decides to use an inclinometer and basic trigonometry. x
Using the inclinometer, Joseph determines the Q
angle of elevation, θ, from his eye level to the top of
his house to be 42°. The point from which Joseph h d
measures the angle of elevation is 15  m away from
his house and the distance from Joseph’s eyes to the
ground is 1.76  m.
a Fill in the given information on the diagram provided 40o
(substitute values for the pronumerals). 62o
b Determine the height of Joseph’s house.
13 The competitors of a cross-country run are nearing the
100 m
finish line. From a lookout 100 m above the track, the
angles of depression to the two leaders, Nathan and
Rachel, are 40° and 62° respectively. How far apart are
the two competitors?

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 175

 14 A 2.05 m tall man, standing in front of a street light
eBook plus 3.08 m high, casts a 1.5 m shadow.
Digital doc
a What is the angle of elevation from the ground to
WorkSHEET 4.3 the source of light?
Elevation and b How far is the man from the bottom of the light 3.08 m 2.05 m
depression pole?
1.5 m

4G Bearings
In Year 9, bearings were introduced as a method of navigation. These can be expressed as either
a compass bearing or a true bearing.

Compass bearings
Compass bearings (also known as conventional bearings) are measured from the north–south
line in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction.
To identify the compass bearing of an object we need to state:
1. whether the angle is measured from north (N) or south (S)
2. the size of the angle
3. whether the angle is measured in the direction of west (W) or east (E).
For example, the bearing of S20°E means the direction that is 20° from south towards east,
while the bearing N40°W means the direction that is 40° from north towards west.

N N40oW N

40o

W E W E

20o

S20oE
S S

True bearings
True bearings are measured from north in a clockwise direction. They are always
expressed as 3 digits.

The diagrams below show the bearings of 025° true and 250° true respectively. (These true
bearings are more commonly written as 025°T and 250°T.)

N 025o true N

25o

W E W E
250n

250nT

S S

176 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

Worked example 17

A boat travels a distance of 5 km from P to Q in a direction of 035°T.

a How far east of P is Q?
b How far north of P is Q?
c What is the true bearing of P from Q?

Think WriTe/draW

a 1 Draw a diagram to represent the situation. Label the a N

hypotenuse and the opposite and adjacent sides. O
x
Q

m
Ay H

5k
35n

P
O
2 To determine how far Q is east of P, we need to sin (θ ) =
find the value of x. We are given the length of the H
hypotenuse (H) and need to find the length of the
opposite side (O). Choose the sine ratio.
x
3 Substitute O = x, H = 5 and θ = 35°. sin (35°) =
5
4 Make x the subject of the equation. x = 5 sin (35°)
5 Evaluate and round the answer, correct to = 2.87
2 decimal places.
6 Write the answer in words. Point Q is 2.87 km east of P.
A
b 1 To determine how far Q is north of P, we need to b cos (θ ) =
find the value of y. This can be done in several H
ways, namely: using the cosine ratio, the tangent
ratio, or Pythagoras’ theorem. Let’s use the cosine
ratio.
y
2 Substitute P = y, H = 5 and θ = 35°. cos (35°) =
5
3 Make y the subject of the equation. y = 5 cos (35°)
4 Evaluate and round the answer, correct to = 4.10
2 decimal places.
5 Write the answer in words. Point B is 4.10 km north of A.
c 1 To find the bearing of P from Q, we need to draw c N N
the compass directions through Q and then measure
the angle in the clockwise direction from the north Q
line through Q to the line PQ. Show the required A
angle on the diagram.
35n

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 177

 2 Study the diagram. The angle that represents the True bearing = 180° + α
true bearing is the sum of 180° (from north to α = 35°
south) and the angle, labelled α. Now the north True bearing = 180° + 35°
lines through P and Q are parallel and so the line = 215°
PQ is a transversal. Therefore angle 35° and angle
α are equal (being alternate angles). Calculate the
true bearing.
3 Write the answer in words. The bearing of P from Q is 215°T.

Sometimes a person or an object (for example, a ship) changes direction during their journey.
(This can even happen more than once.) In situations like this we are usually interested in the
total distance the object has moved and its final bearing from the starting point. The following
worked example shows how to deal with such situations.

Worked example 18

A boy walks 2 km on a true bearing of 090° and then 3 km on a true bearing of 130°.
a How far east of the starting point is the boy at the completion of his walk? (Answer correct to
1 decimal place.)
b How far south of the starting point is the boy at the completion of his walk? (Answer correct to
1 decimal place.)
c What is the bearing of the boy (from the starting point), in degrees and minutes, at the completion
of his walk?
Think WriTe/draW
Draw a diagram of the boy’s journey. N N

2 km 130o

3 km

a 1 The first leg of the journey is due east a N N

so we find the eastern component of the
second leg. Construct a triangle about 2 km 130n
E
the second leg of the journey. We can
calculate one of the missing angles by 50n H
Ay 3 km
using the rule of supplementary angles:
180° − 130° = 50°.
x
O

O
2 We need to find the eastern component sin (θ ) =
of the journey, x, which is the opposite H
side and have been given the hypotenuse.
Choose the sine ratio.
x
3 Substitute O = x, H = 3 and θ = 50°. sin (50°) =
3
4 Make x the subject of the equation. x = 3 sin (50°)

178 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 5 Evaluate and round correct to 1 decimal = 2.3 km
place. Total distance east = 2 + 2.3
= 4.3 km
6 Add to this the 2 km east that was walked The boy walked a total of 4.3 km east of the
in the first leg of the journey and give a starting point.
worded answer.
b 1 In the first part of the journey the boy has b Distance south = y km
not moved south at all. Thus the distance
that he moved south of the starting point is
the southern component of the second leg,
labelled y. (See the diagram in part a .)
y
2 To find y we can use Pythagoras’ theorem, a2 = c2 − b2 cos (50°) =
as we know the lengths of two out of three 3
sides in the right-angled triangle. Note y2 = 32 − 2.32 y = 3 cos (50°)
that the hypotenuse, c, is 3 and one of the = 9 − 5.29 = 1.9 km
sides is 2.3, as found in part a . Round the = 3.71
answer correct to 1 decimal place. y = 3.71
Note: Alternatively, the cosine ratio could = 1.9 km
have been used.
3 Write the answer in words. The boy walked a total of 1.9 km south of the
starting point.
c 1 Draw a diagram of the journey and write c N N
in the distances found in parts a and b . A
The bearing of the boy from the starting 2 km 130n
point is represented by the angle α (that Q
is, the angle measured in a clockwise A 1.9 km 3 km
direction from north to the line joining
the starting and the finishing points of the
journey). 4.3 km
O

2 The size of angle α cannot be

found directly. Find the size of the
supplementary angle labelled θ.
O
3 We have the lengths of the opposite side and tan (θ ) =
the adjacent side, so choose the tangent ratio. A
4.3
4 Substitute O = 4.3 and A = 1.9 and tan (θ ) =
evaluate. 1.9
= 2.263 157 895
−
5 Make θ the subject of the equation using θ = tan 1 (2.263 157 895)
the inverse tangent function.
6 Evaluate and round to the nearest minute. = 66.161 259 82°
= 66°9′40.535″
= 66°10′
7 Find the angle α. α = 180° − 66°10′
= 113°50′
8 Write the answer in words. The bearing of the boy from his starting point
is 113°50′ T.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 179

 REMEMBER

1. To identify the compass bearing of an object we need to state (in this order):
(a) whether the angle is measured from north (N) or south (S)
(b) the size of the angle
(c) whether the angle is measured in the direction of west (W) or east (E).
2. True bearings are measured from north in a clockwise direction and expressed as
3 digits.
3. When solving problems involving bearings, always draw a clear diagram prior to
attempting the problem.

Exercise
4G Bearings
1 Change each of the following compass bearings to true bearings.
a N20°E b N20°W c S35°W
d S28°E e N34°E f S42°W
2 Change each of the following true bearings to compass bearings.
a 049°T b 132°T c 267°T
d 330°T e 086°T f 234°T
3 Describe the following paths using true bearings.
a N b N
3k

35o
m

W E
22o
2.5
km

S
c d N
N

35o 2.5 km
4 km
W E
35o
m
8k

S
e f N
N
N N
12 30
km 0m
65o
50o m 40o 50o
7k
0m
50

180 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

 4 Show each of the following by drawing the paths.
a A ship travels 040°T for 40  km and then 100°T for 30  km.
b A plane flies for 230  km in a direction 135°T and a further 140  km in a direction 240°T.
c A bushwalker travels in a direction 260°T for 0.8  km, then changes direction to 120°T for
1.3  km, and finally travels in a direction of 32° for 2.1  km.
d A boat travels N40°W for 8  km, then changes direction to S30°W for 5  km and then
S50°E for 7  km.
e A plane travels N20°E for 320  km, N70°E for 180  km and S30°E for 220  km.
5   WE 17  a  You are planning a trip on your yacht. If you travel 20  km from A to B on a bearing
of 42°T:
i how far east of A is B?
ii how far north of A is B?
iii what is the bearing of A from B?
b In the next part of the journey you decide to travel 80  km from B to C on a bearing of
130°T.
i Show the journey to be travelled using a diagram.
ii How far south of B is C?
iii How far east of B is C?
iv What is the bearing of B from C?
c In the next part of the journey you decide to travel 45  km from C to D on a bearing of
210°T.
i Show the journey to be travelled using a diagram.
ii How far south of C is D?
iii How far west of C is D?
iv What is the bearing of C from D?
6 If a farmhouse is situated 220  m N35°E from a shed, what is the true bearing of the shed from
the house?
7 A pair of hikers travel 0.7  km on a true bearing of 240° and then 1.3  km on a true bearing of
300°. How far west have they travelled from their starting point?
8   WE 18  A boat travels 6  km on a true bearing of 120° and then 4  km on a true bearing of 080°.
a How far east is the boat from the starting point on the completion of its journey?
b How far south is the boat from the starting point on the completion of its journey?
c What is the bearing of the boat from the starting point on the completion of its journey?
9 A plane flies on a true bearing of 320° for 450  km. It then flies on a true bearing of 350° for
130  km and finally on a true bearing of 050° for 330  km. How far north of its starting point is
the plane?
10 Find the final bearing for each of the
following. Express your answer in true
bearings, correct to the nearest minute.
a A boat travels due east for 4  km
and then travels N20°E for 3  km.
What is the final bearing of the
boat from the starting point?
b A bushwalker travels due north
for 3  km, then due east for 8  km.
What is the final bearing of the
bushwalker from the starting
point?
c A car travels due south for 80  km, then travels due west for 50  km, and finally due south
for a further 30  km. What is the final bearing of the car from the starting point?

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 181

 4h The unit circle — quadrant 1
A unit circle is a circle with centre at the origin and a radius of 1 unit.

y
1

it
un
1
–1 1 x

–1

A right-angled triangle containing angle θ can be drawn in quadrant 1 of the unit circle as
shown in the diagram below. (Note that angle θ is measured from the positive direction of the
x-axis in an anticlockwise direction.)

y
1
H

Q O
–1 1 x
A

–1

In this triangle, the hypotenuse is represented by the radius of the circle and, hence, the length
of the hypotenuse (H) is 1 unit. The lengths of the opposite and adjacent sides can be found
using trigonometric ratios as follows:
O A
sin (θ ) = and cos (θ ) =
H H
sin (θ ) = O (as H = 1) cos (θ ) = A (as H = 1)

c 1
a sin (Q )

x
b cos (Q )

Thus the length of the side opposite to angle θ is sin (θ ) units and the length of the side adjacent
to angle θ is cos (θ ) units.
As we have a unit circle, the hypotenuse is always 1 unit, but the lengths of the other two
sides change, depending on the size of the angle θ.

182 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 The pythagorean identity
As the triangle is a right-angled triangle, Pythagoras’ theorem c2 = a2 + b2 applies. Since
a = sin (θ ), b = cos (θ ) and c = 1, substituting into Pythagoras’ theorem gives:
(sin (θ ))2 + (cos (θ ))2 = 12
This is known as the Pythagorean identity and is usually written as:
sin2 (θ ) + cos2 (θ ) = 1.
Rearranging sin (θ ) + cos (θ ) = 1 gives other useful expressions.
2 2

cos2 (θ ) = 1 − sin2 (θ ) (and hence cos (θ ) = 1 − ssin 2 (θ ) in quadrant 1) and

cos 2 (θ ) in quadrant 1).

sin2 (θ ) = 1 − cos2 (θ ) (and hence sin (θ ) = 1 − cos

These results allow us to determine the value of either the sine ratio or the cosine ratio when
we are given the other.

Worked example 19

If cos (θ ) = 0.3760, find sin (θ ). Give the answer correct to 4 decimal places.
Think WriTe

1 Write the transposed Pythagorean identity where sin (θ ) = 1 − coss2 (θ )

sin (θ ) is the subject.
2 Substitute cos (θ ) = 0.3760. sin (θ ) = 1 − (0.3760)2
3 Evaluate and round the answer, correct to 4 decimal = 1 − 0.
0 141376
places. = 0.858624
= 0.9266

If a tangent to the unit circle is drawn so that it is parallel y

to the y-axis, and the radius is extended until it meets with
the tangent, then the length of the side opposite angle θ
in the triangle formed is equal to tan (θ ). The location of sin(Q ) tan(Q )
tan (θ ) can be seen from the diagram at right.
By comparing similar triangles, we can determine Q
x
the ratio for tan (θ ). cos(Q )

tan(Q )
sin(Q )
Q Q
cos(Q ) 1
is similar to

In similar triangles the corresponding sides are in the same ratio. Therefore,

sin (θ ) tan (θ )
= or
cos (θ ) 1
sin (θ )
tan (θ ) =
cos (θ )

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 183

 Worked example 20

If sin (θ ) = 0.9396 and cos (θ ) = 0.3420, find tan (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places.
Think WriTe
sin (θ )
1 Write the identity that connects sin (θ ), cos (θ ) and tan (θ ). tan (θ ) =
cos (θ )
0.9396
2 Substitute given values of sin (θ ) and cos (θ ) into the tan (θ ) =
formula. 0.3420
3 Evaluate and round correct to 4 decimal places. = 2.7474

Worked example 21

If sin (θ ) = 0.5456:
a find the value of cos (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
b find the value of tan (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
c find the size of angle θ, correct to the nearest minute
d draw a diagram to show angle θ, its sine, cosine and tangent.

Think WriTe/draW

a 1 To find cos (θ ), use the Pythagorean identity, a cos (θ ) = 1 − sin

n 2 (θ )
transposed so that cos (θ ) is the subject.
2 Substitute sin (θ ) = 0.5456. cos (θ ) = 1 − (0.5456)2
3 Evaluate and round the answer, correct to 4 decimal = 0.702 320 64
places.
= 0.8380
b 1 Write the identity for tan (θ ). b tan (θ ) = sin (θ )
cos (θ )
2 Substitute the values of sin (θ ) and cos (θ ) into the rule. 0.5456
=
0.8380
3 Evaluate and round the answer, to 4 decimal places. = 0.6511
−
c 1 As we are given the value of sin (θ ), to find the size c θ = sin 1 (0.5456)
of angle θ we must find the inverse of sin (θ ). = 33.065 675 07°
2 Convert to degrees and minutes by using a = 33°3′56.43″
calculator. = 33°4′
d Draw the unit circle. In quadrant 1 construct a right- d y
angled triangle. Write in the size of the angle and show
the location of the angle’s sine, cosine and tangent.
sin(33n 4')

tan(33n 4')
it
un
1

33n 4'
cos(33n 4') x

1 unit

184 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 rememBer

1. A unit circle has a radius of 1 unit.

2. When a right-angled triangle is drawn in quadrant 1 of the unit circle, the length of the
side adjacent to the angle θ is equal to cos (θ ) and the length of the side opposite to the
angle θ is equal to sin (θ ). y
3. If a tangent to the unit circle is drawn so that it is parallel
to the y-axis, and the radius is extended until it meets the 1

tan(Q)
tangent then, in the triangle formed, the length of the side

sin(Q )
opposite angle θ is equal to tan (θ ).
4. The Pythagorean identity is given by: Q
–1 1 x
sin (θ ) + cos (θ ) = 1.
2 2 cos(Q )
5. The Pythagorean identity can be transposed to give the
following formulas for the first quadrant: –1
sin (θ ) = 1 − coss2 (θ ) and cos (θ ) = 1 − sinn 2 (θ )
6. The identity connecting the tangent of angle θ with its sine and cosine is:
sin (θ )
tan (θ ) = .
cos (θ )

exerCise
4h The unit circle — quadrant 1
1 We19 Find sin (θ ) (correct to 4 decimal places) if:
a cos (θ ) = 0.76 b cos (θ ) = 0.87 c cos (θ ) = 0.92
d cos (θ ) = 23 e cos (θ ) = 13 f cos (θ ) = 25 .
2 Find cos (θ ) (correct to 4 decimal places) if:
a sin (θ ) = 0.852 b sin (θ ) = 0.153 c sin (θ ) = 12
d sin (θ ) = 52
e 2 sin (θ ) = 1.42 f 3 sin (θ ) = 0.983.
3 We20 Find tan (θ ) (correct to 3 decimal places) for each of the following.
a sin (θ ) = 0.5, cos (θ ) = 0.866 b sin (θ ) = 0.8, cos (θ ) = 0.6
1
c sin (θ ) = 2, cos (θ ) = 12 d sin (θ ) = 5, cos (θ ) = 0.8944
e sin (θ ) = 0.8132, cos (θ ) = 0.582 f sin (θ ) = 0.9325, cos (θ ) = 0.3612
4 Given that:
a sin (θ ) = 0.215, find i cos (θ ) and ii tan (θ )
b cos (θ ) = 0.992, find i sin (θ ) and ii tan (θ )
c cos (θ ) = 0.315, find i sin (θ ) and ii tan (θ )
d sin (θ ) = 0.876, find i cos (θ ) and ii tan (θ )
e 5 cos (θ ) = 4, find i sin (θ ) and ii tan (θ )
f 7 sin (θ ) = 3, find i cos (θ ) and ii tan (θ ).
5 We21 If sin (θ ) = 0.6112:
a find the value of cos (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
b find the value of tan (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
c find the size of angle θ, correct to the nearest minute
d draw a diagram to show angle θ, its sine, cosine and tangent.
6 If cos (θ ) = 0.215:
a find the value of sin (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
b find the value of tan (θ ), correct to 4 decimal places
c find the size of angle θ, correct to the nearest minute
d draw a diagram to show angle θ, its sine, cosine and tangent.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 185

 4i Circular functions 90o
y

The unit circle can be divided into 4 quadrants.

As you can see from the diagram, all angles in
2nd 1st
quadrant 1 are between 0° and 90°. All angles in quadrant quadrant 0o
quadrant 2 are between 90° and 180°, in quadrant 3 180o x
3rd 4th
between 180° and 270°, and in quadrant 4 between 270° quadrant quadrant
360o
and 360°.

270o

Worked example 22

State the quadrant of the unit circle in which each of the following angles is found.
a 145° b 282°

Think WriTe
a The given angle is between 90° and 180°. State the a 145° is in quadrant 2.
appropriate quadrant.
b The given angle is between 270° and 360°. State b 282° is in quadrant 4.
the appropriate quadrant.

So far we have looked at triangles constructed in quadrant 1 of the unit circle, with the angle θ
being less than 90°. However, triangles can be drawn in other parts of the circle and we need to
know what happens when angles become greater than 90°.
We can certainly use a calculator to find sine, cosine and tangent values for angles greater
than 90° , but it is important to understand where these values have come from.
In this section, we will look at finding sine and cosine values for angles greater than 90°,
eBook plus
using a unit circle. As the unit circle is used to find these values, sin (θ ) and cos (θ ) are often
Interactivity referred to as circular functions.
int-1414 In the previous section we discovered that if a right-angled
90n
Circular triangle containing angle θ is constructed in quadrant 1 of y
functions
the unit circle, then the value of sin (θ ) can be found by 1
measuring the length of the opposite side and the value of P
cos (θ ) by measuring the length of the adjacent side. sin( )
The point of intersection of the radius (which is one 0n
180n
of the arms of angle θ ) with the unit circle, is P. From 1 cos( ) 1 x
360n
the diagram at right observe that cos (θ ) represents
the x-coordinate of point P and sin (θ ) represents its
y-coordinate. This observation provides us with the 1
technique for finding sine and cosine of any angle in the 270n
unit circle, as shown below.
To find the value of sine and/or cosine of any angle θ from the unit circle, follow these
steps:
1. Draw a unit circle.
2. Construct the required angle so that its vertex is at the origin and the angle itself is
measured from 0° (as marked on the x-axis) in an anticlockwise direction. Label the
point of intersection of the radius and the unit circle, P.
3. Use a ruler to find the coordinates of point P.
4. Interpret the results: x = cos (θ ) and y = sin (θ ), where x and y are coordinates of P.

186 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

Worked Example 23

Find the value of each of the following using the unit circle.
a   sin (200°) b   cos (200°)

Think Write/DRAW
Draw a unit circle and construct an angle of 200°. 90o
Label the point corresponding to the angle of 200° y
on the circle P. Highlight the lengths, representing the 1
x- and y-coordinates of point P. Q = 200o
x 0o
180o y
–1 1 x
P 360o

–1
270o

a The sine of the angle is given by the y-coordinate a sin (200°) = −0.3
of P. Find the y-coordinate of P by measuring
the distance along the y-axis. State the value
of sin (200°). (Note that the sine value will be
negative as the y-coordinate is negative.
b The cosine of the angle is given by the x-coordinate b cos (200°) = −0.9
of P. Find the x-coordinate of P by measuring
the distance along the x-axis. State the value of
cos (200°). (Note that cosine is also negative in
quadrant 3, as the x-coordinate is negative.)

The results obtained in Worked example 23 can be verified with the aid of a calculator:
sin (200°) = −0.342  020  143 and cos (200°) = −0.939  692  62.
Rounding these values to 1 decimal place would give −0.3 and −0.9 respectively, which match
the values obtained from the unit circle. y

Angles in degrees and radians

So far, the unit we have used to measure angles is the degree (°).
Another angle unit is the radian (c). You will recall that, in using
a CAS calculator to determine trigonometric ratios, you were O Px
advised to ensure that your calculator was in Degree mode.
Another option is the radian mode.
Consider a unit circle — one with a radius of 1 unit.
OP = 1 unit

Let the radius OP rotate anticlockwise to a point P′ on the y Pa

circumference of the circle where the arc length PP′ is 1 unit in
c
length (the same as the length of the radius).

o
O Px

OP = 1 unit

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 187

 The length of the arc PP′ represents a measurement of 1 radian. 1 circumference
—
Since this is a length on the circumference of a circle, we can 2 y
find a relationship between a radian and π. Consider the radius
rotated 180° around the circumference of the circle.
2π r
Length of semicircular arc PP′ = 180o
2
2 × π ×1 Pa O P x
=
2
= π c
From this we can see that:
eBook plus
180° = π c
Interactivity πc
int-1413 1° =
180
Degrees and
radians πc
To convert an angle in degrees to radian measure, multiply by .
180°
180°
Also, since 180° = π c, it follows that 1c = .
π
180°
To convert an angle in radian measure to degrees, multiply by .
πc

Worked example 24

Find the radian measure that corresponds to the following turns around a unit circle.
1 1
a 2 turn b 3 turn

Think WriTe

a 1 Find the number of degrees in this turn. a

1
2
turn = 12 × 360°
= 180°
π
2 To convert an angle in degrees to radian 180° = × 180
πc 180
measure, multiply the angle by . = π c
180°
1
3 Write the answer. turn is equal to π c.
2
1 1
b 1 Find the number of degrees in this turn. b 3 turn = 3 × 360°
= 120°
π
2 To convert an angle in degrees to radian 120° = × 120
πc 180
measure, multiply the angle by . 120π
180° =
180
2π c
=
3
1 2π c
3 Write the answer. 3 turn is equal to .
3

188 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

Worked example 25

a Convert 150° to radian measure, expressing the answer in terms of π.

3π c
b Convert the radian measurement to degrees.
4
Think WriTe
π
a 1 To convert an angle in degrees to radian a 150° = × 150
πc 180
measure, multiply the angle by .
180°

5π c
2 Simplify, leaving the answer in terms of π. =
6
c
b 1 To convert an angle in radian measure to b 3π 180 3π
= ×
180° 4 π 4
degrees, multiply the angle by c .
π
2 Simplify and write the answer. = 135°
Note: The π cancels out.

rememBer

1. The unit circle is divided into four quadrants, as shown.

90o 90n
y y
1
P
2nd 1st sin( )
quadrant quadrant 0o 0n
180o x 180n
3rd 4th 1 cos( ) 1 x
360o 360n
quadrant quadrant

1
270o 270n
2. Sine and cosine of any angle, θ, are given as follows: x = cos (θ) and y = sin (θ),
where x and y are coordinates of point P on the unit circle, corresponding to the
given angle.
3. 1 ≤ sin (θ ) ≤ 1 and −1 ≤ cos (θ ) ≤ 1.
−

4. Sine is positive in quadrants 1 and 2 and negative in quadrants 3 and 4.

5. Cosine is positive in quadrants 1 and 4 and negative in quadrants 2 and 3.
6. Tangent is positive in quadrants 1 and 3 and negative in quadrants 2 and 4.
7. An angle can be measured in degrees or radians.
πc
8. To convert from degrees to radians, multiply by .
180°
180°
9. To convert from radians to degrees, multiply by .
πc

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 189

 Exercise
4i Circular functions
1   WE22  State which quadrant of the unit circle each of the following angles is in.
a 60° b 130° c 310° d 260°
e 100° f 185° g 275° h 295°
2   WE23  Draw a unit circle using a protractor and graph paper and use it to determine the
value of each of the following.
a sin (20°) b cos (20°) c cos (100°) d sin (100°)
e sin (320°) f cos (320°) g sin (215°) h cos (215°)
3 Use the unit circle to find each of the following.
a sin (90°) b cos (90°) c sin (180°) d cos (180°)
e sin (270°) f cos (270°) g sin (360°) h cos (360°)
4 On the unit circle, use a protractor to measure an angle of 30° y
from the positive x-axis. Mark the point P on the circle. Use this
point to construct a triangle in quadrant 1 as shown.
P
a Find cos (30°). (Remember that the length of the adjacent
side of the triangle is cos (30°).) sin(30n)
30n
b Find sin (30°). (This is the length of the opposite side of O x
cos(30n)
the triangle.)
c Check your answers to a and b by finding these values
with a calculator.
5 Using your graph of the unit circle, measure 150° with a
protractor and mark the point P on the circle. Use this point y
to draw a triangle in quadrant 2 as shown.
a What angle does the radius OP make with the negative P
x-axis? 150n
sin(150n)
b Remembering that x = cos (θ ), use your circle to find
O x
the value of cos (150°). cos(150n)
c How does cos (150°) compare to cos (30°)?
d Remembering that y = sin (θ ), use your circle to find
the value of sin (150°).
e How does sin (150°) compare with sin (30°)?
6 On the unit circle, measure 210° with a protractor and mark y
the point P on the circle. Use this point to draw a triangle in
quadrant 3 as shown.
a What angle does the radius OP make with the negative 210n
cos(210n)
x-axis?
b Use your circle to find the value of cos (210°). O x
sin(210n)
c How does cos (210°) compare to cos (30°)?
P
d Use your circle to find the value of sin (210°).
e How does sin (210°) compare with sin (30°)?

7 On the unit circle, measure 330° with a protractor and mark y

the point P on the circle. Use this point to draw a triangle in
quadrant 4 as shown.
a What angle does the radius OP make with the positive 330n cos(330n)
x-axis?
O x
b Use your circle to find the value of cos (330°). sin(330n)
c How does cos (330°) compare to cos (30°)? P
d Use your circle to find the value of sin (330°).
e How does sin (330°) compare with sin (30°)?

190 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

 8 On the unit circle, draw an appropriate triangle for the angle of 20° y
in quadrant 1.

tan(20n)
a Find sin (20°).

sin(20n)
b Find cos (20°).
c Draw a tangent line and extend the hypotenuse of the 20n
x
triangle to meet the tangent as shown. Accurately measure cos(20n)
the length of the tangent between the x-axis and the point
where it meets the hypotenuse and, hence, state the value of
tan (20°).
sin (20°)
d What is the value of ?
cos (20°)
sin (20°)
e How does tan (20°) compare with ?
cos (20°)
9 On the unit circle, draw an appropriate triangle for the angle y
of 135° in quadrant 2.

tan(135n)
a Find sin (135°).
b Find cos (135°). 135n
c Draw a tangent line and extend the hypotenuse of the
triangle to meet the tangent as shown. Accurately measure x
the length of the tangent to where it meets the hypotenuse to
find the value of tan (135°).
sin (135°)
d What is the value of ?
cos (135°)
sin (135°)
e How does tan (135°) compare with ?
cos (135°)
f How does tan (135°) compare with tan (45°)?
10 On the unit circle, draw an appropriate triangle for the angle of 220° y
in quadrant 3.
a Determine sin (220°).
b Determine cos (220°). 220n
c Draw a tangent line and extend the hypotenuse of the
x
tan(220n)

triangle to meet the tangent as shown. Calculate tan (220°)

by accurately measuring the length of the tangent to where
it meets the hypotenuse.
sin (220°)
d What is the value of ?
cos (220°)
sin (220°)
e How does tan (220°) compare with ?
cos (220°)
f How does tan (220°) compare with tan (40°)? (Use a calculator.) y
11 On the unit circle, draw an appropriate triangle for the angle of 300°
in quadrant 4.
a Determine sin (300°). 300n
b Determine cos (300°). x
c Draw a tangent line and extend the hypotenuse of the
triangle to meet the tangent as shown. Calculate tan (300°)
tan(300n)

by accurately measuring the length of the tangent to where

it meets the hypotenuse.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 191

 sin (300°)
d What is the value of ?
cos (300°)
sin (300°)
e How does tan (300°) compare with ?
cos (300°)
f How does tan (300°) compare with tan (60°)? (Use a calculator.)
12 We24 Find the radian measures that correspond to the following turns around a unit circle.
1 1 2
a 4 turn b 6 turn c 3 turn

13 We25 Convert the following angles to radian measure, expressing answers in terms of π.
a 30° b 72° c 225°
d 200° e 90° f 48°
14 Convert the following radian measures into degrees.
eBook plus c c c
π π 3π
Digital doc
a b c
4 3 2
WorkSHEET 4.4
c c c
Circular 2π π 7π
functions d e f
3 5 4

4J Graphs of trigonometric functions

Graphs of the circular functions y = sin (x) and y = cos (x) and others will be studied in detail in
Years 11 and 12. This year an exploratory exercise has been included so that you can investigate
the shape and some of the main features of the graphs of these trigonometric functions. The
exercise has been designed as a sequence of related questions, leading you step by step in your
exploration of the graphs of y = sin (x) and y = cos (x).
exerCise
4J Graphs of trigonometric functions
1 Using your calculator (or the unit circle if you prefer), complete the following table.
x 0° 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 210° 240° 270° 300° 330° 360°
sin (x)
x 390° 420° 450° 480° 510° 540° 570° 600° 630° 660° 690° 720°
sin (x)
2 On graph paper, rule x- and y-axes and carefully mark a scale along each axis. Use 1 cm = 30°
on the x-axis to show x-values from 0° to 720°. Use 2 cm = 1 unit along the y-axis to show
y-values from −1 to 1. Carefully plot the graph of y = sin (x) using the values from the table in
question 1.
3 How long does it take for the graph of y = sin (x) to complete one full cycle?
4 From your graph of y = sin (x), find the value of y for each of the following.
a x = 42° b x = 130° c x = 160°
d x = 200° e x = 180° f x = 70°
g x = 350° h x = 290°
5 From your graph of y = sin (x), find the value of x for each of the following.
a y = 0.9 b y = −0.9 c y = 0.7
d y = −0.5 e y = −0.8 f y = 0.4

192 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 6 Using your calculator (or the unit circle if you prefer), complete the following table.
x 0° 30° 60° 90° 120° 150° 180° 210° 240° 270° 300° 330° 360°
cos (x)
x 390° 420° 450° 480° 510° 540° 570° 600° 630° 660° 690° 720°
cos (x)
7 On graph paper, rule x- and y-axes and carefully mark a scale along each axis. Use 1 cm = 30°
on the x-axis to show x-values from 0° to 720°. Use 2 cm = 1 unit along the y-axis to show
y-values from −1 to 1. Carefully plot the graph of y = cos (x) using the values from the table in
question 6.
8 If you were to continue the graph of y = cos (x), what shape would you expect it to take?
9 Is the graph of y = cos (x) the same as the graph of y = sin (x)? How does it differ? What
features are the same?
10 Using the graph of y = cos (x), find a value of y for each of the following.
a 48° b 170° c 180° d 340°
e 240° f 140° g 40° h 165°

11 Using the graph of y = cos (x), find a value of x for each of the following.
a y = −0.5 b y = 0.8 c y = 0.7
d y = −0.6 e y = 0.9 f y = −0.9

4k applications
Many people use trigonometry at
work. It is particularly important
in careers such as the building
trades, surveying, architecture and
engineering. As you saw in
section 4F, trigonometric ratios
have a variety of applications. Not
only can they be used to find
angles of elevation and
depression, but also to calculate
distances which we could not
otherwise easily measure.
When solving a problem,
remember the following steps
(mentioned in section 4F).
1. Sketch a diagram to represent
the situation described in the
problem.
2. Label the sides of the right-
angled triangle with respect to
the angle involved.
3. Identify what is given and what
needs to be found.
4. Select an appropriate
trigonometric ratio and use it to
find the unknown measurement.
5. Interpret your result by writing
a worded answer.

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 193

 Worked example 26

A ladder of length 3 m makes an angle of 32° with the wall.

a How far is the foot of the ladder from the wall?
b How far up the wall does the ladder reach?
c What angle does the ladder make with the ground?

Think WriTe/draW
Sketch a diagram and label the sides of the (wall)
right-angled triangle with respect to the given
angle.
A
3m 32o
H y

A x
O

a 1 We need to find the distance of the foot of a sin (θ ) = O

the ladder from the wall (O) and are given H
the length of the ladder (H). Choose the
sine ratio.
x
2 Substitute O = x, H = 3 and θ = 32°. sin (32°) =
3
3 Make x the subject of the equation. x = 3 sin (32°)
4 ≈ 1.59 m
Evaluate and round the answer to
2 decimal places.
5 Write the answer in words. The foot of the ladder is 1.59 m from the wall.

A
b 1 We need to find the height the ladder b cos (θ ) =
reaches up the wall (A) and are given H
the hypotenuse (H). Choose the cosine
ratio.
y
2 Substitute A = y, H = 3 and θ = 32°. cos (32°) =
3
3 Make y the subject of the equation. y = 3 cos (32°)
4 Evaluate and round the answer to y ≈ 2.54 m
2 decimal places.
5 Write the answer in words. The ladder reaches 2.54 m up the wall.
c 1 To find the angle that the ladder makes c α + 90° + 32° = 180°
with the ground, we could use any of α + 122° = 180°
the trigonometric ratios, as the lengths α = 180° − 122°
of all three sides are known. However, α = 58°
it is quicker to use the angle sum of a
triangle.
2 Write the answer in words. The ladder makes a 58° angle with the
ground.

194 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 REMEMBER

To solve a problem involving trigonometric ratios, follow these steps:

1. Draw a diagram to represent the situation.
2. Label the diagram with respect to the angle involved (either given or that needs to be
found).
3. Identify what is given and what needs to be found.
4. Select an appropriate trigonometric ratio and use it to find the unknown side or angle.
5. Interpret the result by writing a worded answer.

Exercise
4k Applications
1   WE26  A 3  m-long ladder is placed against a wall so that it reaches 1.8  m up the wall.
a What angle does the ladder make with the ground?
b What angle does the ladder make with the wall?
c How far from the wall is the foot of the ladder?
2 Jamie decides to build a wooden pencil box. He wants his ruler to be able to lie across the
bottom of the box, so he allows 32  cm along the diagonal. The width of the box is to be 8  cm.

32 cm 8 cm
Q

Calculate:
a the size of angle θ
b the length of the box.
3 A chord of a circle subtends an angle 80°56′ at the centre. If the chord is 31  cm long, how far is
it from the centre?

80n56´

31 cm

4 A chord, AC, of a circle is inclined to the diameter, AB, at an angle of 24°35′.

26 cm

24n35'
A C

a If BC = 26  cm, calculate the length of the chord, AC.

b Calculate the diameter of the circle.

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 195

 5 A carpenter wants to make a roof pitched at 29°30′, as shown in the diagram. How long should
he cut the beam, PR?
R

29n30'
P Q
10.6 m

6 The sloping sides of a gable roof are each 7.2  m long. They rise to a height of 2.4  m in the
centre. What angle do the sloping sides make with the horizontal?
7 The mast of a boat is 7.7  m high. A guy wire from the top of the mast is fixed to the deck 4  m
from the base of the mast. Determine the angle the wire makes with the horizontal.
8 A desk top of length 1.2  m and width 0.5  m rises to 10  cm.
E F
10 cm
0.5 m C D

A 1.2 m B

Calculate:
a ∠DBF
b ∠CBE.
9 A cuboid has a square end.
H G

X
D C
E F
O
45 cm
A 25 cm B

a If the length of the cuboid is 45  cm and its height and width are 25  cm each, calculate:
i the length of BD   ii the length of BG
iii the length of BE iv the length of BH
v ∠FBG vi ∠EBH.
b If the midpoint of FG is X and the centre of the square ABFE is O calculate:
i the length OF   ii the length FX
iii ∠FOX iv the length OX.
10 In a right square-based pyramid, the length of the side of the base is 12  cm and the height is
26  cm.
26 cm

12 cm

196 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

 Determine:
a the angle the triangular face makes with the base
b the angle the sloping edge makes with the base
c the length of the sloping edge.
11 In a right square-based pyramid, the length of the side of the square base is 5.7  cm.

68o

5.7 cm

If the angle between the triangular face and the base is 68°, determine:
a the height of the pyramid
b the angle the sloping edge makes with the base
c the length of the sloping edge.
12 In a right square-based pyramid, the height is 47  cm. If the angle between a triangular face and
the base is 73°, calculate:
a the length of the side of the square base
b the length of the diagonal of the base
c the angle the sloping edge makes with the base.
13 The height of a vertical cone is 24.5  cm.

48n37'10"

24.5 cm

If the angle at the apex is 48°37′10″, determine:

a the length of the slant edge of the cone
b the radius of the cone.

Chapter 4  Trigonometry 197

 sUmmary
Pythagoras’ theorem
1. The hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle and is opposite the right angle.
2. On your diagram, check whether you are finding the length of the hypotenuse or one of the shorter sides.
3. The length of the hypotenuse can be found if we are given the length of the two shorter sides by using the
formula c2 = a2 + b2.
4. The length of the shorter side can be found if we are given the length of the hypotenuse and the other
shorter side by using the formula: a2 = c2 − b2 or b2 = c2 − a2.
5. When using Pythagoras’ theorem, always check the units given for each measurement.
6. If necessary, convert all measurements to the same units before using the rule.
7. Worded problems can be solved by drawing a diagram and using Pythagoras’ theorem to solve the problem.
8. Worded problems should be answered in a sentence.
Pythagoras’ theorem in three dimensions
1. Pythagoras’ theorem can be used to solve problems in three dimensions (3-D).
2. Some common 3-D shapes include boxes, pyramids and right-angled wedges.
3. To solve problems in 3-D it is helpful to draw sections of the original shape in two dimensions (2-D).
Trigonometric ratios
1. When using the calculator to find values of sine, cosine and tangent, make sure the calculator is in Degree
mode.
2. To find the size of an angle whose sine, cosine or tangent is given, perform an inverse operation; that is,
− − −
sin 1, cos 1 or tan 1.
3. Use the calculator’s conversion function to convert between decimal degrees and degrees, minutes and
seconds.
4. There are 60 minutes in 1 degree and 60 seconds in 1 minute.
5. The three trigonometric ratios, sine, cosine and tangent, are defined as:
O A O
sin (θ ) = , cos (θ ) = and tan (θ ) = ,
H H A
where H is the hypotenuse, O is the opposite side and A is the adjacent side.
6. The three ratios are abbreviated to the useful mnemonic SOH CAH TOA.
7. To determine which trigonometric ratio to use, follow these steps.
(a) Label the sides of the right-angled triangle that are either given, or need to be found, using the
symbols O, A, H with respect to the angle in question.
(b) Consider the sides that are involved and write the trigonometric ratio containing both of these sides.
(Use SOH CAH TOA to assist you.)
(c) Identify the values of the pronumerals in the ratio.
(d) Substitute the given values into the ratio.
Using trigonometry to calculate side lengths
1. The trigonometric ratios can be used to find a side length in a right-angled triangle when we are given
other side length and one of the acute angles.
2. The calculator step will differ depending upon whether the unknown is in the numerator or denominator
of the equation formed after substitution.
Using trigonometry to calculate angle size
1. The trigonometric ratios can be used to find the size of the acute angles in a right-angled triangle when we
are given the length of two sides.
2. To find an angle size we need to use the inverse trigonometric functions.
3. Answers may be given correct to the nearest degree, minute or second.

198 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

Angles of elevation and depression
1. The angle of elevation is measured up and the angle of depression is measured down from the horizontal
line to the line of vision.
Horizontal
Q Angle of
depression

Angle of
Q elevation
Horizontal

2. For any two objects, A and B, the angle of elevation of B, as seen from A, is equal to the angle of
depression of A as seen from B.
B
Angle of depression
of A from B

Angle of elevation
of B from A
A

Bearings
1. To identify the compass bearing of an object we need to state (in this order):
(a) whether the angle is measured from north (N) or south (S)
(b) the size of the angle
(c) whether the angle is measured in the direction of west (W) or east (E).
2. True bearings are measured from north in a clockwise direction and expressed as 3 digits.
3. When solving problems involving bearings, always draw a clear diagram prior to attempting the problem.
The unit circle — quadrant 1
1. A unit circle has a radius of 1 unit.
2. When a right-angled triangle is drawn in quadrant 1 of the unit circle, the length of the side adjacent to the
angle θ is equal to cos (θ ) and the length of the side opposite to the angle θ is equal to sin (θ ).
3. If a tangent to the unit circle is drawn so that it is parallel to the y-axis, and the radius is extended until it
meets the tangent then, in the triangle formed, the length of the side opposite angle θ is equal to tan (θ ).
y

1
tan(Q )
sin(Q )

Q
–1 1 x
cos(Q )

–1

4. The Pythagorean identity is given by: sin2 (θ ) + cos2 (θ ) = 1.

5. The Pythagorean identity can be transposed to give the following formulas for the first quadrant:

sin (θ ) = 1 − coss2 (θ ) and cos (θ ) = 1 − sinn 2 (θ ) .

6. The identity connecting the tangent of angle θ with its sine and cosine is:
sin (θ )
tan (θ ) = .
cos (θ )

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 199

 Circular functions
1. The unit circle is divided into four quadrants, as shown.
90o 90n
y y
1
P
2nd 1st sin( )
quadrant quadrant 0o 0n
180o x 180n
3rd 4th 1 cos( ) 1 x
360o 360n
quadrant quadrant

1
270o 270n

2. Sine and cosine of any angle, θ, are given as follows: x = cos (θ ) and y = sin (θ ), where x and y are
coordinates of point P on the unit circle, corresponding to the given angle.
3. −1 ≤ sin (θ ) ≤ 1 and −1 ≤ cos (θ ) ≤ 1.
4. Sine is positive in quadrants 1 and 2 and negative in quadrants 3 and 4.
5. Cosine is positive in quadrants 1 and 4 and negative in quadrants 2 and 3.
6. Tangent is positive in quadrants 1 and 3 and negative in quadrants 2 and 4.
7. An angle can be measured in degrees or radians.
πc
8. To convert from degrees to radians, multiply by .
180°
180°
9. To convert from radians to degrees, multiply by .
πc
Applications
To solve a problem involving trigonometric ratios, follow these steps:
1. Draw a diagram to represent the situation.
2. Label the diagram with respect to the angle involved (either given or that needs to be found).
3. Identify what is given and what needs to be found.
4. Select an appropriate trigonometric ratio and use it to find the unknown side or angle.
5. Interpret the result by writing a worded answer.

eBook plus

Interactivities
int-1095
Word search
Chapter 4
int-1108
Crossword
Chapter 4

200 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

ChapTer reVieW
mUlTiple ChoiCe C cos (15°) = sin (85°)
D sin (30°) = sin (60°)
1 The most accurate measure
E sin (42°) = cos (48°)
for the length of the third
side in the triangle at right is: 8 Which of the following can be used to find the
A 4.83 m value of x in the diagram below?
B 23.3 cm 5.6 m
C 3.94 m 2840 mm
D 2330 mm 28.7
E 4826 mm
2 What is the value of x in 35o
x
this figure?
A 5.4 x A 28.7 sin (35°) B 28.7 cos (35°)
5
B 7.5 28.7
C 28.7 tan (35°) D
C 10.1 sin (35°)
D 10.3 28.7
2 7 E
E 4 cos (35°)
3 What is the closest length A B 9 Which of the following expressions can be used to
of AG of the cube at find the value of a in the triangle shown?
right? C
D 10
A 10
B 30
E
C 20 F
75
D 14 35
10
E 17
H 10 G
a
4 If sin (38°) = 0.6157, which of the following will
also give this result?
B sin 1  35 
−
A sin (218°) B sin (322°) A 35 sin (75°)
75
C sin (578°) D sin (682°)
C sin 1  75  D cos 1  35 
− −
E sin (142°)
35 75
5 The angle 118°52′34″ is also equal to:
E cos 1  75 
−

B 118 °
52
A 118.5234° 34
35

C 118.861° D 118.876° 10 If a school is 320 m S42°W from the police station,

E 118.786° what is the true bearing of the police station from
6 Which trigonometric ratio the school?
for the triangle shown a b A 042°T
at right is incorrect? A Q B 048°T
c C 222°T
b a D 228°T
A sin (α) = B sin (α) = E 312°T
c c
a
C cos (α) = D tan (α) = b 11 If tan (θ ) = 0.3652, then:
c a
a A sin (θ ) = 0.6348, cos (θ ) = 0.3652
E tan (θ ) = B sin (θ ) = 0.3652, cos (θ ) = 0.6348
b
7 Which of the following statements is correct? C sin (θ ) = 0.3652, cos (θ ) = 0.3652
A sin (55°) = cos (55°) D sin (θ ) = 0.3430, cos (θ ) = 0.9393
B sin (45°) = cos (35°) E sin (θ ) = 0.9393, cos (θ ) = 0.3430

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 201

 shorT ansWer 4 A person standing 23 m away from a tree observes
the top of the tree at an angle of elevation of 35°.
1 Calculate x, correct to 2 decimal places.
If the person is 1.5 m tall, what is the height of
a
the tree?
x
5 A man of height 1.8 m stands at the window of a
123.1 cm tall building. He observes his young daughter in
the playground below. If the angle of depression
from the man to the girl is 47° and the floor on
48.7 cm
which the man stands is 27 m above the ground,
b 117 mm how far from the bottom of the building is the
child?
6 A plane flies 780 km in a direction of 185°T.
82 mm x How far west has it travelled from the starting
point?
2 Calculate the value of the 13.4 cm 7 A hiker travels 3.2 km on a bearing of 250°T and
pronumeral, correct to then 1.8 km on a bearing of 320°T. How far west
2 decimal places. has she travelled from the starting point?
x x
8 a If sin (θ ) = 0.423 and cos (θ ) = 0.906,
find tan (θ ).
3 Calculate the height
b If sin (θ ) = 0.988 and cos (θ) = 0.070,
of this pyramid. 10 mm find tan (θ ).
9 If a 4 m ladder is placed against a wall and the foot
8 mm of the ladder is 2.6 m from the wall, what angle
8 mm does the ladder make with the wall?

exTended response

1 A surveyor needs to determine the height of a building. She measures

the angle of elevation of the top of the building from two points, 64 m
apart. The surveyor’s eye level is 195 cm above the ground.

47n48 36n2
' 4'
x 64 m 195 cm

a Find the expressions for the height of the building, h, in terms of x using
the two angles.
b Solve for x by equating the two expressions obtained in part a.
c Find the height of the building.
2 The height of a right square-based pyramid is 13 cm. If the angle the face eBook plus
makes with the base is 67°, find: Interactivities
a the length of the edge of the square base int-1121
b the length of the diagonal of the base Test Yourself
c the angle the slanted edge makes with the base. Chapter 4
int-1133
Cumulative
Test Yourself
Chapters 1–4

202 maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio Classpad

 eBook plus aCTiViTies

Are you ready?

Digital docs (page 145)
• SkillSHEET 4.1: Rounding to a given number of
decimal places
• SkillSHEET 4.2: Rounding the size of an angle to
the nearest minute and second
• SkillSHEET 4.3: Labelling the sides of a right-
angled triangle
• SkillSHEET 4.5: Rearranging formulas
• SkillSHEET 4.6: Drawing a diagram from given
directions
4A Pythagoras’ theorem
Digital doc
• SkillSHEET 4.1: Rounding to a given number of 4I Circular functions
decimal places (page 149) Interactivities
4B Pythagoras’ theorem in three dimensions • Circular functions int-1414 (page 186)
Digital docs • Degrees and radians int-1413 (page 188)
• SkillSHEET 4.2: Drawing 3-D shapes (page 155) Digital doc
• WorkSHEET 4.1: Pythagoras’ theorem (page 157) • WorkSHEET 4.4: Circular functions (page 192)
4C Trigonometric ratios Chapter summary
Digital docs (page 200)
Interactivities
• SkillSHEET 4.3: Labelling the sides of a • Word search Chapter 4 (int-1095): An interactive word
right-angled triangle (page 162) search involving words associated with the chapter.
• SkillSHEET 4.4: Selecting an appropriate • Crossword Chapter 4 (int-1108): An interactive
trigonometric ratio based on the given information crossword using the definitions associated with the
(page 163) chapter.
4D Using trigonometry to calculate Chapter review
side lengths (page 202)
Interactivities
Interactivity int-1146 • Test Yourself Chapter 4 (int-1121): An interactive test
• Using trigonometry (page 164) covering the concepts from this chapter.
• Cumulative Test Yourself Chapters 1–4 (int-1133): A
4E Using trigonometry to calculate angle size
cumulative interactive test covering content from
Digital docs
this chapter and all previous chapters.
• SkillSHEET 4.7: Rounding angles to the nearest
degree (page 170) To access eBookPLUS activities, log on to
• WorkSHEET 4.2: Using trigonometry (page 171)
www.jacplus.com.au
4F Angles of elevation and depression
eLesson eles-0173
• Height of a satellite (page 172)
Digital docs
• SkillSHEET 4.8: Drawing a diagram from given
directions (page 174)
• WorkSHEET 4.3: Elevation and depression
(page 176)

Chapter 4 Trigonometry 203

 chapter review
WORKING MATHEMATIC ALLY 1

Time
The measuring of time has evolved from ancient methods, such as
sundials, to the modern techniques of using the Global Positioning
System in coordination with the Network Time Protocol to
synchronise timekeeping systems across the globe.
  In the early seventeenth century, Galileo Galilei was able to use
the regular motion of a pendulum as a method of keeping time. This
discovery opened the way for further mathematical discoveries based
around the simple device of a pendulum.

Where to from here?

Kinematics
Mechanics
1 How does a pendulum clock work?
Historically, pendulum clocks were among the first
mechanical timepieces. Explain how they work.

2 What is a simple pendulum?

3 What are the properties of a pendulum that we can investigate?

(a) In making a pendulum and setting it in motion, what things can we change?
(b) What can we measure?
(c) What can we control?
(d) Which variables affect the period?

4 How can we build a physical model

of a simple pendulum? Test tube clamp
Design and build a simple pendulum
that can be used to enable
measurement of its period for a
variety of variables, including
lengths up to 2 m. Angular
displacement
Retort stand
Cotton

Period

Bob

Vertical

204 Maths Quest 10 for Victoria for the Casio ClassPad

5 What is the best way to measure the period of a pendulum?
Design a procedure to obtain as accurate a measure as possible of the period for a pendulum with a length of
1 m. It is absolutely imperative that you work to reduce operator error.

6 How do you design a pendulum with a period of 1 second?

By taking no more than three sets of measurements relating a pendulum’s length to its period, determine the
length for period of 1 s.

7 How does a computer model compare with a real pendulum?

Conduct an investigation to assess how well a computer simulation matches the eBook plus
results for a physical pendulum by using the Pendulum interactivity in your Interactivity
eBookPLUS. int-0925
Pendulum
8 How does period vary with length?
Design an experiment that will result in a graph of the relationship between the
length of a simple pendulum and its period. You may use a real pendulum, a
computer simulation or both. Justify your choice. Decide on:
• the procedure you will use
• the number of lengths to consider
• the spacing of the measurements
• how many readings you will take for any one length.

9 Which algebraic function is the best model for the relationship between
pendulum length and period? eBook plus
(a) Draw a scatterplot of the data points you have collected relating pendulum Interactivity
length to period. int-0926
(b) How well is the data matched by linear, power and quadratic functions? Pendulum
l scatterplot
(c) It has been suggested that the mathematical model T = 2 π g can be used

to calculate the period of a simple pendulum. T is the

period in seconds, l is the length in metres and g is the
Earth’s gravitational field strength. (The gravitational
field strength measures how strongly the Earth’s
gravitational force attracts other masses. Its value
is relatively constant at the Earth’s surface, where it is
approximately 9.80 newtons per kilogram.) Investigate
this model.
(d) One student has said that T ≈ 2 l . This would mean that
if l = 1 then t ≈ 2. Is that close? Why does that
approximation work?
10 What does the complete graph relating pendulum length
and period look like?
(a) By selecting convenient lengths between 10 cm and 2 m,
l
sketch a graph of T = 2 π g .
(b) Use this graph to explain why linear extrapolation often
produces an inaccurate result.
11 How do pendulums work elsewhere in the solar system?
How would the results differ on the moon?
What if we could conduct the experiment on Mars?

Working mathematically 1 205