Grade

MATHEMATICS
QUARTER 4 – MODULE 2
MELC 2

Trigonometrically
Proportional

0
PART I.
MELC 2: Find the Trigonometric Ratios of Special Angles

A. Introduction and Discussion

In this module, you will use the concepts you have learned in the previous lessons to
evaluate the trigonometric ratios of special angles. There are two triangles, the isosceles and
equilateral triangles that are frequently used in mathematics to generate exact values for the
trigonometric ratios.
In trigonometry, 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° are called as special angles and they
always lie in the first quadrant.

These special angles 0°, 30°, 45° and 60° are frequently seen in applications and we
can use geometry to determine the trigonometric ratios of these angles.
Let us see, how to find trigonometric ratios of these special angles using Geometry.

1. Trigonometric Ratios of 30° and 60o

Let ABC be an equilateral triangle whose sides have length a (see the figure given
below). Draw AD perpendicular to BC, then D bisects the side BC.
a
Then, BD  DC  A
2
∠BAD = ∠DAC = 30°
30°
a a
a
Now, in right triangle ADB, ∠BAD = 30° and BD =
2

In right triangle ADB, by Pythagorean Theorem, 60° 60°

B 𝑎 D 𝑎 C
2 2
B 2  AD 2  BD 2
2
a
a  AD   
2 2
Substitution
2
2
a
a 2     AD 2 Addition Property of Equality
2
 a2 
2
a
a 2     AD 2 Simplifying  
 4  2
4a 2 a 2
  AD 2 Getting the LCD
4 4
2
3a
 AD 2 Combining like terms
4
a
3  AD Extracting the square roots of both sides
2

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Hence, we can find the trigonometric ratios of angle 30° from the right triangle ADB.

a 1 1
BD 1 csc 30o   2
sin 30o   2  sin 30 o
1
AB a 2 2
3 1 1 2 3
AD
a
3 sec 30o   
cos 30 
o
 2  cos 30 o
3 3
AB a 2
2
a
BD 3 1 1
tan 30 o   2  cot 30 o  o
  3
AD 3 3 tan 30 3
a 3
2

In right triangle ADB, ∠ABD = 60°. We can determine the trigonometric ratios of angle 60°.

3 1 1 2 3
AD
a
3 csc 60o   
sin 60 
o
 2  sin 60 o
3 3
AB a 2
2
a 1 1
BD 2 1 sec 60o   2
cos 60o   
o
cos 60 1
AB a 2 2
3
a
AD 2
tan 60 
o
  3 cot 60o 
1

1

3
BD a tan 60 o
3
3
2

2. Trigonometric Ratio of 45°

If an acute angle of a right triangle is 45°, then the other acute angle is also 45°.Thus the
triangle is isosceles. Let us consider the triangle ABC with…
∠B = 90°
∠A = ∠C = 45° C
Then AB = BC.
Let AB = BC = a. 45°
By Pythagorean Theorem,
a
AC2 = AB2 + BC2
AC2 = a2 + a2 45°
AC2 = 2a2 A a B
AC = a 2

2
Hence, we can find the trigonometric ratios of angle 45° from the right triangle ABC.

1 1
sin 45o 
BC

a

2 csc 45o  o
  2
AC a 2 2 sin 45 2
2
1 1
cos 45o 
AB

a

2 sec 45o  o
  2
AC a 2 2 cos 45 2
2
BC a 1 1
tan 45o   1 cot 45o   1
AB a tan 45 o
1

3. Trigonometric Ratios of 0° and 90°

Consider the figure given below which shows a circle of radius 1 unit centered at the origin.

Let P be a point on the circle in the first quadrant with coordinates (x, y).

We drop a perpendicular PQ from P to the x-axis in order to form the right triangle OPQ.
Let ∠POQ = θ, then y

PQ y B(0, 1)
sin     y( y coordinateof P ) P(x, y)
OP 1
OQ x 1
cos    x( x coordinateof P ) θ
y
OP 1 x
O x Q A(1, 0)
PQ y
tan   
OQ x

If OP coincides with OA, then angle θ = 0°. Since, the coordinates of A are (1, 0), we have
sin 0 o  0 ( y coordinateof A) csc 0 o 
1 1
 (undefined)
o
cos 0 o 1 ( x coordinateof A) sin 0 0
1 1
sin 0 o 0 sec 0 o   1
tan 0 o  o
 0 cos 0 o
1
cos 0 1 o
cos 0 1
cot 0 o  o
 (undefined)
sin 0 0

If OP coincides with OB, then angle θ = 90°. Since, the coordinates of B are (0, 1), we have
sin 90o  1 ( y coordinateof B) csc 90o 
1 1
 1
o
cos 90o  0 ( x coordinateof B) sin 90 1
1 1
sin 90o 1 sec 90o   (undefined)
tan 90 
o
o
 (undefined) cos 90 o
0
cos 90 0 o
cos 90 0
cot 90o  o
 0
sin 90 1

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 The six trigonometric ratios of angles 0°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 90° are provided in
the following table.

0o 30 o 45o 60 o 90 o
sin 1 2 3
0 1
2 2 2
cos 3 2 1
1 0
2 2 2
tan  3
0 1 3 undefined
3
csc 2 3
undefined 2 2 1
3
sec 2 3
1 2 2 undefined
3
cot 3
undefined 3 1 0
3

B. Illustrative Examples:
You will learn the process of determining the values of expressions involving
trigonometric ratios of special angles even without the use of a calculator. Answer the
following exercises using the table of values above.

1. Determine the exact value of the expression sec 30° + cot 60°.
2 3 3 3 3
Solution: sec 30  cot 60    
o o
3
3 3 3

2. Find the exact value of sin2 30° + cos2 45°.

2
 1   2 
2

Solution: sin 30  cos 45  sin 30

2 o 2 o
   cos 45 
o 2 o 2
   
1 2 3
  
2  2  4 4 4

3. Evaluate 2 sin 30  3 cos 60  3 tan 45 and 3(cos30 )  2(sin 30 ) .

o o o o 2 o 2

a. 2 sin 30  3 cos 60  3 tan 45 b. 3(cos30 )  2(sin 30 )

o o o o 2 o 2

1 1  3
2
 2   3   31
2
 1
 3   2 

2 2 2
 2 
3
 1  3 3 1
2  3   2 
1 4 4
 9 2
2  
4 4
11

4

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4. Determine the value of x when sec x = 2
Solution: Referring to the table, sec 60° = 2. Therefore, x = 60°

5. If x = 45°, show that sec2 x + tan x = 3

Solution: Substituting x with 45°, we have
sec2 45 + tan 45° = (sec 45°)2 + tan 45°
 
= 2 1
2

=2+1
=3

Note:
2 1
 The reason that we are using instead of might be because mathematicians
2 2
prefer not to have the square root sign in the denominator.

 Notice that for sine, the denominator is always 2. For the numerators, start at 1 and
count up until you reach 3. Then, just take the square root of each number. Notice
that 1 = 1.

 For cosine, just write everything backward. For tangent, just do the math that is
sin x
tan x  .
cos x

 Remember that the two special right triangles are the 30°- 60°- 90° triangle and the
isosceles (45° - 45° - 90°) triangle.

Generalization:
This module was about the trigonometric ratios of special angles. You have illustrated
the special acute angles 30°, 45°, and 60°. You have studied how to evaluate the
trigonometric ratios of these special angles. You were given the chance to do some
activities that apply what you learned in this lesson.

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PART II. Activities

Activity I: Special Triangles and Exact values

1. a) Draw a right triangle that has one angle measuring 30°. Label the sides using
lengths 3 , 2, and 1.

b) Label the adjacent and opposite sides relative to the 30° angle.

c) Draw another triangle then label the adjacent and opposite sides relative to the
60° angle.

2. a) Draw a right triangle that has one angle measuring 45°. Label the sides using the
lengths 1, 1, and 3.

b) Label the adjacent and opposite sides relative to one of the 45° angles.

Activity II: Practice Makes Perfect

1. Find the exact value of the following:
a) sin2 30° + cos2 30°

b) sin 30° cos 30° + sin 60° cos 60°

c) 3 sin2 45° + 4cos2 45°

d) sin 60° cos 60° tan 60°

e) sec2 45° csc2 45° - 1

2. State the exact value for x in each of the following:

a) c)

b) d)

3. Using exact values, show that sin2θ + cos2θ = 1 for each angle.
a) θ = 30° b) θ = 45° c) θ = 60°

6
Activity III: Application

1. Simplify the following expressions by rationalizing the denominator.

3 2 6 5 45 3
a) b) c)
5 3 1 2
2. A 5 meter stepladder propped against a classroom wall forms an angle of 30° with
the wall. Exactly how far is the top of the ladder from the floor? Express your answer
in radical form.

Answer Key
2 2
c) ( )2 + ( )2 = 1
√3 1
2 2
( )2 + ( )2 = 1 b)
√2 √2
2 2
( )2 + ( )2 = 1 3. a)
1 √3
3 2 2
d) b) 𝑚 2.
3√6 7√3 5√3
2 2 c) -4 + 4√2 + 5√3 - 5√6
c) 2. a)
13√2 9√3 b) 2√15
2
c) 5
7 1. a)
2 3√10
e) 3 b)
√3
4 Activity III
d) 1. a) 1
3

Activity II

Activity I

7
PART III. Assessment

Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the letter of your answer on your
answer sheet. Write your solutions at the back page of your answer sheet or use a separate
sheet of paper if necessary.

____ 1. Which of the following is the exact value of trigonometric expression sin 60° cos 60°
tan 60°?
3 3 7
A. 1 B. C. D.
2 4 2

____ 2. State the exact value of sin60°.

1 2 3
A. 1 B. C. D.
2 2 2

3
____ 3. Using the appropriate special triangle, determine θ if 0°≤ θ ≤ 90° in sinθ = .
2
A. 30° B. 45° C. 60° D. 90°

____ 4. Complete the equation, sin 30° - = 0.

A. cos 60° B. cot 60° C. tan 60° D. sec 60°

____ 5. What is the exact value of cot 45°?

A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3

____ 6. Find the exact value of cos2 60° + 3sec2 30°.

3 17
A. B. C. 3 D. 4
4 4

____ 7. In a 45° - 45° - 90° triangle, the legs are congruent and the lengths of the
hypotenuse is times the length of a leg.

A. 2 B. 3 C. 2 D. 3
B.
____ 8. Determine the values of θ when csc θ = 2
A. 30° B. 45° C. 60° D. 90°

8
____ 9. If θ = 45°, show that tan2 θ + sec2 θ = 3
A. tan2 45° + sec2 45° C. tan2 45° + sec2 45°
= (tan 45°)2 + (sec 45°)2 = (tan 45°)2 + (sec 45°)2

= (1)2 + ( 2 )2 = (1)2 + ( 1 )2
=1+2 =1+1
=3 =2
2 2
B. tan 45° + sec 45° D. tan2 45° + sec2 45°
= (tan 45°)2 + (sec 45°)2 8 = (tan 45°)2 + (sec 45°)2

= ( 2 )2 + ( 2 )2 = (0)2 + (1)2
=2+2 =0+1
=4 =1

sin 45o
____10. Evaluate: 1  .
cos 45o
A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3

References:

Mathematics 9-Learner’s Material, First Edition, 2014, pp. 447-456

https://www.onlinemath4all.com/trigonometric-ratios-of-special-
angles.html#:~:text=In%20trigonometry%2C%200%C2%B0%2C%2030,trigonometric
%20ratios%20of%20these%20angles.

https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/trigonometry-special-angles.html

https://www.basic-mathematics.com/trigonometric-ratios-of-special-angles.html

http://teachers.wrdsb.ca/wagler/files/2018/04/U5D6-Special-Angles-Extra-Practice-
Worksheet-5-3-.pdf

https://www.jensenmath.ca/chapter%204%20worksheet%20package.pdf