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AS Maths CIE 

3.3 Circular Measure (Radians)

CONTENTS
3.3.1 Radian Measure
3.3.2 Trigonometry Exact Values

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3.3.1 Radian Measure YOUR NOTES

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Radian Measure YOUR NOTES

Radian measure 
Radians are an alternative to degrees for measuring angles

1 radian is the angle in a sector of radius 1 and arc length 1

Radians are normally quoted in terms of π
This leads to
2π = 360°
π = 180°
The symbol for radians is c but it is more usual to see rad
Often, when π is involved, no symbol is given as it is obviously in radians
Radians are used in trigonometry (see Exact Values) and calculus (First Principles
Differentiation – Trigonometry)
How do I change between radians and degrees?
The most common are below, these are helpful to know

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Multiples of these are quite common too, eg ¾π = 135°

For less familiar angles use π = 180° to convert

How do I use radians to find the length of an arc?

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The length of an arc is s = rθ

How do I use radians to find the area of a sector?

The area of a sector is A = ½r2θ

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Solving problems with radians

Other angle, circle, area, etc skills may be needed
For example, area of a triangle "A = ½absinC"

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Exam Tip YOUR NOTES

 Exam papers will have a mixture of questions in degrees and radians
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Check the mode (degrees/radians) of your calculator before using it
Ensure you know how to change the mode on your calculator
For the Casio fx-991EX Classwiz
SHIFT then MENU SETUP
Choose option 2: ANGLE UNIT
Choose either 1: DEGREE or 2: RADIAN

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 Worked Example
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3.3.2 Trigonometry Exact Values YOUR NOTES

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Trigonometry Exact Values YOUR NOTES

Exact values 
In trigonometry some values of sin, cos and tan are “nice”
For example sin 30° = ½, tan 45° = 1
We can find those associated with the angles 30°, 45° and 60° using SOHCAHTOA on
isosceles and equilateral triangles

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sin, cos and tan values for 30°, 45° and 60° should be recalled easily
Memorise either the actual values or how to work them out from the triangle
sin, cos and tan for 0°, 90°, 180° should also be very familiar
They can be recalled using the relevant trigonometric graph (see Graphs of Trigonometric
Functions)
Exact values and radians
All of the above applies to radians as well as degrees
Here is a table of all exact values including radians (see Radian Measure)

How do I find exact values of other angles?

Exact sin, cos and tan values of multiples of 30°, 45°, 60° can also be found
This is a combination of recalling the basic values and using the graph

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 Exam Tip
Draw the triangles for sin, cos and tan of 30°, 45° and 60° on the exam paper so
that you can then use them as many times as you need throughout the paper.

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 Worked Example
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