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AustraliaVIC
VCE 11 Methods 2023

8.05 Sine and cosine functions

Lesson

When looking at the unit circle, that is a circle with the origin at the centre and unit radius, the coordinates of any point on that circle can be described using trigonometry. Specifically a point on the circle at an angle of $\theta$θ anticlockwise from the $x$x-axis has coordinates $\left(\cos\theta,\sin\theta\right)$(cosθ,sinθ).

The unit circle

 

Let's revisit the applet from our introduction to the unit circle. Start with an angle of $0^\circ$0° and slowly increase the angle. If graphing the height of the blue line ($\sin\theta$sinθ) above the $x$x-axis, what value would it start at? What values would it be bound between? If any angle was allowed, how often would the pattern repeat? What would be different about graphing the distance the red line ($\cos\theta$cosθ) reaches in front of the $y-axis$yaxis?

 

Moving through the different values of $\theta$θ, the values of $\sin\theta$sinθ and $\cos\theta$cosθ move accordingly between $-1$1 and $1$1. Plotting the values of $\sin\theta$sinθ and $\cos\theta$cosθ according to different values of $\theta$θ on the unit circle gives the following graphs:

 

$y=\sin\theta$y=sinθ

 

$y=\cos\theta$y=cosθ

 

Consequently, the graphs of $y=\sin\theta$y=sinθ and $y=\cos\theta$y=cosθ have many properties. Each graph demonstrates repetition. The graphs of $y=\sin\theta$y=sinθ and $y=\cos\theta$y=cosθ are called cyclical and define a cycle as any section of the graph that can be translated to complete the rest of the graph. The period is defined as the length of one cycle. For both graphs, the period is $2\pi$2π.

An example of a cycle

 

Because of the oscillating behaviour, both graphs have regions where the curve is increasing and decreasing. Remember that the graph of a particular curve is increasing if the $y$y-values increase as the $x$x-values increase. Similarly, the graph is decreasing if the $y$y-values decrease as the $x$x-values increase.

An example of where $y=\sin x$y=sinx is decreasing

 

In addition, the height of each graph stays between $y=-1$y=1 and $y=1$y=1 for all values of $\theta$θ, since each coordinate of a point on the unit circle can be at most $1$1 unit from the origin.

Worked example

By using the graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx, what is the sign of $\cos\frac{23\pi}{12}$cos23π12?

Think: Using the graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx, we can roughly estimate where the point $\left(\frac{23\pi}{12},\cos\frac{23\pi}{12}\right)$(23π12,cos23π12) lies and from this, determine the sign of $\cos\frac{23\pi}{12}$cos23π12.

Do: We plot the point on the graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx below.

The point $\left(\frac{23\pi}{12},\cos\frac{23\pi}{12}\right)$(23π12,cos23π12) drawn on the graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx.

 

We can quickly observe that the height of the curve at this point is above the $x$x-axis, and observe that $\cos\frac{23\pi}{12}$cos23π12 is positive.

Practice questions

question 1

Consider the equation $y=\sin x$y=sinx.

  1. Using the fact that $\sin\frac{\pi}{3}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$sinπ3=32, what is the value of $\sin\frac{2\pi}{3}$sin2π3?

  2. Using the fact that $\sin\frac{\pi}{3}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$sinπ3=32, what is the value of $\sin\frac{4\pi}{3}$sin4π3?

  3. Using the fact that $\sin\frac{\pi}{3}=\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$sinπ3=32, what is the value of $\sin\frac{5\pi}{3}$sin5π3?

  4. Complete the table of values. Give your answers in exact form.

    $x$x $0$0 $\frac{\pi}{3}$π3 $\frac{\pi}{2}$π2 $\frac{2\pi}{3}$2π3 $\pi$π $\frac{4\pi}{3}$4π3 $\frac{3\pi}{2}$3π2 $\frac{5\pi}{3}$5π3 $2\pi$2π
    $\sin x$sinx $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$ $\editable{}$
  5. Draw the graph of $y=\sin x$y=sinx.

    Loading Graph...

QUESTION 2

Consider the curve $y=\sin x$y=sinx drawn below and answer the following questions.

Loading Graph...

  1. What is the $y$y-intercept? Give your answer as coordinates in the form $\left(a,b\right)$(a,b).

  2. What is the maximum $y$y-value?

  3. What is the minimum $y$y-value?

question 3

Consider the curve $y=\cos x$y=cosx drawn below and determine whether the following statements are true or false.

Loading Graph...

  1. The graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx is cyclic.

    True

    A

    False

    B
  2. As $x$x approaches infinity, the height of the graph for $y=\cos x$y=cosx approaches infinity.

    True

    A

    False

    B
  3. The graph of $y=\cos x$y=cosx is increasing between $x=-\frac{\pi}{2}$x=π2 and $x=0$x=0.

    False

    A

    True

    B

question 4

Consider the curve $y=\sin x$y=sinx drawn below and answer the following questions.

Loading Graph...

  1. If one cycle of the graph of $y=\sin x$y=sinx starts at $x=0$x=0, when does the next cycle start?

  2. In which of the following regions is the graph of $y=\sin x$y=sinx decreasing? Select all that apply.

    $-\frac{\pi}{2}π2<x<π2

    A

    $\frac{\pi}{2}π2<x<3π2

    B

    $-\frac{5\pi}{2}5π2<x<3π2

    C

    $-\frac{3\pi}{2}3π2<x<π2

    D
  3. What is the $x$x-value of the $x$x-intercept in the region $00<x<2π?

Outcomes

U2.AoS1.1

the unit circle, radians, arc length and sine, cosine and tangent as functions of a real variable

U2.AoS1.4

symmetry properties, complementary relations and periodicity properties for sine, cosine and tangent functions

U2.AoS1.14

the key features and properties of the circular functions sine, cosine and tangent, and their graphs, including any vertical asymptotes

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