How can you use the unit circle to find the trigonometric values for any angle?
Answer 1
Rhonda Garrison
The unit circle, with a radius of 1 centered at the origin of the coordinate plane, is a powerful tool for finding trigonometric values of any angle. By defining an angle θ in standard position, where its vertex is at the origin and its initial side lies along the positive x-axis, the terminal side of the angle intersects the unit circle at a specific point (x, y). The x-coordinate of this point represents cos(θ), while the y-coordinate represents sin(θ). For tangent, tan(θ) is found by dividing the sine by the cosine (tan(θ) = sin(θ)/cos(θ)). This method can be extended to angles beyond 0° to 360° by considering their coterminal angles or using symmetry properties of the unit circle.
Start Using PopAi Today