PRIMER: RIGHT TRIANGLE TRIGONOMETRY AND PHYSICS

Concord Academy Science Department May 5, 2009

The Need for Trigonometry in Physics Most of the explorations in Physics deal with the motion of objects through space, specifically, two-dimensional (2-D) space. Because the axes are perpendicular to each other, right angle trigonometry is used to relate motion in both dimensions. Several common 2-D axes are:

Vertical

North

Horizontal

East

The symbol for a right angle (90) is a square at the intersection of the two lines. Since motion is not limited to one dimension, we can use right angle trigonometry to isolate motion within each dimension or combine these components of motion. Example: Rosco the dog follows a scent 200 meters east and then 200 meters north. The following sections will illustrate how we describe this change in position. stop

200 m north start 200 m east Notice we are dealing with a right triangle (a triangle with one of the interior angles equal to 90). .

Example: When an object slides down an inclined plane, starting from rest, it picks up speed (accelerates). The arrows depict this increase in speed with time, and you can see the arrow length increase. The length of the arrow indicates the relative magnitude (size) of the velocity, i.e., the longer the arrow, the greater the velocity.

There is a way to determine the block's velocity at the bottom of the incline, if you know the incline's height (H) and length (L).

Relation of H/L to Trigonometric Functions

When analyzing variables associated with objects moving up and down slanting surfaces, such as displacement, velocity, and acceleration, the ratio, H/L, keeps popping up again and again. Notice that for a given incline, it doesnt matter how long the ramp is, but it does matter how high it is relative to the length of the incline. For instance, consider the large right triangle with hypotenuse 2L and vertical side length 2H. Insert a similar right triangle with an H/L ratio of . This means that its hypotenuse is only L and its vertical side is only H. But of course, both triangles have the same angle of inclination, ( is the Greek letter theta). Both H/L and indicate the pitch of the rampe. g.,

H / L = 2H / 2L = something to do with

When a quantity keeps appearing in a calculations final form, scientists pay attention and give that quantity its own name. H/L has its own name, "sine of ", where is the angle that the incline makes with the horizontal. sine() = sin() = H / L The base of the triangle, W, is also significant in other physical phenomena. W is the side lying along the x-axis in the previous scenarios. The ratio W/L is the cosine of : cosine() = cos() = W / L

Right Triangle Trigonometry: Trigonometry is Greek for triangle metrics, or the measures of triangles.
With many physics problems, there is an angle of interest or one that is measured. The first step is to choose and label the angle as "". We can then uniquely label the three sides of the right triangle for this choice of . As the picture to right illustrates, the side opposite the right angle is the hypotenuse. The other two sides are either adjacent to angle or opposite to angle . The side that touches the angle is considered to be adjacent to , and the side that is far away from angle is opposite to angle .

If you selected the other angle as , would your labels change? Which would stay the same?

Rewriting the definition for sine and cosine of an angle becomes: sin() = opposite / hypotenuse cos() = adjacent / hypotenuse In addition, there is a function that involves both the sin and cos functions. The tangent of , tan(), is defined as: tan() = sin() / cos() = (opposite/hypotenuse) / (adjacent/hypotenuse) = opposite / adjacent.

Examples of Right Triangles in Physics

Simple machines lifting weights up a vertical distance using an inclined plane.

Any machine (ramp, pulley) or device (ladder) that tilts at an angle.

Finding Right Triangles - Essential in Solving Physics Problems Identify the right triangles in the diagrams below.

gravity

Pendulum

Box on an incline

Star above horizon

Units of Angular Measurement: Degrees versus Radians

In plane geometry, a circle contains 360. In the analysis of the angles associated with circles, there exist a more sophisticated unit called radians (rad). For instance, the Greeks had discovered that the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter was always 3.14159265.... If you unrolled the circumference and stretched it out:

C = 3.142 x D
They named this ratio (Greek pi pronounced pie). The degree unit probably came about because there are approximately 360 days in a year, the time it takes for the Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun. However, the natural unit to describe angles, especially in circular analyses, is the radian. Arc-length and angle: In radians, the length of an arc of a circle, s, is: s = R where R is the radius of the circle and is the angle in radians.

If the value of = 1 radian then s = R. In that instance, the length of the arc is the same as the length of the radius. The conversion between degrees and radians is straightforward: 2 radian = 360, 6.2832 rad = 360, or 1 rad = 57.2957. Finally, if an angle is given without units, then it is understood to be radians, not degrees. Also be sure to set your calculator in the correct mode, RAD (radians) or DEG (degrees). Note: sin(4.0 rad) does not equal sin(4.0 degree)!!! Sample Sin, Cos, and Tan Problems 12 cm 1. For the following right triangle and the angle shown, (a) Which side is opposite ? Which is adjacent? (b) Evaluate sin(), cos(), and tan(). 16 cm 20 cm

2. Using your calculator, evaluate the following: (a) sin(30.0) (b) cos(4.36) (c) sin(37.0) (d) cos()

3. Convert from degrees to radians: (a) 120 (b) 45 (c) 90 (d) 75 (e) 330

4. Convert from radians to degrees: (a) 6 (b) 1.5 (c) 3 (d) 7 (e) 2

5. On your calculator, find the following tangents, and note if any are undefined. (a) tan(45) (b) tan(-2.34) (c) tan(48.0 rad) (g) tan(270) (d) tan(90) (h) tan(2)

(e) tan(0.893) (f) tan(135)

5. (a) For which angles does the cosine of the angle equal 0? Notice that when the cosine of the angle is 0, the tangent of that angle is undefined. (b) For which angles does the sine of the angle equal 0? (c) For which angles does sin() = cos()? Trigonometric Inverse Functions An inverse function g(x) of function f(x) satisfy the relation f(g(x)) = x AND g(f(x)) = x. In other words, f operating on g operating on x yields x again, and vice versa. Notice that domain and range roles get switched for the inverse function pairs. For f, x maps onto y, and for g, y maps onto x. For the trig functions, there exist inverse functions, which are identified with a "-1" superscript, such that: sin-1(sin()) = cos-1(cos()) = tan-1(tan()) =

Sometimes in physics calculations, one knows the sine of an angle, but desires to find the angle. For example, calculate in the following triangle: 20 cm (hypotenuse)

12 cm

16 cm (opposite)

sin() = opposite / hypotenuse = 16 / 20 = 0.8 = sin-1(0.8) = 53.13 cos() = adjacent / hypotenuse = 12 / 20 = 0.6 = cos-1(0.6) = 53.13 tan() = opposite / adjacent = 16 / 12 = 1.333 = tan-1(1.333) = 53.13 If y = sin() then = sin-1(y), where on your calculator this is sin-1, inv sin, arcsin, or asin. Similarly, y = cos() then = cos-1(y) which is cos-1, inv cos, arcos, or acos. Finally, y = tan() then = tan-1(y) which is tan-1, inv tan, arctan, or atan. Remember, both sine and cosine functions have more than one Sample Inverse Trig Problems. (a) Inverse tangent of 3.75 (b) Inverse sine of 0.500 (c) Inverse cosine of -0.7071
.

(d) Inverse sine of -0.600 (e) Inverse tangent of 1.732 (f) Inverse sine of 2.00 (g) Inverse cosine of -0.3333

APPENDIX: Sine and Cosine Relations and Identities: 1 = cos2() + sin2() for all

Angle Doubling Identities: cos(2) = cos2() - sin2()

sin(2) = 2sin()cos()

Cosine Law - where the side-angle-side of a triangle is known and we want to know the length of the 3rd side. Suppose A, B and are known, but the other angles are not known. The length of side C may be calculated:
A C2 = (A2 + B2 - 2ABcos) C = (A2 + B2 - 2ABcos) B If = 90, then cos(90) = 0 so C = (A2 + B2), which is Pythagoreans Theorem. C

Sine Law: For a general triangle, with sides A, B, C and angles , , and , as shown.

A / sin = B / sin = C / sin Where + + = 180 Notice that is opposite A, is opposite B, and C is opposite .

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Answers to Examples

Finding Right Triangles - Essential in Solving Physics Problems

gravity Pendulum Box on an incline

Star above horizon

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Sample Sin, Cos, and Tan Problems

12 cm adjacent 1. For the following right triangle and the angle shown, (a) Which side is opposite ? Which is adjacent? (b) Evaluate sin() = 16/20 = 0.8, cos() = 12/20 = 0.6, and tan() = 16/12 = 1.333. 2. Using your calculator, evaluate the following: (a) sin(30.0) = 0.5 (b) cos(4.36) = -0.345 (c) sin(37.0) = 0.602 (d) cos() = -1 3. Convert from degrees to radians (multiply degrees by / 180 rad/degrees): (a) 120 = 2.09 (b) 45 = 0.785 (c) 90 = 1.57 (d) 75 = 1.31 (e) 330 = 5.76 16 cm opposite 20 cm hypotenuse

4. Convert from radians to degrees (multiply radians by 180 / degrees/rad): (a) 6 = 343.8 (b) 1.5 = 85.9 (c) 3 = 171.9 (d) 7 = 401.1 (e) 2 = 114.6

5. On your calculator, find the following tangents, and note if any are undefined. (a) tan(45) = 1 (b) tan(-2.34) = 1.03 (c) tan(48.0) = 1.20 (d) tan(90) = error = 1/0 (e) tan(0.893) = 1.24 (f) tan(135) = -1 (g) tan(270) = error = 1/0 (h) tan(2) = 0

5. (a) For which angles does the cosine of the angle equal 0? Notice that when the cosine of the angle is 0, the tangent of that angle is undefined. 90, 270, 450, 630, (b) For which angles does the sine of the angle equal 0? 0, 180, 360, 540, (c) For which angles does sin() = cos()? 45, 225, 405, 585,

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Sample Inverse Trig Problems.

(a) Inverse tangent of 3.75 = 75.1 (b) Inverse sine of 0.500 = 30 (c) Inverse cosine of -0.7071 = 135
.

(d) Inverse sine of -0.600 = 36.9 (e) Inverse tangent of 1.732 = 60 (f) Inverse sine of 2.00 = error (note: sine of any angle falls between 1 & -1) (g) Inverse cosine of -0.3333 = 109.5

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