Trigonometry Facts

Dr William Larson, International School of Geneva

Memory Trick cos θ

θ sin θ for sin θ (same as sin θ, sin 
but in reverse tan θ =
count 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 order) cos
0
0, 2π 0 =0 1 0
2
 1 1 1 3 1

6 2 2 2 2 3
 2 2 1 2
 1
4 2 2 2 2
 3 3 1
3
3
2 2 2
 4
1 =1 0 undefined
2 2

 0 -1 0

3
-1 0 undefined
2
Arc length = s = r θ (in radians only) sin2θ = 2 sin θ cos θ
1 2 1 cos2θ = cos²θ – sin²θ
Area of a sector = r  = sr (in radians only) = 2cos²θ – 1
2 2 = 1 – 2sin²θ
1 sin A sin B sin C
Area of a triangle = ab sin C [plus 2 more interchanging the letters]  
2 a b c
a b c
Trig functions definitions  
Using the Using a point Using the sin A sin B sin C
Function sides of a (x, y) on the point (x, y) on a 2  b 2  c 2  2bc cos A [plus 2 more interchanging the letters]
right triangle terminal side the unit circle b 2  c 2  a 2 [plus 2 more interchanging the letters]
cos A 
opp y 2bc
sin θ y
hyp r sin(-θ) = -sin θ
adj x cos(-θ) = +cos θ
cos θ x tan(-θ) = -tan θ
hyp r
opp y y The co-functions of complementary angles are equal:
tan θ
adj x x sin θ = cos  90    cos θ = sin  90   
r² = x² + y² tan θ = cot  90    cot θ = tan  90   
sin sec θ = csc  90    csc θ = sec  90   
tan 
cos
csc 
1 sin(180 – θ) = sin θ
sin cos(180 – θ) = - cos θ
1
sec  tan(180 – θ) = - tan θ
cos
1 sin (θ + 90°) = + cos θ
cot  cos (θ + 90°) = - sin θ
tan
tan (θ + 90°) = - cot θ
The quadrants in which the functions positive:
Mnemonic: “All Students Take Calculus” sin (θ + 180°) = - sin θ
S (sine) A (all) cos (θ + 180°) = - cos θ
T (tangent) C (cosine) tan (θ + 180°) = + tan θ
sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
tan² θ + 1 = sec² θ
cot² θ + 1 = csc² θ
sin(A ± B) = sin A cos B ± cos A sin B
cos(A ± B) = cos A cos B  sin A sin B