OF GENERAL ANGLES

Our method of using right triangles only works for

acute angles. Now we will see how we can find the trig
function values of any angle. To do this we'll place
angles on a rectangular coordinate system with the
initial side on the positive x-axis.
HINT: Since it is 360 all the way

reference
=135 around a circle, half way around
(a straight line) is 180
angle
If is 135, we can find the angle
What is the measure of formed by the negative x-axis and
this reference angle? the terminal side of the angle.
This is an acute angle and is
180- 135 = 45 called the reference angle.

Let's make a right triangle by drawing a line perpendicular to

the x-axis joining the terminal side of the angle and the x-axis.
Let's label the sides of the triangle according to a 45-45-90
triangle. (The sides might be multiples of these lengths but
looking as a ratio that won't matter so 1 1 2 will work)

This is a Quadrant II angle. When

you label the sides if you include
any signs on them thinking of x & y
2 in that quadrant, it will keep the
1 =135 signs straight on the trig functions.
45
x values are negative in quadrant II
-1
so put a negative on the 1
Now we are ready to find the 6 trig
functions of 135
The values of the trig functions of angles and their reference
angles are the same except possibly they may differ by a
negative sign. Putting the negative on the 1 will take care of this
problem.
 o 1 2 a 1 2
sin135 cos135
h 2 2 h 2 2
Notice the -1 instead of 1 since the
terminal side of the angle is in quadrant II
where x values are negative.
2
1 =135 0 1
tan 135 1
45
-1
a 1

We are going to use this method to find

angles that are non acute, finding an acute
reference angle, making a triangle and
seeing which quadrant we are in to help
with the signs.
 Let denote a nonacute angle that lies in a quadrant.
The acute angle formed by the terminal side of and
either the positive x-axis or the negative x-axis is called
the reference angle for .

Let's use this idea to find the 6 trig functions for 210
First draw a picture and label (We know
that 210 will be in Quadrant III)
Now drop a perpendicular line from the
=210 terminal side of the angle to the x-axis
3 The reference angle will be the angle
30 formed by the terminal side of the angle
-1 2 and the x-axis. Can you figure out it's
210-180=30 measure?
Label the sides of the 30-60-90
The reference angle is the triangle and include any negative
amount past 180 of signs depending on if x or y values
are negative in the quadrant.
 You will never put a negative on the
hypotenuse. Sides of triangles are
not negative but we put the negative
210 sign there to get the signs correct on
3
the trig functions.
30
-1 2
2 csc 210 2
1
You should be thinking csc is the reciprocal of sin
and sin is opposite over hypotenuse so csc is
hypotenuse over opposite.

1 3 3
tan 210 cos 210
3 3 2
 Using this same triangle idea, if we are given a point on the
terminal side of a triangle we can figure out the 6 trig
functions of the angle.

Given that the point (5, -12) is on the terminal side of an angle ,
find the exact value of each of the 6 trig functions.

5 12
2 2
h2 First draw a picture
5
h 13 Now drop a perpendicular
-12 line from the terminal side
13 to the x-axis
(5, -12)
Label the sides of the triangle
including any negatives. You
Use the Pythagorean know the two legs because they
theorem to find the are the x and y values of the point
hypotenuse
Given that the point (5, -12) is on the terminal side of an angle ,
find the exact value of each of the 6 trig functions.

5 We'll call the reference angle . The trig

functions of are the same as except
-12 they possibly have a negative sign.
13
Labeling the sides of triangles with
(5, -12)
negatives takes care of this problem.

o 12 h 13
sin h 13 csc o 12
h 13
cos a 5
sec a 5
h 13
tan o 12 cot a 5
a 5 o 12
 All trig In quadrant I both the x
functions and y values are positive
positive so all trig functions will be
positive
+ Let's look at the signs of sine,
+ cosine and tangent in the other
quadrants. Reciprocal functions will
have the same sign as the original
sin is + since "flipping" a fraction over
cos is - doesn't change its sign.
tan is -
In quadrant II x is negative
+ and y is positive.

_
We can see from this that any value that
requires the adjacent side will then have a
negative sign on it.
 In quadrant III, x is
negative and y is negative.
Hypotenuse is always positive so if
_ we have either adjacent or opposite
_ with hypotenuse we'll get a
negative. If we have both opposite
sin is - and adjacent the negatives will
cos is - cancel
tan is +

In quadrant IV, x is positive

and y is negative .
+
_
So any functions using opposite
sin is - will be negative.
cos is +
tan is -
 To help
remember
sin is + All trig
these sign S A
cos is - functions
we look at
tan is - positive
what trig T C
sin is - sin is - functions
cos is - cos is + are
tan is + tan is - positive in
each
quadrant.

Here is a mnemonic Students All

to help you
remember.
(start in Quad I and Take Calculus
go counterclockwise)
 What about quadrantal angles?

We can take a point on the terminal side of quadrantal

angles and use the x and y values as adjacent and
opposite respectively. We use the x or y value that is not
zero as the hypotenuse as well
well.(but never with a negative).
Try this with 90
(0, 1) o 1 1
sin 90 1 cosec90 1
h 1 1
a 0 1
cos 90 0 sec 90 undef
h 1 0
dividing by 0 is o
undefined so the tan 90 1 0
cot 90 0
tangent of 90 is a 0 1
undefined
Let's find the trig functions of
(-1, 0)

o 0 1
sin 0 cosec undef
h 1 0
Remember
a 1 1
cos 1 sec 1 x is adjacent,
h 1 1 y is opposite
o 0 1 and
tan 0 cot undef hypotenuse
a 1 0 here is 1
Coterminal angles are angles that have the same terminal side.

62, 422 and -298 are all coterminal because graphed,

they'd all look the same and have the same terminal side.

Since the terminal

side is the same, all of
62 the trig functions
-298 422 would be the same so
it's easiest to convert
to the smallest
positive coterminal
angle and compute
trig functions.
Acknowledgement

I wish to thank Shawna Haider from Salt Lake Community College, Utah
USA for her hard work in creating this PowerPoint.

www.slcc.edu

Shawna has kindly given permission for this resource to be downloaded

from www.mathxtc.com and for it to be modified to suit the Western
Australian Mathematics Curriculum.

Stephen Corcoran
Head of Mathematics
St Stephens School Carramar
www.ststephens.wa.edu.au