# Trigonometric Ratios - Mathematics Form 2 Notes

## Introduction

### Tangent of Acute Angle

The constant ratio between the vertical distance/horizontal distance is called the tangent. It’s abbreviated as tan

Tan= opposite side

### Sine of an Angle

The ratio of the side of angle x to the hypotenuse side is called the sine.

Sin∅ = opposite side
hypotenuse

### Cosine of an Angle

The ratio of the side adjacent to the angle and hypotenuse.

hypotenuse

## Right Angled Triangle Trigonometry

Example

In the figure above adjacent length is 4 cm and Angle x= 360. Calculate the opposite length.

Solution

tan 360 = opposite length = PR

4tan 360 = PR
Therefore PR = 4 x 0.7265 = 2.9060 cm.

Example

In the above O = 5 cm A = 12 cm calculate angle sin x and cosine x.

Solution

sin x = opp O = 5
hyp H    H

But H2 = 122×52
= 169
= √169
H = 13
Therefore sin x= 5/13
= 0.3846
Cos x =
hyp
=12/13
=0.9231

## Sine and Cosines of Complementary Angles

For any two complementary angles x and y, sin x = cos y; cos x = sin y e.g. sin600 = cos 300, Sin300 = cos 600, sin700 = cos 200,

Example

Find acute angles α and β if Sin α = cos 330

Solution

sin α = cos 33
Therefore α + 33 = 90
α = 57
0

## Trigonometric Ratios of Special Angles: 300, 450, 600.

These trigonometric ratios can be deducted by the use of isosceles right – angled triangle and equilateral triangles as follows.

### Tangent, Cosine and Sine of 45o.

The triangle should have a base and a height of one unit each, giving hypotenuse of √2
Cos 45o = 1/√2

Sin 45o= 1/√2

Tan 45o = 1

### Tangent, Cosine and Sine of 30o and 60o.

The equilateral triangle has a sides of 2 units each

Sin 300 = 1/2

Cos 300√3/2

Tan 30= 1/√3

Sin 600 =√3/2

Cos 6001/2

Tan 600√3/1 = √3

## Past KCSE Questions on the Topic.

1. Given sin (90 − a) = ½ , find without using trigonometric tables the value of cos a (2mks)
2. If θ = 24/25, find without using tables or calculator, the value of
tan θ − cos θ
cos θ + sin θ
3. At point A, David observed the top of a tall building at an angle of 30o. After walking for 100meters towards the foot of the building he stopped at point B where he observed it again at an angle of 60o. Find the height of the building
4. Find the value of θ, given that ½ sinθ= 0.35 for 0o ≤ θ ≤ 360o
5. A man walks from point A towards the foot of a tall building 240 m away. After covering 180m, he observes that the angle of elevation of the top of the building is 45o. Determine the angle of elevation of the top of the building from A
6. Solve for x in 2Cos 2x0 = 0.6000; 00≤ x ≤ 3600.
7. Wangechi whose eye level is 1 82cm tall observed the angle of elevation to the top of her house to be 32º from her eye level at point A. she walks 20m towards the house on a straight line to a point B at which point she observes the angle of elevation to the top of the building to the 40º. Calculate, correct to 2 decimal places the ;
1. distance of A from the house
2. The height of the house
8. Given that cos A = 5/13 and angle A is acute, find the value of:-
2 tan A + 3 sin A
9. Given that tan 5° = 3 + √5, without using tables or a calculator, determine tan 25°, leaving your answer in the form a + b√c
10. Given that tan x = 5/12, find the value of the following without using mathematical tables or calculator:
1. Cos x
2. Sin2(90−x)
11. If tan θ =8/15, find the value of Sinθ − Cosθ without using a calculator or table
Cosθ + Sinθ

• ✔ To read offline at any time.
• ✔ To Print at your convenience
• ✔ Share Easily with Friends / Students

### Related items

.
Subscribe now

access all the content at an affordable rate
or
Buy any individual paper or notes as a pdf via MPESA
and get it sent to you via WhatsApp
{"found_math": false, "script_math_tex": 0, "script_math_asciimath": 0, "math_annotations": 0, "math_alttext": 0, "mathml": 0, "mathjax_tag": 0, "mathjax_inline_tex": 0, "mathjax_display_tex": 0, "mathjax_asciimath": 0, "img_math": 0, "codecogs_latex": 0, "wp_latex": 0, "mimetex.cgi": 0, "/images/math/codecogs": 0, "mathtex.cgi": 0, "katex": 0, "math-container": 0, "wp-katex-eq": 0, "align": 0, "equation": 0, "x-ck12": 0, "texerror": 0}