PLUMBING ARITHMETIC

TRIGONOMETRY
I. DEFINITION
Trigonometry is the study of triangles by applying the relations between the sides and the angles. The term
trigonometry comes from the Greek words trigonon which means triangle and metria meaning
measurements.
Trigonometry is divided into two branches, namely:
Plane Trigonometry deals with triangles in the two dimensions of the plane.
Spherical Trigonometry concerns with triangles extracted from the surface of a sphere.
There are two general types of triangles, namely:
Right Triangle a triangle that has a right angle.
Oblique Triangle a triangle that does not have a right angle. An acute triangle and an obtuse triangle are
oblique triangles. An isosceles triangle (triangle with two sides equal and two angles equal) could be a right
triangle or an oblique triangle.
Past Board Exam:
The supplement of an angle is thrice its complement. Find the angle.
II. SOLUTION TO PLANE RIGHT TRIANGLES
1. Fundamental Trigonometric Functions
sin
opposite
hypotenuse
csc
hypotenuse
opposite
cos
adjacent
hypotenuse
sec
hypotenuse
adjacent
tan
opposite
adjacent
cot
adjacent
opposite
2. The Pythagorean Theorem
The Pythagorean Theorem is the most renowned of all mathematical theorems. It is considered as the
most proved theorem in mathematics. It was formulated by Pythagoras (c. 580-500 B.C.) about 500 B.C.
It states that, In a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the sides is equal to the square of the
hypotenuse.
3. Special Triangles
a
b
c
+
2 2 2
a b c
A. Egyptian Triangle B. 45 45 Right Triangle C. 45 45 Right Triangle
Past Board Exam:
A vertical pole 8 feet tall casts a shadow 5 feet long on a level ground. Find the angle which the ray of the sun makes
with the horizontal.
Past Board Exam:
A man finds the angle of elevation of the top of the tower to be 30 degrees. He walks 85m nearer the tower and finds
its angle of elevation to be 60 degrees. What is the height of the tower?
Past Board Exam:
The sides of a triangle measure 3, 4, and 5. What is the smallest interior angle of this triangle?
III. SOLUTION TO PLANE OBLIQUE TRIANGLE
1. Law of Sines
This solution to an oblique triangle is used when the given are:
A. Two angles and one opposite side or
B. Two sides and an opposite angle
This was demonstrated by Ptolemy of Alexandria in 150 A.D.

2
Past Board Exam:
If sin A = 2.5x and cos A = 5.5x, find the value of A in degrees.
2. Law of Cosines
This solution to an oblique triangle is used when the given are:
A. Two sides and the included angle or
B. Three sides
This was demonstrated by the French mathematician Francois Viete (1540 1603).
+
+
+
2 2 2
2 2 2
2 2 2
2 cos
2 cos
2 cos
a b c bc A
b a c ac B
c a b ab C
Past Board Exam:
Solve angle A of an oblique triangle with vertices ABC, if a = 25, b = 16 and C = 94 degrees and 6 minutes.
Past Board Exam:
In triangle ABC, AB = 15 m, AC = 9 m, the angle A = 50. Determine the length of side BC.

sin sin sin
a b c
A B C
a. 13.44 m
b. 17.81 m
c. 11.51 m
d. 21.90 m
3. Law of Tangents
This solution to an oblique triangle is used when the given are two sides and the included angle.
This was first described by the Danish mathematician and physicist Thomas Fincke (1561 1656) in
1583.
( )
( )

+
+
1
tan
2
1
tan
2
A B
a b
a b
A B
IV. TRIGONOMETRIC IDENTITIES
Trigonometric identities are equations that express relations among trigonometric functions which are true for
all values of the variables involved. The following are the trigonometric identities:
1. Reciprocal relations

2. Even-odd identities

3. Cofunction identities
Past Board Exam:
Given:
cos tan sin
cos
B B B
x
B
. Solve for x if B = 30 degrees.
4. Pythagorean relations
+
+
+
2 2
2 2
2 2
sin cos 1
1 cot csc
1 tan sec
A A
A A
A A
Past Board Exam:
Find the value of x in the equation: csc x + cot x = 3. Ans. 36.87
5. Sum of angles formulas

1
sin
csc
1
cos
sec
1
tan
cot
A
A
A
A
A
A

1
cot
tan
1
sec
cos
1
csc
sin
A
A
A
A
A
A






cot( ) cot
sec( ) sec
csc( ) csc






sin( ) sin
cos( ) cos
tan( ) tan
cot tan(90 )
sec csc(90 )
csc sec(90 )






sin cos(90 )
cos sin(90 )
tan cot(90 )






+ +
+
+
+

sin( ) sin cos cos sin

cos( ) cos cos sin sin
tan tan
tan( )
1 tan tan
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
A B
A B
A B
6. Difference of angles formulas

+

+
sin( ) sin cos cos sin
cos( ) cos cos sin sin
tan tan
tan( )
1 tan tan
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
A B
A B
A B
7. Double angle formulas

2 2
2
sin2 2sin cos
cos2 cos sin
2tan
tan2
1 tan
A A A
A A A
A
A
A
Past Board Exam:
4 4
(cos ) (sin ) A A is equal to _______________. Ans. Cos 2A
8. Powers of functions

+

+
2
2
2
1
sin (1 cos2 )
2
1
cos (1 cos2 )
2
1 cos2
tan
1 cos2
A A
A A
A
A
A
9. Functions of half-angles

t
+
t

+
1 cos
sin
2 2
1 cos
cos
2 2
1 cos sin
tan
2 sin 1 cos
A A
A A
A A A
A A
10. Sum of two angles
+ +
+ +
+
+
1 1
sin sin 2sin ( )cos ( )
2 2
1 1
cos cos 2cos ( )cos ( )
2 2
sin( )
tan tan
cos cos
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
A B
A B
A B
11. Difference of two functions
+
+

1 1
sin sin 2cos ( )sin ( )
2 2
1 1
cos cos 2sin ( )sin ( )
2 2
sin( )
tan tan
cos cos
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
A B
A B
A B
12. Product of two functions
+
+ +
+ +
2sin sin cos( ) cos( )
2sin cos sin( ) sin( )
2cos cos cos( ) cos( )
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
A B A B A B
V. TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS IN EXPONENTIAL FORMS
The following are the trigonometric functions expressed in terms of exponential functions and the imaginary
unit.
Where: e = base of the natural logarithm
i = imaginary unit
Past Board Exam:
Solve for x in the given trigonometric equation: arctan (1 x) + arctan (1 + x) = arctan (1/8).
a. 4
b. 8
c. 2
d. 6
Past Board Exam:
Sin (270 + B) is equal to
a. -cos B
b. sin B
c. -sin B
d. cos B
VI. PARTS OF TRIANGLE
1. Height of a general triangle
Where:
+ +

2
a b c
s
Note that hc is perpendicular to side c.
2. Median of a general triangle
3. Angle bisector of a general triangle

+
+

( )
tan
( )
cot
ix ix
ix ix
ix ix
ix ix
i e e
x
e e
i e e
x
e e

sin
2
cos
2
ix ix
ix ix
e e
x
i
e e
x

2 ( )( )( )
c
s s a s b s c
h
c
+
2 2 2
1
2 2
2
c
m a b c
VII.RADII OF CIRCLES INSCRIBING/CIRCUMSCRIBING A TRIANGLE
Let R be the radius of the circumscribing circle and r be the radius of the inscribed
circle.
1. General triangle
2. Equilateral triangle
3. Right triangle
VIII. AREA OF PLANE TRIANGLE
1. Given base and altitude
2. Given two sides and included angle
TRIANGLE
A
r
a b c

+ +
4
TRIANGLE
abc
R
A

a
b
c
R
r
3
3
a
R
3
6
a
r
R
r
a
a
a
1
_
1

+
,
1
]
2
1
c
c
t ab
a b

2
hypotenuse
R
+ +
ab
r
a b c

1
2
A bh
3. Given 3 sides
Using Herons formula: Named after Heron of Alexandria (1
st
century A.D.)
4. Triangle inscribed in a circle
5. Triangle circumscribing a circle
6. Triangle with escribed circle

and a is the side
tangent to the circle.
Past Board Exam:
Find the area of a circle circumscribing an equilateral triangle having each side measuring
10cm.
Past Board Exam:
Determine the diameter of the circle that may be inscribed in a triangle whose perimeter and
area are 48m and 65 sq.m., respectively.
IX. PROPERTIES OF TRIANGLES

1
sin
2
A ab

+ +

( )( )( )
:
2
A s s a s b s c
a b c
where s

4
abc
A
r

+ +
:
2
A rs
a b c
where s

+ +

( )
:
2
A r s a
a b c
where s
1. The sum of two sides of a triangle is greater than the third side and their difference
is less than the third side.
2. The perpendicular bisectors of the sides and the bisectors of the angles of a triangle
meet in points which are the center of the circumscribing circle and the inscribed
circle.
3. The altitudes of a triangle meet in a point.
4. The median of a triangle are concurrent at a point which is 2/3 of the distance from
any vertex to the midpoint of the opposite sides.
X. IMPORTANT POINTS IN A TRIANGLE
Circumcenter the point of concurrency of the perpendicular bisectors of the sides of a
triangle.
Incenter the point of concurrency of the angle bisector of a triangle.
Orthocenter the point of concurrency of the altitudes of a triangle.
XI. CONGRUENT TRIANGLES
Two triangles are congruent if the elements of one triangle are equal to the
corresponding parts of the other triangle. The following are the conditions for
congruency:
1. Two sides and the included angle are equal.
2. Three sides are equal.
3. One side and adjoining angles are equal.
XII.SIMILAR TRIANGLES
The following are the conditions for similar triangles:
1. Two corresponding sides are proportional; included angles are equal.
2. Three sides are proportional.
3. Two angles are equal.
Past Board Exam:
In triangle ABC, AB = 30m, BC = 36m, and AC = 48m. The perpendicular bisectors of the
sides intersect at point P. How far is P from side BC?