Trigonometry

Trigonometry is the branch of mathematics that deals with the relationship between
ratios of the sides of a right-angled triangle with its angles. The ratios used to study this
relationship are called trigonometric ratios, namely, sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent,
secant, cosecant. The word trigonometry is a 16th century Latin derivative and the
concept was given by the Greek mathematician Hipparchus.

Here in the below content, we shall understand the basics of trigonometry, the various
identities-formulas of trigonometry, and the real-life examples or applications of
trigonometry.

Introduction to Trigonometry

Trigonometry is one of the most important branches in mathematics. The word

trigonometry is formed by clubbing words 'Trigonon' and 'Metron' which means
triangle and measure respectively. It is the study of the relation between the sides
and angles of a right-angled triangle. It thus helps in finding the measure of unknown
dimensions of a right-angled triangle using formulas and identities based on this
relationship.
Trigonometry Basics

Trigonometry basics deal with the measurement of angles and problems related to
angles. There are three basic functions in trigonometry: sine, cosine, and tangent. These
three basic ratios or functions can be used to derive other important trigonometric
functions: cotangent, secant, and cosecant. All the important concepts covered under
trigonometry are based on these functions. Hence, further, we need to learn these
functions and their respective formulas at first to understand trigonometry.
In a right-angled triangle, we have the following three sides.

Perpendicular - It is the side opposite to the angle θ.

Base - This is the adjacent side to the angle θ.
Hypotenuse - This is the side opposite to the right angle.

Trigonometric Ratios

There are basic six ratios in trigonometry that help in establishing a relationship
between the ratio of sides of a right triangle with the angle. If θ is the angle in a right-
angled triangle, formed between the base and hypotenuse, then
• sin θ = Perpendicular/Hypotenuse
• cos θ = Base/Hypotenuse
• tan θ = Perpendicular/Base

The value of the other three functions: cot, sec, and cosec depend on tan, cos, and sin
respectively as given below.

• cot θ = 1/tan θ = Base/Perpendicular

• sec θ = 1/cos θ = Hypotenuse/Base
• cosec θ = 1/sin θ = Hypotenuse/Perpendicular
Trigonometric Table

The trigonometric table is made up of trigonometric ratios that are interrelated to each
other – sine, cosine, tangent, cosecant, secant, cotangent. These ratios, in short, are
written as sin, cos, tan, cosec, sec, cot, and are taken for standard angle values. You can
refer to the trigonometric table chart to know more about these ratios.

Important Trigonometric Angles

Trigonometric angles are the angles in a right-angled triangle using which different
trigonometric functions can be represented. Some standard angles used in trigonometry
are 0º, 30º, 45º, 60º, 90º. The trigonometric values for these angles can be observed
directly in a trigonometric table. Some other important angles in trigonometry are 180º,
270º, and 360º. Trigonometry angle can be expressed in terms of trigonometric ratios
as,

• θ = sin-1 (Perpendicular/Hypotenuse)
• θ = cos-1 (Base/Hypotenuse)
• θ = tan-1 (Perpendicular/Base)

List of Trigonometric Formulas

There are different formulas in trigonometry depicting the relationships between
trigonometric ratios and the angles for different quadrants. The basic trigonometry
formulas list is given below:

1. Trigonometry Ratio Formulas

• sin θ = Opposite Side/Hypotenuse

• cos θ = Adjacent Side/Hypotenuse
• tan θ = Opposite Side/Adjacent Side
• cot θ = 1/tan θ = Adjacent Side/Opposite Side
• sec θ = 1/cos θ = Hypotenuse/Adjacent Side
• cosec θ = 1/sin θ = Hypotenuse/Opposite Side

2. Trigonometry Formulas Involving Pythagorean Identities

• sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
• tan2θ + 1 = sec2θ
• cot2θ + 1 = cosec2θ

3. Sine and Cosine Law in Trigonometry

• a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C

• c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos C
• a2 = b2 + c2 – 2bc cos A
• b2 = a2 + c2 – 2ac cos B

Here a, b, c are the lengths of the sides of the triangle and A, B, and C are the angle of the
triangle.

The complete list of trigonometric formulas involving trigonometry ratios and

trigonometry identities is listed for easy access. Here's a list of all the trigonometric
formulas for you to learn and revise.

Trigonometric Functions Graphs

Different properties of a trigonometric function like domain, range, etc can be studied
using the trigonometric function graphs. The graphs of basic trigonometric functions-
Sine and Cosine are given below:
The domain and range of sin and cosine functions can thus be given as,

• sin θ: Domain (-∞, + ∞); Range [-1, +1]

• cos θ: Domain (-∞ +∞); Range [-1, +1]
Click here to learn about the graphs of all trigonometric functions and their domain and
range in detail- Trigonometric Functions

Unit Circle and Trigonometric Values

Unit circle can be used to calculate the values of basic trigonometric functions- sine,
cosine, and tangent. The following diagram shows how trigonometric ratios sine and
cosine can be represented in a unit circle.
Trigonometry Identities

In Trigonometric Identities, an equation is called an identity when it is true for all values
of the variables involved. Similarly, an equation involving trigonometric ratios of
an angle is called a trigonometric identity, if it is true for all values of the angles
involved. In trigonometric identities, you will get to learn more about the Sum and
Difference Identities.

For example, sin θ/cos θ = [Opposite/Hypotenuse] ÷ [Adjacent/Hypotenuse] =

Opposite/Adjacent = tan θ

Therefore, tan θ = sin θ/cos θ is a trigonometric identity. The three important

trigonometric identities are:

• sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
• tan²θ + 1 = sec²θ
• cot²θ + 1 = cosec²θ
Applications of Trigonometry

Throughout history, trigonometry has been applied in areas such as architecture,

celestial mechanics, surveying, etc. Its applications include in:

• Various fields like oceanography, seismology, meteorology, physical sciences,

astronomy, acoustics, navigation, electronics, and many more.
• It is also helpful to find the distance of long rivers, measure the height of the
mountain, etc.
• Spherical trigonometry has been used for locating solar, lunar, and stellar
positions.

Real-Life Examples of Trigonometry

Trigonometry has many real-life examples used broadly. Let’s get a better idea of
trigonometry with an example. A boy is standing near a tree. He looks up at the tree and
wonders “How tall is the tree?” The height of the tree can be found without actually
measuring it. What we have here is a right-angled triangle, i.e., a triangle with one of the
angles equal to 90 degrees. Trigonometric formulas can be applied to calculate the
height of the tree, if the distance between the tree and boy, and the angle formed when
the tree is viewed from the ground is given.
It is determined using the tangent function, such as tan of angle is equal to the ratio of
the height of the tree and the distance. Let us say the angle is θ, then

tan θ = Height/Distance between object & tree

Distance = Height/tan θ

Let us assume that distance is 30m and the angle formed is 45 degrees, then

Height = 30/tan 45°

Since, tan 45° = 1
So, Height = 30 m

The height of the tree can be found out by using basic trigonometry formulas.

Important Notes on Trigonometry

• Trigonometric values are based on the three major trigonometric ratios: Sine,
Cosine, and Tangent.
Sine or sin θ = Side opposite to θ / Hypotenuse
Cosine or cos θ = Adjacent side to θ / Hypotenuse
Tangent or tan θ = Side opposite to θ / Adjacent side to θ

• 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° are called the standard angles in trigonometry.

• The trigonometry ratios of cosθ, secθ are even functions, since cos(-θ) = cosθ,
sec(-θ) = secθ.