Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Reference Angles
A reference angle is the acute angle formed by the terminal side of an angle in standard position and the x-axis. It is always positive and is used to simplify the calculation of trigonometric functions. For angles greater than 180 degrees or less than 0 degrees, the reference angle is found by subtracting or adding to 180 degrees or 360 degrees, respectively.
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Unit Circle
The unit circle is a circle with a radius of one centered at the origin of a coordinate plane. It is fundamental in trigonometry as it provides a geometric representation of the sine, cosine, and tangent functions. The coordinates of points on the unit circle correspond to the cosine and sine values of the angles, allowing for easy calculation of trigonometric functions.
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Trigonometric Values of Common Angles
Certain angles, such as 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°, have known sine and cosine values that are commonly used in trigonometry. Understanding these values allows for quick calculations without a calculator. For example, sin(60°) = √3/2 and cos(30°) = √3/2, which can be derived from the unit circle or special triangles.
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