Signs of Trigonometric Functions - An In-Depth Guide

Last Updated on May 22, 2024
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Trigonometry, a branch of mathematics, involves six primary functions: sine (sin), cosine (cos), tangent (tan), cosecant (cosec), secant (sec), and cotangent (cot). To determine the signs of these functions, we use a unit circle, a circle with a radius of one, centered at the origin of a coordinate system, as shown below:

For any point P (a, b) on the unit circle, both 'a' and 'b' values range between -1 and 1. Therefore, the values of cos x and sin x also lie between -1 and 1 for all x. Furthermore, we can assign different signs to 'a' and 'b' based on their quadrant:

First Quadrant: 0 < x < π/2, both 'a' and 'b' are positive.

Second Quadrant: π/2 < x < π, 'a' is negative and 'b' is positive.

Third Quadrant: π < x < 3π/2, both 'a' and 'b' are negative.

Fourth Quadrant: 3π/2 < x < 2π, 'a' is positive and 'b' is negative.

To dive deeper into trigonometric functions , click here.

The Signs of Trigonometric Functions across Different Quadrants

The signs of trigonometric functions vary across each quadrant, as illustrated in the figure below:

In the first quadrant, all functions are positive, while in the second quadrant, only sin and cosec are positive. The third quadrant sees only tan and cot as positive, whereas in the fourth quadrant, only cos and sec are positive. We can summarize the signs of different trigonometric functions across different quadrants in the following table:

  Quadrant I Quadrant II Quadrant III Quadrant IV
sin θ +ve +ve -ve -ve
cos θ +ve -ve -ve +ve
tan θ +ve -ve +ve -ve
cosec θ +ve +ve -ve -ve
sec θ +ve -ve -ve +ve
cot θ +ve -ve +ve -ve

Now, let's explore an example to understand how to determine the sign of different trigonometric functions in different quadrants.

Example:

Suppose cot x = -4/3, and x lies in the fourth quadrant. Determine the value of cosec x.

Solution:

Given, cot x = -4/3

We know that, cosec²x – cot²x = 1

Therefore, cosec²x = 1 + cot²x

= 1 + (-4/3)²

= 1 + (16/9)

= (9 + 16)/9

= 25/9

Hence, cosec x = √(25/9) = ±5/3

Since x lies in the fourth quadrant and cosec x is negative in this quadrant, cosec x = -5/3.

This way, we can solve various trigonometry problems quickly and efficiently. Understanding the signs of trigonometric functions in different quadrants is essential for dealing with more complex trigonometric problems.

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Frequently Asked Questions

In the first quadrant, all functions are positive, in the 2nd quadrant, only sin and cosec are positive, in the 3rd quadrant only tan and cot are positive, whereas in the 4th quadrant only cos and sec are positive.

The sign of trigonometric functions can be determined with the help of a unit circle and the quadrant in which the function lies.

The sign of cosec x in the fourth quadrant is negative.

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