Exploring Trigonometric Functions Through Graphs

Trigonometry often involves solving for missing angles or lengths, which requires calculating trigonometric values. While a calculator can easily find values for equations like sin(x)=0.5, have you ever wondered about the meaning behind those numbers? In this article, we'll take a closer look at the graphs of trigonometric functions to uncover the answer!

First, let's review the three primary trigonometric functions: sin(x), cos(x), and tan(x). These functions relate the angles of a right-angled triangle to the lengths of its sides.

Properties of Trigonometric Graphs

There are three key graphs to focus on when studying trigonometric functions: sin(x), cos(x), and tan(x). For GCSE mathematics, it may be necessary to memorize these graphs. However, each has distinct properties that make them easy to draw. Let's begin with the graph of sin(x).

The graph of y=sin(x):

<