Module 4: Foundations of Trigonometry

 

This is a photo of a horse on a horse walker.

iStockphoto/Thinkstock

To this point in the lesson you have only been dealing with coterminal angles—angles where the terminal arms coincide. In Try This 3 you will explore angles formed by incomplete revolutions. You will explore how the distance a horse moves in a circle relates to the radian measure of the angle the horse travels.

 

Try This 3

 

In Try This 2 you looked at a horse walker with a radius of 6 m. The horses took 12 s to walk 1 revolution. You found the distance of 1 revolution to be

 

 

 

This is a graphic of four horses inside a circular fence. The horses are  walking around a circle. Each horse is tied with a rope to a centre post.

  1. What distance, and through what central angle, will the white horse travel after each specified amount of time that is less than 12 s? Complete a table similar to the one shown. The first column has been completed for you.

      6 s 3 s 4 s
    Fraction of 1 Revolution
     of a revolution    
    Distance Travelled by White Horse to the Nearest Tenth of a Metre, or Arc Length

    circumference × amount of a revolution

     

     

     

       
    Diagram of Rotational Angle in Standard Position
    This is an image of a 180-degree angle.    
    Angle of Rotation in Degrees
    360° ×  = 180°    
    Angle of Rotation in Radians
    2π ×  = π    
  2. Explain how you determined the distance travelled by the horse.

  3. Explain how you determined the angle of rotation.

course folder Save your responses in your course folder.

 

Share 2

 

Discuss your responses to Try This 3 and the following questions with a classmate.

  1. How do your strategies compare for finding the distance travelled and the angle of rotation? What are the similarities and differences between your strategies and your partner’s strategies?
  2. What is the relationship between the distance around a circle (arc length) and the radian measure of the angle?

course folder If required, save a record of your discussion in your course folder.