<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >

Find an angle α that is coterminal with an angle measuring 870°, where α < 360° .

α = 150 °

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Given an angle with measure less than 0°, find a coterminal angle having a measure between 0° and 360°.

  1. Add 360° to the given angle.
  2. If the result is still less than 0°, add 360° again until the result is between 0° and 360°.
  3. The resulting angle is coterminal with the original angle.

Finding an angle coterminal with an angle measuring less than 0°

Show the angle with measure −45° on a circle and find a positive coterminal angle α such that 0° ≤ α <360°.

Since 45° is half of 90°, we can start at the positive horizontal axis and measure clockwise half of a 90° angle.

Because we can find coterminal angles by adding or subtracting a full rotation of 360°, we can find a positive coterminal angle here by adding 360°:

45° + 360° = 315°

We can then show the angle on a circle, as in [link] .

A graph showing the equivalence of a 315 degree angle and a negative 45 degree angle.
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Find an angle β that is coterminal with an angle measuring −300° such that β < 360° .

β = 60 °

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Finding coterminal angles measured in radians

We can find coterminal angles    measured in radians in much the same way as we have found them using degrees. In both cases, we find coterminal angles by adding or subtracting one or more full rotations.

Given an angle greater than 2 π , find a coterminal angle between 0 and 2 π .

  1. Subtract 2 π from the given angle.
  2. If the result is still greater than 2 π , subtract 2 π again until the result is between 0 and 2 π .
  3. The resulting angle is coterminal with the original angle.

Finding coterminal angles using radians

Find an angle β that is coterminal with 19 π 4 , where 0 β < 2 π .

When working in degrees, we found coterminal angles by adding or subtracting 360 degrees, a full rotation. Likewise, in radians, we can find coterminal angles by adding or subtracting full rotations of 2 π radians:

19 π 4 2 π = 19 π 4 8 π 4 = 11 π 4

The angle 11 π 4 is coterminal, but not less than 2 π , so we subtract another rotation:

11 π 4 2 π = 11 π 4 8 π 4 = 3 π 4

The angle 3 π 4 is coterminal with 19 π 4 , as shown in [link] .

A graph showing a circle and the equivalence between angles of 3pi/4 radians and 19pi/4 radians.
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Find an angle of measure θ that is coterminal with an angle of measure 17 π 6 where 0 θ < 2 π .

7 π 6

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Determining the length of an arc

Recall that the radian measure     θ of an angle was defined as the ratio of the arc length     s of a circular arc to the radius r of the circle, θ = s r . From this relationship, we can find arc length along a circle, given an angle.

Arc length on a circle

In a circle of radius r , the length of an arc s subtended by an angle with measure θ in radians, shown in [link] , is

s = r θ
Illustration of circle with angle theta, radius r, and arc with length s.

Given a circle of radius r , calculate the length s of the arc subtended by a given angle of measure θ .

  1. If necessary, convert θ to radians.
  2. Multiply the radius r by the radian measure of θ : s = r θ .

Finding the length of an arc

Assume the orbit of Mercury around the sun is a perfect circle. Mercury is approximately 36 million miles from the sun.

  1. In one Earth day, Mercury completes 0.0114 of its total revolution. How many miles does it travel in one day?
  2. Use your answer from part (a) to determine the radian measure for Mercury’s movement in one Earth day.
  1. Let’s begin by finding the circumference of Mercury’s orbit.
    C = 2 π r = 2 π ( 36  million miles ) 226  million miles

    Since Mercury completes 0.0114 of its total revolution in one Earth day, we can now find the distance traveled:

    ( 0.0114 ) 226  million miles = 2 .58 million miles
  2. Now, we convert to radians:
    radian = arclength radius = 2. 58 million miles 36  million miles = 0.0717
Got questions? Get instant answers now!
Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Questions & Answers

how to study physic and understand
Ewa Reply
what is conservative force with examples
Moses
what is work
Fredrick Reply
the transfer of energy by a force that causes an object to be displaced; the product of the component of the force in the direction of the displacement and the magnitude of the displacement
AI-Robot
why is it from light to gravity
Esther Reply
difference between model and theory
Esther
Is the ship moving at a constant velocity?
Kamogelo Reply
The full note of modern physics
aluet Reply
introduction to applications of nuclear physics
aluet Reply
the explanation is not in full details
Moses Reply
I need more explanation or all about kinematics
Moses
yes
zephaniah
I need more explanation or all about nuclear physics
aluet
Show that the equal masses particles emarge from collision at right angle by making explicit used of fact that momentum is a vector quantity
Muhammad Reply
yh
Isaac
A wave is described by the function D(x,t)=(1.6cm) sin[(1.2cm^-1(x+6.8cm/st] what are:a.Amplitude b. wavelength c. wave number d. frequency e. period f. velocity of speed.
Majok Reply
what is frontier of physics
Somto Reply
A body is projected upward at an angle 45° 18minutes with the horizontal with an initial speed of 40km per second. In hoe many seconds will the body reach the ground then how far from the point of projection will it strike. At what angle will the horizontal will strike
Gufraan Reply
Suppose hydrogen and oxygen are diffusing through air. A small amount of each is released simultaneously. How much time passes before the hydrogen is 1.00 s ahead of the oxygen? Such differences in arrival times are used as an analytical tool in gas chromatography.
Ezekiel Reply
please explain
Samuel
what's the definition of physics
Mobolaji Reply
what is physics
Nangun Reply
the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter, space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanisms underlie every phenomenon
AI-Robot
what is isotopes
Nangun Reply
nuclei having the same Z and different N s
AI-Robot
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Precalculus. OpenStax CNX. Jan 19, 2016 Download for free at https://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11667/1.6
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Precalculus' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask