SOLUTION: Find the reference number of t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5? t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5 the reference number is the shortest arc length from Pt to the x-axis.

Algebra ->  Trigonometry-basics -> SOLUTION: Find the reference number of t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5? t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5 the reference number is the shortest arc length from Pt to the x-axis.      Log On


   



Question 918834: Find the reference number of t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5?
t = 11π/7
and
t = 11π/5
the reference number is the shortest arc length from Pt to the x-axis.

What I have is I divide 11π/7 to get = (1+ 4/7)π = π + 4π/7 answer?
and for the second: the same 11π/5 = (2+ 1/5)π = 2π+π/5 answer?
Does this look correct to you? I am not sure if I am doing this the correct way or not.


Answer by AnlytcPhil(1807) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
To find the reference number.

1. Sometimes you do nothing, because the number IS the reference number
2. Sometimes you subtract from pi
3. Sometimes you subtract pi from the number
4. Sometimes you subtract the number from 2pi
5. Sometimes you have to subtract 2pi 1 or more time and then do one of
    1,2,3,or 4
5. When the number is negative sometimes you just change the sign of the number.
6. Sometimes you subtract the negative number from -pi
7. Sometimes you subtract -pi from the number.
8. Sometimes you subtract the number from -2pi
etc. etc. etc.  

To find the reference number, you MUST draw the arc on the unit circle because
it's different for every quadrant and direction of rotation.  if it is more than
2pi then you must subtract 2pi for every revolution.  You can't just
learn a bunch of rules.  There are too many.  You have to draw the arc each
time.  Positive numbers are rotated counter-clockwise and negative numbers are rotated clockwise.  

Find the reference number of t = 11π/7 and t = 11π/5?
t = 11π/7 
t = 11π/5 
expr%2811%2F7%29pi%22%22=%22%22expr%281%264%2F7%29pi

expr%2811%2F7%29pi is positive so it's the red counter-clockwise arc
around the unit circle from (1,0).  The red arc extends 1pi
from (1,0) to (-1,0) and since it's expr%281%264%2F7%29pi,
it's 4%2F7 of that arc more, which is a tad more as the red arc we
see below.  Then the green arc is the reference number.



Since it's 2pi units all the way around the unit circle and the
red arc is expr%2811%2F7%29pi, the green arc is 2pi-expr%2811%2F7%29pi=expr%2814%2F7%29pi-expr%2811%2F7%29pi=expr%283%2F7%29pi=3pi%2F7 

Answer: 3pi%2F7 is the reference number.

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expr%2811%2F5%29pi%22%22=%22%22expr%282%261%2F5%29pi

expr%2811%2F5%29pi is positive and therefore it goes counter-clockwise.
It's also more than 2pi, so it's more than 1 complete revolution. In 
fact it goes all the way around the unit circle and overlaps 1%2F5 of the way 
past (1,0) toward (-1,0). 
It's the red counter-clockwise arc below that goes around the unit circle from
(1,0) past (-1,0) on around back to (1,0) and overlaps 1%2F5 of the way 
past where it started at (1,0). Then the green arc is the reference number.
It's the arc that equals the amount which the red arc goes past 1 revolution
or 2pi 



Since it's 2pi units all the way around the unit circle and the
red arc is expr%2811%2F5%29pi, the green arc is expr%2811%2F5%29pi-2pi=expr%2811%2F5%29pi-expr%2810%2F5%29pi=expr%281%2F5%29pi=pi%2F5 

Answer: pi%2F5 is the reference number.

Edwin