SOLUTION: indicate the angle of least positive measure theta, and give the value of sin,cos, and tan (2,-7)

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Question 823623: indicate the angle of least positive measure theta, and give the value of sin,cos, and tan (2,-7)
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20065) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
indicate the angle of least positive measure theta, and give the value of sin,cos, and tan (2,-7)
Plot the point (2,-7)




Draw a radius r from the origin to that point:



The angle the problem talks about is the one indicated by the 
counter-clockwise red arc.  The green arc is the reference angle:



Draw a line from (2,-7) perpendicular to the x-axis:



That makes a right triangle.  Label the horizontal side of the
triangle x=2 and the vertical side y=-7, the coordinates of the 
point (2,-7).



Now we calculate the radius r from the origin to the point (2,-7) by
the Pythagorean theorem:

r² = x²+y²
r² = (2)²+(-7)²
r² = 4+49
r² = 53
 r = √53

r is always taken as positive.



Now use the green angle and the sides of the right triangle:

sin(angle) = opposite%2Fhypotenuse = y%2Fr = %28-7%29%2Fsqrt%2853%29 = -7%2Fsqrt%2853%29 

cos(angle) = adjacent%2Fhypotenuse = x%2Fr = 2%2Fsqrt%2853%29

tan(angle) = opposite%2Fadjacent = y%2Fr = %28-7%29%2F2 = -7%2F2

Edwin