4.2 Defining the Trigonometric Functions
Definitions of the Trigonometric Functions • Evaluating the Trigonometric Functions • The Unit Circle
In this section, we define the six trigonometric functions. These functions are used in a wide variety of technological fields to solve problems involving triangles as well as quantities that oscillate repeatedly. The six trigonometric functions are defined below.
DEFINITION OF THE TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
Let (x, y) be any point (other than the origin) on the terminal side of the angle in standard position, and let r be the distance between the origin and the given point (see Fig. 4.10).

Fig.
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