Pre-Calculus Unit 3 Vocabulary
negative angle
An angle whose generating line is rotated clockwise.
positive angle
An angle whose generating line is rotated counterclockwise.
secant
In a right triangle, the ratio of the hypotenuse compared to the side adjacent∠ θ
cosecant
In a right triangle, the ratio of the hypotenuse compared to the side opposite angle theta, ∠θ
cosine
In a right triangle, the ratio of the side adjacent ∠θ, compared to the hypotenuse
cotangent
In a right triangle, the ratio of the side adjacent ∠θ, compared to the side opposite∠θ
sine
In a right triangle, the ratio of the side opposite ∠θ, compared to the hypotenuse
tangent
In a right triangle, the ratio of the side opposite ∠θ, compared to the side adjacent∠θ
standard position
The position of an angle when the vertex is at the origin and the initial side of the angle coincides with the positive part of the x-axis.
unit circle
a circle with a radius = 1
equilateral triangle
a triangle composed of angles that all equal 60 degrees
Isosceles right triangle
a triangle with one right angle and two equal 45 degree angles
radian
a unit of angular measure equal to the acute angle at the center of a circle formed by two radii whose endpoints define an arc equal to the length of the radius of the circle
central angle
an angle that has the measure of one radian if it intercepts an arc of length equal to the radial length
right angle
an angle that measures 90 degrees
acute angle
an angle that measures 90 degrees or less
obtuse angle
an angle that measures 90 degrees or more
special angles
angles with measures of 30, 45, and 60, degree angles and their multiples
quadrantal angles
any angle whose measure is a multiple of 90, 180 or 270 degrees