Modelling with Trigonometric Functions (Cambridge (CIE) AS Maths: Pure 1): Flashcards

Exam code: 9709

1/6

0Still learning

Know0

Cards in this collection (6)

  • A wheel's height is modelled by H = 50 - 48 \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{15} t + 0.3\right) metres. What do the 50 and the 48 tell you?

    The 50 is the height of the centre of the wheel, and the 48 is its radius.

    The cosine runs between - 1 and 1, so the height swings 48 metres either side of 50, between 2 and 98 metres.

  • True or False?

    The maximum of y = 15 - 23 \sin 3 x occurs when \sin 3 x = 1.

    False.

    The coefficient is negative, so the largest y comes from the smallest sine, at \sin 3 x = - 1, giving y = 38.

    Putting \sin 3 x = 1 gives the minimum instead, y = - 8.

  • For H = 50 - 48 \cos \left(\frac{\pi}{15} t + 0.3\right), with t in minutes, how do you find when the passenger is first at the top?

    Set the cosine to the value that makes H largest, then solve for t.

    Here \frac{\pi}{15} t + 0.3 = \pi, giving t = \frac{15}{\pi} \left(\pi - 0.3\right) = 13.6 minutes, and the working must be done in radians because the model is written in them.

  • What does the period of a trigonometric model tell you?

    How long the situation takes to return to where it started and begin repeating.

    For a wheel modelled against time in minutes it is the time for one complete revolution, so knowing a single cycle fixes the whole model.

  • Complete the period T of \cos \left(q x + r\right) in each measure:

    T = \frac{\_\_\_\_\_\_}{q} \text{ in degrees, and } T = \frac{\_\_\_\_\_\_}{q} \text{ in radians}

    The completed formulae are:

    T = \frac{360^{\circ}}{q} \text{ in degrees, and } T = \frac{2 \pi}{q} \text{ in radians}

    In both, T comes out in the same units as x, so a model in minutes gives a period in minutes.

  • What is the period of y = \cos \left(\frac{7}{8} x - 1.5\right), with x in radians?

    The period is \frac{2 \pi}{\frac{7}{8}} = \frac{16 \pi}{7}.

    The - 1.5 shifts the curve sideways but leaves the length of one cycle completely untouched.

Sign up to unlock flashcards

or