As we get started in our calculus class, we might take a moment to review some basic trigonometry.
To do trigonometry in calculus, we need to view trigonometric functions like cosine and sine as properties of the unit circle.
We measure angles in radians. (See this ten second silent explanation!)
Students should be comfortable with the basic angles which are multiples of 30 degrees or 45 degrees. See my short video podcast here.
Do you know why the sine of 30 degrees is one-half? It is important to understand concepts like this, not just memorize them! A link to an explanation is here.
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