How To Find Reference Angles In Degrees

There are rules to finding reference angles that depend upon where the terminal side of the angle lies in the coordinate plane.

How to find reference angles in degrees. How to find a reference angle in degrees finding a reference angle in degrees is straightforward if you follow the correct steps. When finding reference angles it can be helpful to keep in mind that the positive x axis is 00 and 3600 or 0 radians and 2p radians. A 340 degree angle is equivalent to a 20 degree angle. Keep subtracting 360 from it until it is lies between 0 and 3600.

The reference angle is the positive acute angle that can represent an angle of any measure. If the terminal side of the angle is in the 2nd quadrant we take the. A reference angle is formed by the terminal side and the x axis and will therefore always be acute. The reference angle is always the smallest angle that you can make from the terminal side of an angle ie where the angle ends with the x axis.

Determine the quadrant in which the terminal side lies. Frac pi 2 2p. If angle a is in quadrant i then the reference angle a r a. If angle a is in quadrant ii then the reference angle a r 1800 a if a is given degrees and a r p a if a is.

Angles in the first quadrant are their own reference angle so the. If angle a is in quadrant iii then the reference angle a r a 1800 if a is given. Finite math find the reference angle 585 degrees 58505850 find an anglethat is positive less than 36003600 and coterminal with 58505850. And the negative y axis is 2700 or.

Do the operation indicated for that quadrant. In radian measure the reference angle must be p 2. The positive y axis is 900 or. To find the reference angle for 340 degrees.

Finding the reference angle if necessary first unwind the angle. The angle is larger than a full angle of 3600 so you need to subtract the total angle until its small. To find the value of sine cosine and tangent at non acute angles from 90 to 360 first draw the angle on the unit circle and find the reference angle. Identify your initial angle.

The negative x axis is 1800 or p radians. For this example well use 4400 2. For negative angles add 360 instead. Frac 3pi 2 23p.

How to use reference angles to find the sine cosine and tangent of non acute angles. Sketch the angle to see which quadrant it is in. Basically any angle on the x y plane has a reference angle which is always between 0 and 90 degrees.