DIRACC Calculus, Patrick W. Thompson & Mark Ashbrook
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Section 2.1
A Trig Graph You’ve Surely Seen


Here is a graph of $y = \sin(x)$, x in radians. You’ve surely seen it many times. In this module, we (meaning us authors) will make sure you understand two important things about this graph: what any value of x represents, and what any value of y represents.

Graph of y=sin(x)

Figure 2.1.1. Graph of $y=\sin(x)$

You might see the graph of $y = \sin(x)$ as just a shape. But the graph actually represents the behavior of variations along a circle. To see this we must explore the meanings of y and x in the statement $y = \sin(x)$.

The following sections explore the meanings of x and y in $y=\sin(x)$, $y=\cos(x)$, and $y=\tan(x)$.




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