Lesson 5
1. Lesson 5
Module 4: Foundations of Trigonometry
Lesson 5: Trigonometric Equations
Focus
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The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor-racing circuit in Montréal that hosts the Canadian Grand Prix car race. During this Formula 1 race, cars reach speeds of 360 km/h while traveling 70 laps around the 4.4-km loop.
Suppose you wanted to answer this question: How far has a car travelled when it crosses the finish line? You might answer 4.4 km, 8.8 km, or something else. How many answers are there? Is there a way to represent all of these answers without writing each one out?
In this lesson you will learn to solve some first- and second-degree trigonometric equations. You will also learn how to represent an infinite number of solutions as a general solution.

Lesson Outcomes
At the end of this lesson you will be able to
- determine the measure of angles that produce a given trigonometric ratio
- algebraically determine the solution to a first- and second-degree trigonometric equation over a restricted domain
- verify a solution to a trigonometric equation
- determine a general solution to a trigonometric equation
- solve problems using trigonometric ratios
Lesson Questions
You will investigate the following questions:
- How can trigonometric equations be solved?
- How is a specific solution for a trigonometric equation related to the general solution?
Assessment
Your assessment may be based on a combination of the following tasks:
- completion of the Lesson 5 Assignment (Download the Lesson 5 Assignment and save it in your course folder now.)
- course folder submissions from Try This and Share activities
- additions to Glossary Terms
- work under Project Connection