HSC

Exam Questions (Trigonometric Ratios)

Note to students: For those who have yet to study radians, 2 = 360.

1995 HSC Q3(b)

A horizontal bridge is built between points and . The bridge is supported by cables
and , which are attached to the top of a vertical pylon .

The section of the pylon, , above the bridge is 8 metres long and = 52.
(i)

Find the length of the cable .

(ii)

Find the size of to the nearest degree.

1997 HSC Q7(a)
By expressing sec and tan in terms of sin and cos , show that

sec ! tan! = 1

1998 HSC Q1(e)
Find the exact value of sin

!
!

+ sin

!!
!

1999 HSC Q3(c)
In the diagram, is parallel to , is 6 cm, is 3 cm and is 7 cm.

(i)

Use the cosine rule to find the size of , to the nearest degree.

(ii)

Hence find the size of , giving reasons for your answer.

2000 HSC Q1(c)

!

What is the exact value of cos ! ?

2000 HSC Q5(a)
Solve tan = 2 for 0 < < 2.

Express your answer in radian measure correct to two decimal places.

2000 HSC Q9(c)
The diagram shows a square of side cm, with a point within the square, such
that = 6 cm, = 2 cm and = 2 5 cm.

Let = .
! ! !!"

(i)

Using the cosine rule in triangle , show that cos =

(ii)

By considering triangle , show that sin =

(iii)

Hence, or otherwise, show that the value of is a solution of

! ! !!"
!!

! 56 ! + 640 = 0
(iv)

Find . Give reasons for your answer.

!!

2001 HSC Q3(d)

The diagram shows a triangle with sides 7 cm, 13 cm and cm, and an angle of 60 as
marked.

Use the cosine rule to show that 7 = 120, and hence state the exact value of . 4


2002 HSC Q2(c)
In the diagram, is a triangle where = 45 and = 60.
!

Find the exact value of the ratio !.

2002 HSC Q4(b)
Find all values of , where 0 360, that satisfy the equation:
cos
Give your answer(s) to the nearest degree.

2
= 0
5

2002 HSC Q4(c)

In the diagram, is a triangle where = 5.2 metres, = 8.9 metres and angle
= 110.

(i)

Find the length of .

(ii)

Calculate the area of triangle .

2003 HSC Q4(a)
In the diagram, the point is due east of . The point is 38 km from and 20 km from
. The bearing of from is 325.

(i)

What is the size of ?

(ii)

What is the bearing of from ?

Solve 2 sin! 3 sin 2 = 0 for 0 2.

2004 HSC Q9(a)

2004 HSC Q3(c)

The diagram shows a point which is 30 km due west of the point .
The point is 12 km from and has a bearing from of 070.

(i)

Find the distance of from .

(ii)

Find the bearing of from .

2004 HSC Q8(a)
(i)

Show that cos tan = sin .

(ii)

Hence solve 8 sin cos tan = cosec for 0 2.

2005 HSC Q2(a)
Solve cos =

!
!

for 0 2.

2005 HSC Q3(b)
The lengths of the sides of a triangle are 7 cm, 8 cm and 13 cm.
(iii)

Find the size of the angle opposite the longest side.

(iv)

Find the area of the triangle.

2006 HSC Q1(d)
Find the value of in the diagram. Give your answer to the nearest degree.

2007 HSC Q4(a)

Solve 2 sin = 1 for 0 2.

2008 HSC Q6(a)
!

Solve 2 sin! ! = 1 for .

2009 HSC Q1(d)

Find the exact value of such that 2 cos = 1, where 0 ! .

2010 HSC Q5(b)
(i)

Prove that sec ! + sec tan =

(ii)

Hence prove that

!!!"# !
!"#! !

sec ! + sec tan =

(iii)

1

1 sin

Hence use the table of standard integrals to find the exact value of
!
!
!

1

1 sin

2011 HSC Q2(b)
Find the exact values of such that 2 sin = 3, where 0 2.

2011 HSC Q8(a)

In the diagram, the shop at is 20 kilometres across the bay from the post office at .
The distance from the shop to the lighthouse at is 22 kilometres and is 60.
Let the distance be kilometres.

(i)

Use the cosine rule to show that ! 20 84 = 0.

(ii)

Hence, find the distance from the post office to the lighthouse. Give your answer
to the nearest kilometre.

2012 HSC Q6
What are the solutions of 3 tan = 1 for 0 2?
(A)

!!

(B)

!!

(C)

!!

(D)

!!

!
!
!
!

!!

and !
!!

and !
!!

and !
and

!!!
!

1
2

2013 HSC Q14(c)

The right-angled triangle has hypotenuse = 13. The point is on such that
!

= 4, = ! and = .

Use the sine rule, or otherwise, find the exact value of sin .

2014 HSC Q7
How many solutions of the equation sin 1 tan + 2 = 0 lie between 0 and 2?
(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

2014 HSC Q13(d)

Chris leaves island in a boat and sails 142 km on a bearing of 078 to island . Chris
then sails on a bearing of 191 for 220 km to island , as shown in the diagram.

(i)

Show that the distance from island to island is approximately 210 km.

(ii)

Chris wants to sail from island directly to island . On what bearing should
Chris sail? Give your answer correct to the nearest degree.

2014 HSC Q15(a)
Find all solutions of 2 sin! + cos 2 = 0, where 0 2.