Trigonometry

TRIGONOMETRY is the only text on the market that is structured so professors can begin with either the unit circle approach or the right triangle approach. The different approaches lead to different applications: the unit circle approach is used in modeling harmonic motion and the right triangle approach is used in measuring distances (for example, measuring the distance to the sun or nearby stars depends on right triangle trigonometry).

The authors make use of the graphing calculator whenever appropriate. Subsections, examples, and exercises that deal with graphing devices are labeled with an icon so that those who prefer not to use the graphing calculator can easily skip this material. For those students that use a graphing calculator, they are given a better understanding of how the calculator can work as an aid in solving problems. For students who do not use a graphing calculator, the material is presented optionally.

Each chapter ends with a FOCUS ON MODELING section that illustrates modeling techniques as well as how trigonometry can be applied to model real-life situations. These sections, as well as others, are devoted to teaching students how to create their own mathematical models, rather than using prefabricated formulas.

Real-World Applications from engineering, physics, chemistry, business, biology, environmental studies, and other fields demonstrate how trigonometry is used to model real-life situations.

Each exercise set ends with Discovery-Discussion problems that encourage students to first experiment with the concepts developed in the section and then to write about what they have learned, rather than simply look for an answer.

Review Sections and Chapter Tests are found at the end of each chapter. These are designed to help students gauge their progress. Brief answers to the odd-numbered exercises in each section, and to all questions in the Chapter Tests, are given at the back of the book.

Exercise Sets: More than 20% of the exercises are new, including new Concept Exercises for each section. Key exercises are now linked to examples in the text to help students better understand the concepts involved as they do their homework.

Book Companion Website: A new website, www.stewartmath.com, contains Discovery Projects for each chapter and Focus on Problem Solving sections that highlight different problem-solving principles outlined in the Prologue. Though the book itself introduces the notion of problem solving to the student, the website provides reinforcement of that skill.

Chapter 1 Functions and Graphs: This chapter has been rewritten to focus more sharply on the fundamental and crucial concept of function. A new section entitled "Getting Information from the Graph of a Function" encourages students to think of the graph of a function as a tool for understanding the behavior of the function.

Chapter 2 Trigonometric Functions: Unit Circle Approach This chapter includes a new section on inverse trigonometric functions and their graphs. Introducing this topic here reinforces the "function" concept in the context of trigonometry.

Chapter 3 Trigonometric Functions: Right Triangle Approach This chapter includes a new section on inverse trigonometric functions and right triangles (Section 6.4), which is needed for applying the Laws of Sines and Cosines in the following section, as well as for solving trigonometric equations in Chapter 4. Whether or not you cover inverse trig functions in your course, complete content on this important topic is provided, better preparing students for calculus.