Skip to content
Exercise 3.2 · Q2

Q.Find the values of other five trigonometric functions if sin⁡x=35\sin x = \frac{3}{5}, xx lies in second quadrant.

Karnataka PUCTextbookSubjective· 3mImportance★★★★★est
9% · 14/150 Questions
✓ Free question

In the second quadrant, sine is positive while cosine and tangent are negative. Using sin⁡x=35\sin x = \frac{3}{5} and the Pythagorean identity sin⁡2x+cos⁡2x=1\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x = 1, we find cos⁡x=−45\cos x = -\frac{4}{5}, then compute the remaining four functions from these two values.

Why the quadrant matters

Trigonometric functions have fixed sign patterns in each quadrant. In the second quadrant (90∘<x<180∘90^\circ < x < 180^\circ):

  • sin⁡x\sin x is positive
  • cos⁡x\cos x is negative
  • tan⁡x\tan x is negative (positive divided by negative)
  • csc⁡x\csc x, sec⁡x\sec x, cot⁡x\cot x follow the signs of their reciprocals

Since we're given sin⁡x=35\sin x = \frac{3}{5} and told xx is in the second quadrant, we know immediately that cos⁡x\cos x and tan⁡x\tan x must be negative. This sign information is not optional — it's essential for getting the correct answer.

Watch out

A common mistake is to find cos⁡x=±45\cos x = \pm \frac{4}{5} from the identity and pick the positive sign out of habit. The quadrant tells you which sign to choose — always check it.

Step-by-step solution

1. Find cos⁡x\cos x using the Pythagorean identity

The fundamental identity is:

sin⁡2x+cos⁡2x=1\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x = 1

Substitute sin⁡x=35\sin x = \frac{3}{5}:

(35)2+cos⁡2x=1\left(\frac{3}{5}\right)^2 + \cos^2 x = 1

925+cos⁡2x=1\frac{9}{25} + \cos^2 x = 1

cos⁡2x=1−925=1625\cos^2 x = 1 - \frac{9}{25} = \frac{16}{25}

Taking the square root gives cos⁡x=±45\cos x = \pm \frac{4}{5}. Since xx is in the second quadrant, cos⁡x\cos x is negative:

cos⁡x=−45\cos x = -\frac{4}{5}

2. Find tan⁡x\tan x

tan⁡x=sin⁡xcos⁡x=3/5−4/5=35×(−54)=−34\tan x = \frac{\sin x}{\cos x} = \frac{3/5}{-4/5} = \frac{3}{5} \times \left(-\frac{5}{4}\right) = -\frac{3}{4}

3. Find csc⁡x\csc x (reciprocal of sin⁡x\sin x)

csc⁡x=1sin⁡x=13/5=53\csc x = \frac{1}{\sin x} = \frac{1}{3/5} = \frac{5}{3}

Since sin⁡x\sin x is positive in QII, csc⁡x\csc x is also positive.

4. Find sec⁡x\sec x (reciprocal of cos⁡x\cos x)

sec⁡x=1cos⁡x=1−4/5=−54\sec x = \frac{1}{\cos x} = \frac{1}{-4/5} = -\frac{5}{4}

5. Find cot⁡x\cot x (reciprocal of tan⁡x\tan x)

cot⁡x=1tan⁡x=1−3/4=−43\cot x = \frac{1}{\tan x} = \frac{1}{-3/4} = -\frac{4}{3}

Tip

You can also find cot⁡x\cot x directly as cos⁡xsin⁡x=−4/53/5=−43\frac{\cos x}{\sin x} = \frac{-4/5}{3/5} = -\frac{4}{3}. This is often faster than computing tan⁡x\tan x first and then taking its reciprocal.

Final result

Here are all six trigonometric functions for the given xx:

FunctionValue
sin⁡x\sin x35\frac{3}{5}
cos⁡x\cos x−45-\frac{4}{5}
tan⁡x\tan x−34-\frac{3}{4}
csc⁡x\csc x53\frac{5}{3}
sec⁡x\sec x−54-\frac{5}{4}
cot⁡x\cot x−43-\frac{4}{3}
✓Final answer

The other five trigonometric functions are cos⁡x=−45\cos x = -\frac{4}{5}, tan⁡x=−34\tan x = -\frac{3}{4}, csc⁡x=53\csc x = \frac{5}{3}, sec⁡x=−54\sec x = -\frac{5}{4}, and cot⁡x=−43\cot x = -\frac{4}{3}.

Unlock everything free for 14 days

  • Full step-by-step solutions
  • Concept-first explanations
  • Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
  • PYQ mapping + timed mock tests

Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.