suppose i have a function sin(sin x)
sin x will give values [-1,1] ...
so now, should i take these values in degree or radian to find sin(sin x) ?
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suppose i have a function sin(sin x)
sin x will give values [-1,1] ...
so now, should i take these values in degree or radian to find sin(sin x) ?
The standard "geometric" definition for:
$\displaystyle \sin:\mathbb{R}\to [-1,1],\quad x\to \sin x$
$\displaystyle \cos: \mathbb{R}\to [-1,1],\quad x\to \cos x$
is when $\displaystyle x$ is "measured" in radians. So we have good properties, for example:
(i) $\displaystyle (\sin)'=\cos$
(ii) $\displaystyle \sin x=x-x^3/3!+x^5/5!-\ldots\quad (\forall x\in \mathbb{R}) $
etc.
I believe you want radians.
The only time you should use degrees is when the problem specifically gives angles in degrees. For problems in which sine (or cosine) is used just as a function always use radians.
(There are a number of ways to define sine and cosine that do not involve angles at all. So strictly speaking the argument is not in "radians" or "degrees". However, to be able to identify those functions with the sine and cosine functions we learned in trigonometry, we use radians.)
but my question is that ... for example i have a question ... sin (sin x)
i need to calculate the value of this function at $\displaystyle x = \frac{\pi}{2}$
as $\displaystyle sin\frac{\pi}{2} = 1$
now i need to calculate sin(1)
so should i find value of sin(1 radian) or sin(1 degree) ???
The point that I think you are missing is that Radians are a pure number! They are defined as the arc length of a circle divided by the radius of the same circle so strictly speaking the "units" (length) reduce out leaving a Real number.
Radian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yes, that was what I was trying to say to begin with!
"Strictly speaking the argument is not in "radians" or "degrees". However, to be able to identify those functions with the sine and cosine functions we learned in trigonometry, we use radians."