Graphing Trig. Functions

Vocabulary The Period is the horizontal length of one repeating pattern of the function.

The Amplitude is the height from the center line to the peak (or to the trough). Or we can measure the height from the highest to lowest points and divide that by 2 (half the distance between the minimum and maximum values).

Frequency is how often something happens per unit of time (per “1”). (The number of periods (cycles) in a given unit a time.)

In fact the Period and Frequency are related:

Trig functions also have a midline Trig functions also have a midline. It’s a line that runs between the maximum and minimum y-values of the function; consider it the middle y-value. Also known as the equilibrium of the function’s graph. Think of the midline as a pair of comfortable pants that sit right on the function’s waist. For 𝑦= sin 𝑥 , the maximum value of y is 1, and the minimum is y = -1, so the midline is right in the middle at y = 0.