How do we differentiate and integrate trigonometric functions and use them to model periodic phenomena?
Find derivatives and integrals of , and (with linear inside arguments) and apply them to model simple harmonic and periodic motion
A focused answer to the HSC Maths Advanced dot point on trigonometric calculus. Derivatives and integrals of sin, cos and tan, plus modelling periodic motion such as tides and oscillations.
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What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to differentiate and integrate the three standard trigonometric functions, including with linear inside arguments such as , and apply this calculus to model periodic phenomena (tides, oscillating springs, biological cycles).
The answer
Derivatives
The angle is always measured in radians. The derivatives are:
With a linear inside argument, apply the chain rule:
Integrals
With a linear inside argument, divide by the inside coefficient:
Modelling periodic motion
A function of the form
describes simple harmonic motion (or any sinusoidal cycle). The parameters are:
- is the amplitude (half the peak-to-trough range).
- is the angular frequency in radians per unit time. The period is .
- is the phase shift.
- is the vertical shift (the centre of oscillation).
Differentiating gives the velocity, , and differentiating again gives the acceleration, . The acceleration is proportional to the displacement from the centre and points back towards it.
Why radians are compulsory
The derivative rules and only hold when is measured in radians, because they rest on the limit , which is true only in radian measure. If your calculator is in degree mode the geometry of the limit changes and every derivative is off by a factor of . Always set angles in radians for any calculus involving trigonometric functions, and convert any degree information in the question to radians before differentiating or integrating.
Why the derivative of is
The rule is worth seeing, not just memorising. The derivative of a function is its gradient at each point, so if we read the gradient of off the graph and plot those gradient values, we should recover . We do.
Stage 1, plot . Draw one full cycle of from to : up to a peak at , back through zero at , down to a trough at , and back to zero at .
Stage 2, measure the gradient at sample points. Draw the tangent at a few key points and read its gradient. At the curve rises steeply, gradient ; at the peak the tangent is flat, gradient ; at the curve falls steeply, gradient ; at the trough it is flat again; at it is rising, gradient .
Stage 3, plot each gradient against . Take those gradient values, , and plot them at the same -positions. The points sit exactly where would: , , , and so on.
Stage 4, the gradient function is . Join the gradient points and the curve appears. The gradient of at every point is , which is exactly what says. The same picture, shifted, shows .
Useful identities for integration
Some trigonometric integrals have no direct antiderivative until you rewrite them with an identity. The most useful in Maths Advanced are the double-angle forms and . These convert a squared trig function (which you cannot integrate directly) into a constant plus a cosine of a double angle (which you can). For example, . Recognising when to deploy an identity is a key marker of fluency.
How exam questions ask about trigonometric calculus
- "Differentiate" a trig expression. Apply the standard derivative and the chain-rule factor for a linear inside argument; watch the minus sign on .
- "Find " or "evaluate ". Use the standard integral, divide by the inside coefficient, add for an indefinite integral, and substitute the limits for a definite one.
- "Find the rate at which ... is changing." A modelling question: differentiate the given function and substitute the value, exact then with units.
- "Find the maximum / minimum value" or "the period / amplitude." Read the parameters of : amplitude , period , centre ; the extreme values are .
- "Show that the motion is simple harmonic." Differentiate twice and show : acceleration proportional to displacement and directed back to the centre.
- An integral of or . Rewrite with the double-angle identity first; the squared form has no direct antiderivative.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2022 HSC Q143 marksFind .Show worked answer →
Use with .
.
Markers reward the correct antiderivative, the bracket notation, and an evaluated answer (here exactly zero, since the integrand is symmetric about ).
2021 HSC Q123 marksThe height of water in a harbour is modelled by metres, where is in hours after midnight. Find the rate at which the height is changing at hours.Show worked answer →
Differentiate using the chain rule.
.
At : m/hr.
The water is rising at about metres per hour at hours.
Markers expect the chain rule applied correctly, the standard angle evaluated exactly, and units in the final answer.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation2 marksDifferentiate .Show worked solution →
Differentiate each term with the chain rule. For a linear inside argument , the derivative of is and of is :
Combine.
Marker's note: one mark for (the chain-rule factor carried through), one for with the correct sign. Dropping the inside factor, or losing the double minus on the cosine term, is the usual slip.
foundation2 marksFind .Show worked solution →
Integrate each standard form. Recall and :
Combine with a single constant.
Marker's note: one mark for (dividing by the inside coefficient and keeping the minus sign), one for . Forgetting the or omitting loses a mark.
core3 marksA tuning fork vibrates so that the displacement of a prong is millimetres, where is in seconds. (a) State the amplitude and the period of the vibration. (b) Find the velocity of the prong at time .Show worked solution →
Part (a): read the parameters of . Here and , so the amplitude is mm and the period is
Part (b): velocity is the derivative of displacement.
Marker's note: one mark for amplitude mm, one for period s (using ), one for with the chain-rule factor carried through. A period of (not ) is the point to check.
core3 marksFind the exact value of .Show worked solution →
Rewrite the squared trig function with a double-angle identity. There is no direct antiderivative of , so use :
Substitute the limits. At the upper limit, and :
Marker's note: one mark for applying the identity , one for the correct antiderivative , one for the exact value . Trying to integrate directly is the trap.
core4 marksA study models a patient body temperature over one day. Plotted against time in hours after midnight, the graph is a smooth sinusoidal wave. It reaches its lowest value of degrees at and its highest value of degrees at , then repeats. (a) Find the amplitude and the centre (mean) value of the temperature. (b) Find the period of the cycle. (c) Find the rate of change of temperature, in degrees per hour, at the midpoint time , where the graph crosses its centre line rising.Show worked solution →
Part (a): amplitude and centre from the peak and trough. The amplitude is half the peak-to-trough range and the centre is the average of the two:
Part (b): period from the minimum-to-maximum gap. A minimum at and the next maximum at are half a cycle apart, so
Part (c): build the model, then differentiate. With period , . Taking the centre-crossing rise at (midway between the min at and the max at ), the temperature is
Differentiate:
At the cosine argument is , so and
Marker's note: one mark for amplitude and centre , one for period hours, one for a correct model or , one for the rate degrees per hour. The temperature climbs fastest exactly as it crosses its mean, which is why gives the maximum rate.
exam6 marksThe depth of water at a harbour entrance is modelled by metres, where is the number of hours after high tide at midnight. (a) State the maximum and minimum depths and the time of the first low tide. (b) A ferry needs at least metres of water to enter safely. By solving , find the times during the first hours when the depth first drops to metres and later returns to metres, and hence state for how long the ferry is unable to enter. (c) Show that the depth satisfies , and interpret what this says about the motion.Show worked solution →
Part (a): read the model . The centre depth is and the amplitude is , so
High tide is at (cosine at its peak). The first low tide is half a period later; the period is hours, so low tide is at hours.
Part (b): solve .
Let . For we have . The solutions of in this range are
Convert back with :
Between these times the depth is below m, so the ferry cannot enter for
Part (c): differentiate twice.
Since , this is exactly
as required. The acceleration of the water level is proportional to the displacement from the mean depth of m and directed back towards it, so the tide is simple harmonic motion.
Marker's note: one mark for the max and min depths, one for the first low tide at h; one for reducing to , one for both times and h, one for the duration h; one for the differentiation showing with the simple-harmonic interpretation. Keeping in radians and finding the second solution as is where marks are won or lost.
exam5 marksA particle moves in a straight line so that its velocity at time seconds is metres per second, and at its displacement from the origin is metre. (a) Find the displacement . (b) Show that the acceleration satisfies . (c) Hence find the greatest distance of the particle from the origin during its motion.Show worked solution →
Part (a): displacement is the integral of velocity. Integrate :
Apply the initial condition . Since , we get , so
Part (b): acceleration is the derivative of velocity.
From part (a), , so . Substitute:
as required. The motion is simple harmonic about the centre .
Part (c): the displacement oscillates about with amplitude . Since , the displacement ranges over
Distance from the origin is , and the extremes are and . The greatest distance from the origin is therefore metres.
Marker's note: one mark for integrating to , one for giving ; one for and one for the substitution showing ; one for the greatest distance m (comparing and , not just quoting the amplitude). The trap in (c) is stopping at the amplitude instead of measuring from the origin.
