Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The sine function (sin ๐ฅ) is a trigonometric function that relates angles to ratios of sides in right triangles. It oscillates between -1 and 1 as ๐ฅ varies.
Related terms
Cosine: Cosine (cos ๐ฅ) is another trigonometric function related to sine. It represents the ratio between adjacent side length and hypotenuse length in right triangles.
Periodicity: Sin ๐ฅ is a periodic function, meaning it repeats itself at regular intervals. The period of sin ๐ฅ is 2ฯ.
Amplitude: In the context of sine, amplitude refers to the maximum distance between the graph and its midline (y=0). For sin ๐ฅ, the amplitude is always 1.