Sinusoids in Everyday Life - Applications of Sinusoidal Functions (w/Answer Key)

I am currently teaching trigonometry in my IB class, and I find it crucial that students be able to apply their knowledge of how to write equations of sine functions (e.g. y = a*sin(b(x-c))+d) to real-world problems.

I created problems based on windmills, AC household voltage, the motion of tides, and then I included a spiral review question requiring them to solve a trigonometric equation over a given domain.

Note: the motion of tides is not strictly based on a single sinusoid, but the exercise in this worksheet should be of sufficient complexity to challenge your students, as it has challenged mine.

I am doing problems 1 and 2 on one day, and then problems 3 and 4 the next day.

This worksheet is intended for students to show their work on a separate sheet of paper.

Please download the pdf preview file first, so you can see exactly what's included; the product file is a word document, which you may edit for your students.

Keywords: Trigonometry, Sinusoids, sinusoidal functions, applications, real-world, windmills, AC voltage, tides, Jonnard