Equation to graph a sine wave that acts like a point on a unit circle

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on deriving an equation to graph a sine wave that mimics the behavior of a unit circle while only producing positive values. The correct formula is identified as Y = A/2 * (1 + sin(πx/180), where A represents the amplitude. The user initially attempted Y = A * sin(x * (180/π))^2, which did not yield the desired results due to incorrect conversion from radians to degrees. The final solution effectively meets the requirement of being 0 at 0, 180, and 360 degrees, and A at 90, 270, and 450 degrees.

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btb4198
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I need an equation to graph a sine wave that act like a unit circle but only positive numbers.
so I need it to be 0 at 0, A at 90 , 0 at 180, A at 270, 0 at 360, and A at 450 and so on and so on...

Now I know sin(0) is 0 in degrees and sin(90) 1
and I know if you Square a number is will always get you a positive number
so Y = A* sin(x)^2 should work, but x has to be in degrees, so you have to convert from radians to degrees.

with is 180/π

so now I have
Y = A * sin(x*(180/π) ^2
but this is not working on my computer's graphing Calculator:
1633288714715.png


I made A = 5
I tried doing adding - 90
Y = A * sin(x*(180/π -90) ^2

but that did not work
I never trying adding 90, - 360 and 360 nothing is working.
why is this ? what am I missing ?
ago the graph should be 0 on 0, 180 , and 360 and should be A( in this case 5) only on 90, 270 and 450 and so on and so on
 
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Do you just want something like ##|sin(x)|##?

Also, your calculator probably assumes x is in radians to begin with, so when you try to convert it to degrees, you're shortening the period a lot more than you intended.
 
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Office_Shredder said:
Do you just want something like ##|sin(x)|##?

Also, your calculator probably assumes x is in radians to begin with, so when you try to convert it to degrees, you're shortening the period a lot more than you intended.
no that give me this:
1633290723767.png
 
I need it to go down on 90 and not 180
 
Try multiplying by ##\pi/180## instead of ##180/\pi## inside of the sine function to get the right conversion to degrees.
 
Office_Shredder said:
Try multiplying by ##\pi/180## instead of ##180/\pi## inside of the sine function to get the right conversion to degrees.
Thanks !
that work.
really weird google said this:
1633296394316.png


is it wrong then?
how you were right!
my graph is working on
 
btb4198 said:
I need an equation to graph a sine wave that act like a unit circle but only positive numbers.
so I need it to be 0 at 0, A at 90 , 0 at 180, A at 270, 0 at 360, and A at 450 and so on and so on...

Now I know sin(0) is 0 in degrees and sin(90) 1
and I know if you Square a number is will always get you a positive number
so Y = A* sin(x)^2 should work, but x has to be in degrees, so you have to convert from radians to degrees.

with is 180/π

so now I have
Y = A * sin(x*(180/π) ^2
but this is not working on my computer's graphing Calculator:
View attachment 290112

I made A = 5
I tried doing adding - 90
Y = A * sin(x*(180/π -90) ^2

but that did not work
I never trying adding 90, - 360 and 360 nothing is working.
why is this ? what am I missing ?
ago the graph should be 0 on 0, 180 , and 360 and should be A( in this case 5) only on 90, 270 and 450 and so on and so on

From the basic trig identities <br /> \begin{align*}<br /> \cos^2 x+ \sin^2 x &amp;= 1 \\<br /> \cos^2 x - \sin^2 x &amp;= \cos(2x)<br /> \end{align*}<br /> it follows that \sin^2 x = (1 - \cos (2x))/2. That's not what you want.

It sounds like what you want is y(x) = \frac{A}{2}\left(1 + \sin\left( \frac{\pi x}{180}\right)\right).
 
pasmith said:
From the basic trig identities <br /> \begin{align*}<br /> \cos^2 x+ \sin^2 x &amp;= 1 \\<br /> \cos^2 x - \sin^2 x &amp;= \cos(2x)<br /> \end{align*}<br /> it follows that \sin^2 x = (1 - \cos (2x))/2. That's not what you want.

It sounds like what you want is y(x) = \frac{A}{2}\left(1 + \sin\left( \frac{\pi x}{180}\right)\right).
No
Office_Shredder was right...
I got the graph I wanted
 

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