Q
QuestionMathematics

How do you know if a graph is sine or cosine?
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Answer

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Step 1
: Identify the shape of the graph

To determine whether a graph represents a sine or cosine function, first look at the shape of the graph. Both sine and cosine graphs are periodic (repeating) curves. The key difference between their shapes is the position of the highest and lowest points.

Step 2
: Locate the maximum and minimum points

On the other hand, for a cosine function, the maximum points are at $$y=1$$ and the minimum points are at $$y=-1$$.
However, these maximum and minimum points occur at different locations along the x-axis for sine and cosine functions.

Final Answer

A graph represents a sine function if its maximum and minimum points occur at the midpoints of the graph. A graph represents a cosine function if its maximum and minimum points occur at the endpoints of the graph.