Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes

page 1

Sample Problems
Prove each of the following identities.

1. tan x sin x + cos x = sec x

2.

1
1
+ tan x =
tan x
sin x cos x

3. sin x
4.

5.

sin x cos2 x = sin3 x

cos
1 + sin

cos x
1 sin x

6. cos2 x =

1 + sin
cos

csc x cos x
tan x + cot x

sin4 x
sin2 x

8.

tan2 x
= sin2 x
tan2 x + 1

9.

cos4 x
=1
cos2 x

sin x
cos x
=
cos x
1 + sin x

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

2 cos2 x =

tan2 x 1
tan2 x + 1

11. tan2 = csc2 tan2

12. sec x + tan x =

= 2 sec

cos x
= 2 tan x
1 + sin x

7.

10. 1

13.

csc
sin

cot
tan

cos x
1 sin x

=1

14. sin4 x

cos4 x = 1

15. (sin x

cos x)2 + (sin x + cos x)2 = 2

2 cos2 x

sin2 x + 4 sin x + 3
3 + sin x
16.
=
2
cos x
1 sin x
17.

cos x
1 sin x

tan x = sec x

18. tan2 x + 1 + tan x sec x =

1 + sin x
cos2 x

Last revised: May 8, 2013

Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes

page 2

Practice Problems
Prove each of the following identities.

1. tan x +

cos x
1
=
1 + sin x
cos x

11.

12. (sin x + cos x) (tan x + cot x) = sec x + csc x

2. tan2 x + 1 = sec2 x

3.

1
sin x

sin3 x + cos3 x
13.
=1
sin x + cos x

1
= 2 tan x sec x
1 + sin x

4. tan x + cot x = sec x csc x

5.

1 + tan2 x
1
=
2
1 tan x
cos2 x sin2 x

6. tan2 x

7.

8.

cot x 1
1 tan x
=
cot x + 1
1 + tan x

sin2 x = tan2 x sin2 x

14.

cos x + 1
csc x
=
3
1 cos x
sin x

15.

1 + sin x
1 sin x

16. csc4 x

cos x
sin x
+
= 2 csc x
sin x
1 cos x

sin x cos x

1 sin x
= 4 tan x sec x
1 + sin x

cot4 x = csc2 x + cot2 x

sin2 x
1 cos x
17.
=
2
cos x + 3 cos x + 2
2 + cos x

sec x 1
1 cos x
=
sec x + 1
1 + cos x

18.

tan x + tan y
= tan x tan y
cot x + cot y

19.

1 + tan x
cos x + sin x
=
1 tan x
cos x sin x

9. 1 + cot2 x = csc2 x

10.

csc2 x 1
= cos2 x
csc2 x

20. (sin x

tan x) (cos x

cot x) = (sin x

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

1) (cos x

1)

Last revised: May 8, 2013

Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes

page 3

Sample Problems - Solutions

1. tan x sin x + cos x = sec x
Solution: We will only use the fact that sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all values of x.
sin2 x
sin2 x cos2 x
sin x
LHS = tan x sin x + cos x =
sin x + cos x =
+ cos x =
+
cos x
cos x
cos x
cos x
sin2 x + cos2 x
1
=
=
= RHS
cos x
cos x
2.

1
1
+ tan x =
tan x
sin x cos x
Solution: We will only use the fact that sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all values of x.
LHS =

1
cos x sin x
cos2 x + sin2 x
1
+ tan x =
+
=
=
= RHS
tan x
sin x cos x
sin x cos x
sin x cos x

sin x cos2 x = sin3 x

3. sin x

Solution: We will only use the fact that sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all values of x.
LHS = sin x
4.

cos
1 + sin

1 + sin
cos

sin x cos2 x = sin x 1

cos2 x = sin x sin2 x = RHS

= 2 sec

Solution: We will only use the fact that sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all values of x.
cos
1 + sin
cos2
(1 + sin )2
cos2 + (1 + sin )2
+
=
+
=
1 + sin
cos
(1 + sin ) cos
(1 + sin ) cos
(1 + sin ) cos
2
2
cos2 + 1 + 2 sin + sin
cos2 + sin + 1 + 2 sin
2 + 2 sin
=
=
=
(1 + sin ) cos
(1 + sin ) cos
(1 + sin ) cos
2 (1 + sin )
2
1
=
=
=2
= 2 sec = RHS
(1 + sin ) cos
cos
cos

LHS =

5.

cos x
1 sin x

cos x
= 2 tan x
1 + sin x

Solution: We will start with the left-hand side. First we bring the fractions to the common
denominator. Recall that sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all values of x.
cos x
cos x
cos x (1 + sin x)
cos x (1 sin x)
=
1 sin x 1 + sin x
(1 sin x) (1 + sin x) (1 sin x) (1 + sin x)
cos x (1 + sin x) cos x (1 sin x)
cos x + cos x sin x cos x + cos x sin x
2 sin x cos x
=
=
=
2
(1 sin x) (1 + sin x)
cos2 x
1 sin x
2 sin x
=
= 2 tan x = RHS
cos x

LHS =

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

Last revised: May 8, 2013

Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes

page 4

csc x cos x
tan x + cot x

6. cos2 x =

Solution: We will start with the right-hand side. We will re-write everything in terms of sin x and
cos x and simplify. We will again run into the Pythagorean identity, sin2 x + cos2 x = 1.
cos x
1
1
cos x
cos x
cos x
csc x cos x
sin x
sin x
sin x
1
=
=
RHS =
= sin x
=
1
sin x cos x
tan x + cot x
sin2 x + cos2 x
sin2 x
cos2 x
+
+
sin x cos x
cos x sin x
sin x cos x
sin x cos x sin x cos x
2
cos x cos x sin x
cos x
=
=
= cos2 x = LHS
sin x
1
1
7.

sin4 x
sin2 x

cos4 x
=1
cos2 x

Solution: We can factor the numerator via the dierence of squares theorem.
2

sin2 x
sin4 x cos4 x
LHS =
=
sin2 x cos2 x
sin2 x
= sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 = RHS
8.

(cos2 x)
sin2 x + cos2 x
=
cos2 x
sin2 x

sin2 x
cos2 x

cos2 x

tan2 x
= sin2 x
tan2 x + 1
Solution:
2

sin x
sin2 x
sin2 x
2
2x
tan x
cos x
cos2 x
LHS =
=
= cos
=
2
2
2
2
tan x + 1
sin x
sin x cos2 x
sin x
+1
+
+1
cos2 x
cos2 x cos2 x
cos x
sin2 x
sin2 x
2
2
cos2 x
cos2 x = sin x cos x = sin2 x = RHS
=
=
1
cos2 x
1
sin2 x + cos2 x
2
cos x
cos2 x
9.

sin x
cos x
=
cos x
1 + sin x

Solution:
sin x
1 sin x
1 sin x 1 + sin x
(1 sin x) (1 + sin x)
1 sin2 x
=
1=
=
=
cos x
cos x
cos x
1 + sin x
cos x (1 + sin x)
cos x (1 + sin x)
2
cos x
cos x
=
=
= RHS
cos x (1 + sin x)
1 + sin x

LHS =

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

Last revised: May 8, 2013

Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes

10. 1

2 cos2 x =

page 5

tan2 x 1
tan2 x + 1

Solution:
sin2 x cos2 x
sin2 x
sin2 x cos2 x
1
2
2
2
tan x 1
cos2 x
= cos2 x cos2 x =
RHS =
= cos2 x
2
2
tan x + 1
sin x + cos2 x
sin x cos x
sin x
+
+
1
cos2 x
cos2 x cos2 x
cos2 x
2
2
2
2
2
cos x
sin x cos x
sin x cos x
sin2 x cos2 x
=
=
=
= sin2 x
cos2 x
1
sin2 x + cos2 x
sin2 x + cos2 x
= 1 cos2 x
cos2 x = 1 2 cos2 x = LHS
2

11. tan2 = csc2 tan2

RHS = csc2 tan2

1
=
cos2
12. sec x + tan x =

cos2 x

cos2
cos2

1=
=

1
sin2
1

sin
cos

cos2
cos2

sin2
=
cos2

sin2
cos2

1
sin2

1=

sin
cos

1=

1
cos2

= tan2 = LHS

cos x
1 sin x

Solution:
cos x
cos x
cos x
1 + sin x
cos x (1 + sin x)
=
1=
=
1 sin x
1 sin x
1 sin x 1 + sin x
(1 sin x) (1 + sin x)
cos x (1 + sin x)
cos x (1 + sin x)
1 + sin x
1
sin x
=
=
=
=
+
= LHS
2
2
cos x
cos x
cos x cos x
1 sin x

RHS =

13.

csc
sin

cot
tan

=1

Solution: We will start with the left-hand side. We will re-write everything in terms of sin and
cos and simplify. We will again run into the Pythagorean identity, sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 for all angles
x.
cos
1
csc
cot
sin
sin
LHS =
=
sin
sin
sin
tan
1
cos
2
2
2
sin + cos
1 cos
=
=
2
sin
sin2
14. sin4 x

cos4 x = 1

=
cos2

1
sin

1
sin

sin2
sin2

cos
sin

cos
sin

1
sin2

cos2
sin2

= 1 = RHS

2 cos2 x

Solution:
LHS = sin4 x cos4 x = sin2 x
= 1 sin2 x cos2 x = 1
c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

cos2 x = sin2 x + cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x

cos2 x
cos2 x = 1 2 cos2 x = RHS
Last revised: May 8, 2013

Trigonometric Identities 1

Lecture Notes
15. (sin x

page 6

cos x)2 + (sin x + cos x)2 = 2

Solution:
LHS = (sin x cos x)2 + (sin x + cos x)2
= sin2 x + cos2 x 2 sin x cos x + sin2 x + cos2 x + 2 sin x cos x = 2 sin2 x + 2 cos2 x
= 2 sin2 x + cos2 x = 2 1 = 2 = RHS
3 + sin x
sin2 x + 4 sin x + 3
16.
=
2
cos x
1 sin x
Solution:
LHS =

17.

cos x
1 sin x

(sin x + 1) (sin x + 3)
sin x + 3
sin2 x + 4 sin x + 3
(sin x + 1) (sin x + 3)
=
=
=
= RHS
2
cos2 x
(1 + sin x) (1 sin x)
1 sin x
1 sin x
tan x = sec x

Solution:
cos x
sin x
cos2 x sin x (1 sin x)
cos2 x sin x + sin2 x
cos x
tan x =
=
=
1 sin x
1 sin x cos x
cos x (1 sin x)
cos x (1 sin x)
2
2
cos x + sin x
sin x
1 sin x
1
=
=
=
= RHS
cos x (1 sin x)
cos x (1 sin x)
cos x

LHS =

18. tan2 x + 1 + tan x sec x =

1 + sin x
cos2 x

Solution:
sin2 x
sin x
1
sin2 x cos2 x
sin x
LHS = tan x + 1 + tan x sec x =
+1+
=
+
+
2
2
2
cos x
cos x cos x
cos x cos x cos2 x
2
2
sin x + cos x + sin x
1 + sin x
=
=
= RHS
2
cos x
cos2 x
2

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c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009

Last revised: May 8, 2013