8.

5 Solving More Difficult

Trigonometric Equations
Objective To use trigonometric identities or
technology to solve more difficult trigonometric
equations.
x
y
[Solution] Take the fourth root of both sides to obtain:
cos(2u )=
2
3
From the unit circle, the
solutions for 2u are
2u = + k,
k any integer.

6
Example 1: To find all solutions of cos
4
(2u ) = .
9
16
1

6
-
6
x = -
2
3
x =
2
3


Answer: u = + k , for k is any integer.
12
t
2
t
Example 2: Find all solutions of the trigonometric
equation: tan
2
u + tan u = 0.
The solutions for tan u = 0 are the values u = k,
for k is any integer.
Therefore, tanu = 0 or tanu = -1.
tan
2
u + tanu = 0
Original equation
tanu (tanu +1) = 0 Factor.
The solutions for tan u = -1 are u = - + k,
for k is any integer.

4
Some trigonometric equations can be transformed into
equations that have quadratic form.
Example 3: The trigonometric equation
2 cos
2
u 3 sinu 3 = 0 .
2 sin
2
u + 3 sinu + 1 = 0 implies that
u = -/2 + 2k, from sin u = -1
(2 sinu + 1)(sinu + 1) = 0.
Therefore, 2 sinu + 1 = 0 or sinu + 1 = 0.
Solutions:
u = - + 2k and u = + 2k, from sin u = -

6
7
6
1
2
It follows that sinu = - or sinu = -1.
1
2
[Solution] Use the Pythagorean identity:
2 (1 sin
2
u ) 3 sinu 3 = 0 .
Steps for Solving:
Isolate the Trigonometric function.
Then solve for the angle exactly if the ratio
represents known special triangle ratios.
Or solve for the angle approximately using the
appropriate inverse trigonometric function.

Complete the List of Solutions:
If you are not restricted to a specific interval and
are asked to give a complete list of solutions
(general solution), then remember that adding on
any integer multiple of 2 represents a co-terminal
angle with the equivalent trigonometric ratio.
8 sinu = 3(1 sin
2
u ) Use the Pythagorean Identity.
[Solution] Rewrite the equation in terms of only one trigonometric
function.
Example 4: Solve 8 sin u = 3 cos
2

u with u in the interval
[0, 2].
3 sin
2
u + 8 sinu 3 = 0.
A quadratic equation with sin x
as the variable
Therefore, 3 sinu 1 = 0 or sinu + 3 = 0
(3 sinu 1)(sinu + 3) = 0 Factor.
u = arcsin( ) ~ 0.3398 and u = arcsin( ) ~ 2.8107.
1
3
1
3
Solutions: sinu = or sinu = -3
1
3
Example 5: 5cos
2
u + cos u 3 = 0 for 0 u .
This is the range of the inverse cosine function.
The solutions are:
u = cos
1
(0.6810249 ) = 0.8216349 and
u = cos
1
(0.8810249) = 2.6488206
Therefore, cosu = 0.6810249 or 0.8810249.
Use the calculator to find values of u in 0 u .
[Solution] The equation is quadratic. Let u = cosu and solve
5u
2
+ u 3 = 0.
u = -1 = 0.6810249 or -0.8810249
61
10
Example 6: Solve a trigonometric equation by factoring.

tanxsin x = sin x

tan xsin x sin x = 0

sin x tanx 1
( )
=0
tan 1 0 or sin 0 x x = =
2
4
5
2 2
4 4
(2 1)
4
x k
x k k
k
t
t
t t
t t t
t
t
= +
= + = + +
= + +
[Solution]
tan 1 or sin 0 x x = =
x kt =
4
x k
t
t = +
Example 7: Solve tan
2
x 3tanx 4 = 0 in 0 x 2t.

[Solution] Let u = tan x, then

x
2
3x 4 = 0
(x 4)(x + 1) = 0
x 4 = 0 or x + 1 = 0
x = 4 or x = 1

tan x = 4 or tan x = 1
x = arctan4 or x = 3t/4
(x = 76 or x = 135)

x = t + arctan4 or x = 7t/4
( x = 256 or x = 315)
Example 8: Solve. 3sinx + 4 =
1
/
sinx
in 0 x 2t .


[Solution] Let x = sin x, then

3x + 4 =
1
/
x
x(3x + 4) = x(
1
/
x
)
3x
2
+ 4x = 1
(3x 1)(x + 1) = 0
3x 1= 0 or x + 1 = 0
x = 1/3 or x = 1
sin x = 1/3 or sin x = 1

x = arcsin(1/3) or x = 3t/2
( x = 19 or x = 270)
x = t arcsin(1/3)
( x = 161)
2 2
Solve sin sin cos for 0 2 . x x x x t = s < Example 9:
2 2
sin sin cos x x x =
( )
2 2
sin sin 1 sin x x x =
2
2sin sin 1 0 x x =
( )( )
2sin 1 sin 1 0 x x + =
2sin 1 0 sin 1 0 x x + = =
1
sin sin 1
2
x x = =
7 11
,
6 6 2
x x
t t t
= =
[Solution]
Solve sin tan 3sin . x x x = Example 10:
sin tan 3sin x x x =
sin tan 3sin =0 x x x
( )
sin tan 3 0 x x =
sin 0 tan 3 0 x x = =
0, x t =
tan 3 x =
arctan3, arctan3 x t = +
[Solution]
Particular solutions are
2 x k t =
arctan3 x kt = +
General solutions are
2 x k t t = +
x k t =
Example 11: Solve 2 cos x + sec x = 0
[Solution]
( )
2
1
2cos 0
cos
1
2cos 1 0
cos
x
x
x
x
+ =
+ =
2
1
cos ,
2
x

=
1
cos
2
x

=
is not a real number,
thus the equation has
no solution.
1
0
cos x
=
Therefore,
2
2cos 1 0 x + =
1
0
cos x
=
or
However, So,
2
2cos 1 x =
Example 12: Solve cos x + 1 = sin x in [0, 2t]
[Solution]
3
, or
2 2
x x
t t
t = =
2
cos 1 = 1 cos u u +
Since 1 cos 1, 0 cos 1 2 u u s s s + s
2
Thus sin 0 sin 1 cos u u u > =
2 2
cos 2cos 1 1 cos x x u + + =
2
2cos 2cos 0 x x + =
2cos (cos 1) 0 x x + =
2cos 0 or cos 1 0 x x = + =
cos 0 or cos 1 x x = =
Since we squared the original
equation we have to check
our answer. The only
solutions are t/2 and t.
Like solving algebraic
equation, once we squared
the original trigonometric
equation, it may generate
some extraneous solution.
We need to check the
solutions.
Book Example 5. Solve 2sin cos 1 for 0 < 360 . u u u = + s
2sin cos 1 u u = +
2 2 2
sin 1 cos sin 1 cos u u u u = =
( )
2
2 1 cos cos 1 u u = +
( )
( )
2
2
2
2 1 cos cos 1 u u
(
= +
(

( )
2 2
4 1 cos cos 2cos 1 u u u = + +
2 2
4 4cos cos 2cos 1 u u u = + +
2
0 5cos 2cos 3 u u = +
( )( )
5cos 3 cos 1 0 u u + =
5cos 3 0 cos 1 0 u u = + =
3
cos cos 1
5
u u = =
53.3 ,306.9 180 u u = =
Since we squared the original
equation we have to check our
answer.
2sin53.1 cos53.1 1 = +
1.6 1.6 =
2sin180 cos180 1 = +
0 0 =
2sin306.9 cos306.9 1 = +
1.6 1.6 =
the only solutions are 53.1 and 180
Book Example 5. Solve 2sin cos 1 for 0 < 360 . u u u = + s
2sin cos 1 u u = +
Since 1 cos 1, 0 cos 1 2 u u s s s + s
Then 2sin cos 1 0 u u = + >
( )
( )
2
2
2
2 1 cos cos 1 u u
(
= +
(

( )
2 2
4 1 cos cos 2cos 1 u u u = + +
2 2
4 4cos cos 2cos 1 u u u = + +
2
0 5cos 2cos 3 u u = +
( )( )
5cos 3 cos 1 0 u u + =
5cos 3 0 cos 1 0 u u = + =
3
cos cos 1
5
u u = =
53.3 ,306.9 180 u u = =
Since we squared the original
equation we have to check our
answer.
the only solutions are 53.1 and 180
2
Thus sin 0 sin 1 cos u u u > =
2sin53.1 cos53.1 1 = +
1.6 1.6 =
2sin180 cos180 1 = +
0 0 =
2sin306.9 cos306.9 1 = +
1.6 1.6 =
a)
Reference Angle:
Therefore:
b)
The equation cannot
be factored. Therefore,
use the quadratic
equation to find the roots:
Reference Angles:
sin u =
1
3
tanu =
b b ac
a
2
4
2
tan
( ) ( ) ( )( )
( )
u =
1 1 4 3 1
2 3
2
4 1 sin sin u u =
3 1 sinu =
u = 0 3398 .
u = 0 3398 2 8018 . . and
3 1 0
2
tan tan u u =
tan . tan . u u = = 0 43 0 76 or
u = 0 4061 . u = 0 6499 .
u = 2 7355 5 877 0 6499 3 7915 . , . , . , .
Using a Graphing Calculator to Solve Trigonometric Equations
0 s u s 2t
u y = 3sin -1
5.2.13
3tan
2
u tanu 1 = 0
Using a Graphing Calculator to Solve Trigonometric Equations
Therefore, u = 0.654, 2.731, 3.796, and 5.873 .
Remark
Solving trigonometric equations is a long lasting task
through out the entire trigonometry. After we learned
the sum and difference of angles, double angles,
triple angles, we will be able solve some much more
difficult trigonometric equations.
Assignment

P. 326 #1 22