Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 page 1

Sample Problems

Prove each of the following identities.

1. tan x sin x + cos x = sec x tan2 x 1

10. 1 2 cos2 x =
tan2 x + 1
1 1
2. + tan x =
tan x sin x cos x 11. tan2 = csc2 tan2 1

3. sin x sin x cos2 x = sin3 x cos x

12. sec x + tan x =
1 sin x
cos 1 + sin
4. + = 2 sec
1 + sin cos csc cot
13. =1
sin tan
cos x cos x
5. = 2 tan x
1 sin x 1 + sin x
14. sin4 x cos4 x = 1 2 cos2 x
csc x cos x
6. cos2 x =
tan x + cot x 15. (sin x cos x)2 + (sin x + cos x)2 = 2

sin4 x cos4 x
7. =1 sin2 x + 4 sin x + 3 3 + sin x
sin2 x cos2 x 16. 2
=
cos x 1 sin x

tan2 x cos x
8. = sin2 x 17. tan x = sec x
tan2 x + 1 1 sin x

1 sin x cos x
9. = 1 + sin x
cos x 1 + sin x 18. tan2 x + 1 + tan x sec x =
cos2 x

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013

Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 page 2

Practice Problems

Prove each of the following identities.

cos x 1 cot x 1 1 tan x

1. tan x + = 11. =
1 + sin x cos x cot x + 1 1 + tan x

2. tan2 x + 1 = sec2 x 12. (sin x + cos x) (tan x + cot x) = sec x + csc x

1 1 sin3 x + cos3 x
3. = 2 tan x sec x 13. =1 sin x cos x
1 sin x 1 + sin x sin x + cos x

4. tan x + cot x = sec x csc x cos x + 1 csc x

14. 3 =
sin x 1 cos x
1 + tan2 x 1
5. = 1 + sin x 1 sin x
1 tan x2
cos2 x sin2 x 15. = 4 tan x sec x
1 sin x 1 + sin x

6. tan2 x sin2 x = tan2 x sin2 x 16. csc4 x cot4 x = csc2 x + cot2 x

1 cos x sin x sin2 x 1 cos x

7. + = 2 csc x 17. =
sin x 1 cos x 2
cos x + 3 cos x + 2 2 + cos x

sec x 1 1 cos x tan x + tan y

8. = 18. = tan x tan y
sec x + 1 1 + cos x cot x + cot y

9. 1 + cot2 x = csc2 x
1 + tan x cos x + sin x
19. =
csc2 x 1 1 tan x cos x sin x
10. = cos2 x
csc2 x

20. (sin x tan x) (cos x cot x) = (sin x 1) (cos x 1)

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013

Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 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.

sin x sin2 x sin2 x cos2 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

1 1
2. + 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.

1 cos x sin x cos2 x + sin2 x 1

LHS = + tan x = + = = = RHS
tan x sin x cos x sin x cos x sin x cos x

3. sin x sin x cos2 x = sin3 x

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

LHS = sin x sin x cos2 x = sin x 1 cos2 x = sin x sin2 x = RHS

cos 1 + sin
4. + = 2 sec
1 + sin cos
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

LHS = + = + =
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

cos x cos x
5. = 2 tan x
1 sin 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)
LHS = =
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) 1 sin x cos2 x
2 sin x
= = 2 tan x = RHS
cos x

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013

Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 page 4

csc x cos x
6. cos2 x =
tan x + cot 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.
1 1 cos x cos x cos x
csc x cos x cos x
RHS = = sin x = sin x 1 = sin x = sin x
tan x + cot x sin x cos x sin2 x cos2 x sin2 x + cos2 x 1
+ +
cos x sin x sin x cos 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

sin4 x cos4 x
7. =1
sin2 x cos2 x
Solution: We can factor the numerator via the di¤erence of squares theorem.
2 2
sin4 x cos4 x sin2 x (cos2 x) sin2 x + cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x
LHS = = =
sin2 x cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x
= sin2 x + cos2 x = 1 = RHS

tan2 x
8. = sin2 x
tan2 x + 1
Solution:
2
sin x sin2 x sin2 x
2
tan x cos x 2x cos2 x
LHS = 2
= 2 = cos 2 = 2
tan x + 1 sin x sin x sin x cos2 x
+1 +1 +
cos x cos2 x cos2 x cos2 x
sin2 x sin2 x
2 2
= cos2 x = cos2 x = sin x cos x = sin2 x = RHS
sin2 x + cos2 x 1 cos2 x 1
2
cos x
cos2 x

1 sin x cos x
9. =
cos x 1 + sin x
Solution:
1 sin x 1 sin x 1 sin x 1 + sin x (1 sin x) (1 + sin x) 1 sin2 x
LHS = = 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

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013

Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 page 5

tan2 x 1
10. 1 2 cos2 x =
tan2 x + 1
Solution:
sin2 x sin2 x cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x
tan x 1 2
2
1 2 2
RHS = = cos2 x = cos2 x cos2 x = cos2 x
2 2
tan x + 1 sin x sin x cos x sin x + cos2 x
+ 1 +
cos2 x cos2 x cos2 x cos2 x
2 2
sin x cos x 2 2
cos x sin x cos x 2
sin2 x cos2 x
= = = = sin2 x cos2 x
cos2 x sin2 x + cos2 x sin2 x + cos2 x 1
= 1 cos2 x cos2 x = 1 2 cos2 x = LHS

11. tan2 = csc2 tan2 1

2
1 sin 1 sin2 1
RHS = csc2 tan2 1= 1= 1= 1
sin2 cos sin2 cos2 cos2
2
1 cos2 1 cos2 sin2 sin
= = = = = tan2 = LHS
cos2 cos2 cos2 cos2 cos
cos x
12. sec x + tan x =
1 sin x
Solution:
cos x cos x cos x 1 + sin x cos x (1 + sin x)
RHS = = 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
= 2 = 2
= = + = LHS
1 sin x cos x cos x cos x cos x

csc cot
13. =1
sin tan
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.
1 cos
csc cot sin sin 1 1 cos cos 1 cos2
LHS = = = =
sin tan sin sin sin sin sin sin sin2 sin2
1 cos
2 2
1 cos 2 sin + cos cos2 sin2
= 2 = = = 1 = RHS
sin sin2 sin2

14. sin4 x cos4 x = 1 2 cos2 x

Solution:
2 2
LHS = sin4 x cos4 x = sin2 x cos2 x = sin2 x + cos2 x sin2 x cos2 x
= 1 sin2 x cos2 x = 1 cos2 x cos2 x = 1 2 cos2 x = RHS

c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013

Lecture Notes Trigonometric Identities 1 page 6

15. (sin x 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

sin2 x + 4 sin x + 3 3 + sin x

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

cos x
17. tan x = sec x
1 sin x
Solution:
cos x cos x sin x cos2 x sin x (1 sin x) cos2 x sin x + sin2 x
LHS = 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

1 + sin x
18. tan2 x + 1 + tan x sec x =
cos2 x
Solution:

2 sin2 x sin x 1 sin2 x cos2 x sin x

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

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c copyright Hidegkuti, Powell, 2009 Last revised: May 8, 2013