KS5 "Full Coverage": Trigonometric Equations (Yr1)

This worksheet is designed to cover one question of each type seen in past papers, for each A
Level topic. This worksheet was automatically generated by the DrFrostMaths Homework
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Question 1
Categorisation: Solve equations of the form 𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝒙 + 𝒂) = 𝒃 or 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏 (𝒙 + 𝒃) = 𝒄 for a
given range.

[Edexcel C2 May 2011 Q7a]

Solve for 0 ≤ 𝑥 < 360° , giving your answers in degrees to 1 decimal place,

3 𝑠𝑖𝑛 (𝑥 + 45° ) = 2

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

Question 2
Categorisation: Solve equations of the form 𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝒂𝒙 + 𝒃) = 𝒄

[Edexcel AS Specimen Papers P1 Q11i]

Solve, for −90° ≤ 𝜃 < 270° , the equation,

𝑠𝑖𝑛 (2𝜃 + 10° ) = −0.6

giving your answers to one decimal place.

𝜃 = .......................... °

𝜃 = .......................... °

𝜃 = .......................... °

𝜃 = .......................... °

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Question 3
Categorisation: As above.

[Edexcel C2 Jan 2012 Q9i]

1
Find the solutions of the equation 𝑠𝑖𝑛 (3𝑥 − 15° ) = , for which 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 180°
2

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

Question 4
Categorisation: Solve an equation involving tan.

[Edexcel C2 May 2013 Q8i]

Solve, for −180° ≤ 𝑥 < 180° ,

𝑡𝑎𝑛 (𝑥 − 40° ) = 1.5

giving your answers to 1 decimal place.

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

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Question 5
Categorisation: Solve a trigonometric equation requiring prior manipulation.

[Edexcel C2 May 2014(R) Q7i]

Solve, for 0 ≤ 𝜃 < 180° , the equation

𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜃
=1
(4 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜃 − 1)

giving your answers to 1 decimal place.

𝜃 = .......................... °

𝜃 = .......................... °

Question 6
Categorisation: Solve an equation involving tan with either sin or cos.

[Edexcel C2 May 2014 Q7ii]

Solve, for −180° ≤ 𝑥 < 180° , the equation

2 𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑥 − 3 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 = 0

giving your answers to 2 decimal places where appropriate.

[Solutions based entirely on graphical or numerical methods are not acceptable.]

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

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Question 7
Categorisation: As above, but where the argument of the trig functions is of the form
𝒂𝒙 + 𝒃.

[Edexcel AS Specimen Papers P1 Q11iib]

Find the smallest positive solution to the equation

7 𝑡𝑎𝑛 (4𝛼 + 199° ) = 8 𝑠𝑖𝑛 (4𝛼 + 199° )

𝛼 = .......................... °

Question 8
Categorisation: Use the identity 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝒙 + 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝒙 = 𝟏 to solve a trig equation.

[Edexcel A2 SAM P2 Q12a]

Solve, for −180° ≤ 𝑥 < 180° , the equation

3 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2 𝑥 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 + 8 = 9 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑥

giving your answers to 2 decimal places.

.......................... °

.......................... °

.......................... °

.......................... °

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Question 9
Categorisation: As above, but for a less standard range.

[Edexcel AS SAM P1 Q9]

Solve, for 360° ≤ 𝑥 < 540° ,

12 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2 𝑥 + 7 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝑥 − 13 = 0

Give your answers to one decimal place.

(Solutions based entirely on graphical or numerical methods are not acceptable.)

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

Question 10
Categorisation: Use the roots of a graph to determine a trigonometric function.

[Edexcel C2 Jan 2012 Q9ii Edited]

The figure shows part of the curve with equation

𝑦 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 (𝑎𝑥 − 𝑏) , where 𝑎 > 0 , 0 < 𝑏 < 180°

The curve cuts the 𝑥 -axis at the points 𝑃 , 𝑄 and 𝑅 as shown. Given that the coordinates of
𝑃, 𝑄 and 𝑅 are (18° , 0) , (108° , 0) and (198° , 0) respectively, find the values of 𝑎 and 𝑏 .

𝑎 = ..........................

𝑏 = .......................... °

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Question 11
Categorisation: Solve an equation involving sin and cos.

[Edexcel C2 June 2010 Q5b]

Solve, for 0 ≤ 𝑥 < 360° ,

5 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝑥 = 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2𝑥

giving your answers to 1 decimal place.

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

𝑥 = .......................... °

Question 12
Categorisation: Complete the square for a trigonometric equation.

[Edexcel C2 May 2017 Q8a Edited]

Show that the equation

𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑥 = 8 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2 𝑥 − 6 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥

can be written in the form (𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 − 1)2 = 𝑏 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are constants to be found.

..........................

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Question 13
Categorisation: Solve a more complex trigonometric equation involving a mixture of
sin, cos and tan.

[OCR C2 June 2017 Q9iia Edited]

Show that the equation

5
4 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2𝜃 + = 13 𝑡𝑎𝑛 2𝜃
𝑐𝑜𝑠 2𝜃

can be expressed in the form

4 𝑠𝑖𝑛 3 2𝜃 + 𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑛 2𝜃 + 𝑏 = 0

where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are constants to be found.

..........................

Question 14
Categorisation: Put a trigonometric equation in a required form.

[OCR C2 Jan 2013 Q5i Edited]

4 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝑥−1
Show that the equation 2 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝑥 = can be expressed in the form
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝑥

6 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝑥 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝑥 + 𝑎 = 0

where 𝑎 is a constant to be found.

..........................

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Answers

Question 1 Question 11
𝑥 = 93.2 °
and 𝑥 = 356.8 ° 𝑥 = 10.9 ° and 𝑥 = 100.9 ° and
𝑥 = 190.9 ° and 𝑥 = 280.9 °
Question 2
Question 12
𝜃 = -76.6 ° and 𝜃 = -23.4 °
and 𝜃 =
103.4 ° and 𝜃 = 156.6 ° 𝑎 =3,𝑏 =2

Question 3 Question 13
𝑥 = 55 ° and 𝑥 = 135 °
and 𝑥 = 175 𝑎 = 9 , 𝑏 = −5
°
and 𝑥 = 15 °
Question 14
Question 4
𝑎 = −2
° °
𝑥 = -83.7 and 𝑥 = 96.3

Question 5
° °
𝜃 = 9.7 and 𝜃 = 80.3

Question 6
𝑥 = -180 ° and 𝑥 = -48.2 °
and 𝑥 =0 °
and 𝑥 = 48.2 °

Question 7
°
𝛼 = 33.0

Question 8
14.48 ° and 165.52 °
and -19.47 °
and
-160.53 °

Question 9
° °
𝑥 = 430.5 and 𝑥 = 435.5

Question 10
°
𝑎 = 2 and 𝑏 = 36

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