MTH112-007, Fall 2014

Jack Wiedrick

Trigonometric Identities — Practice Problems

KEY

tan  + = (Undefined when cos  = 0)


 
1. (MODERATE)

The hint was: Subtract tan  from both sides and cross-multiply. The reason for this is to deal efficiently
with the inconvenient 1 + sin  term in the denominator.

cos  1 1 sin 
= − tan  = −
1 + sin  cos  cos  cos 
cos  1 − sin 
⟺ =
1 + sin  cos 
⟺ 1 + sin 1 − sin  = cos  cos 
⟺ 1 − sin  = cos  
True!

2. (EASY) tan  + 1 = sec   (Undefined when cos  = 0)

The hint was: Multiply both sides by cos  . It should be obvious by now why this works.

tan  + 1 cos   = sec   cos  

sin  1
⟺ cos   + cos   = cos  
cos 
 cos  
⟺ sin  + cos   = 1
True!

3. (MODERATE) 
− 
= 2 tan  sec  (Undefined when sin  = ±1 ⟺ cos  = 0)

the left-hand side are conjugates whose product is 1 − sin  = cos  .

The hint was: Get a common denominator (conjugates). The key is recognizing that the denominators on

1 1 + sin  1 1 − sin  1 + sin  − 1 − sin 

∙ − ∙ =
1 − sin  1 + sin  1 + sin  1 − sin  1 − sin 
1 + sin  − 1 − sin  2 sin 
= =
1 − sin  cos  
2 sin  1
= ∙
cos  cos 
= 2 tan  sec 
True!
 cos  = 0
tan  + cot  = sec  csc  (Undefined when 
sin  = 0
4. (EASY) )

The hint was: Get a common denominator. Note that this problem already appeared in the identities
walkthrough handout and was solved there. First write everything in terms of sine and cosine.

cos ! sin ! cos ! cos ! sin ! sin !

tan  + cot  = + = ∙ + ∙
sin ! cos ! sin ! cos ! cos ! sin !
cos  ! + sin ! 1
= =
cos ! sin ! cos ! sin !
= sec  csc 
True!

= $ (Undefined when cos  = 0

"# $
"# $  $
or tan  = ±1 ⟺ |sin | = |cos |
5. (EASY)

The hint was: Multiply top and bottom by cos  . The idea is to cancel out the cos   factors in the
denominator of the tan  terms. (But the division is only valid when cos  ≠ 0.)

sin 
1 + tan  1+
cos   ( ∙ cos  = cos  + sin 
   
= '
1 − tan  sin  cos   cos   − sin 
1−
cos 

1
=
cos  − sin 

True!

6. (EASY) tan  − sin  = tan  sin  (Undefined when cos  = 0)

The hint was: Factor out a sin . Note that this problem already appeared in a quiz and was solved
there. First write everything in terms of sine and cosine.

sin  1
tan  − sin  =
 
− sin  = sin  )  − 1*
cos 
 cos 
= sin  sec   − 1
= sin  tan 
True!

+ = 2 csc  (Undefined when sin  = 0 ⟺ cos  = ±1)

 
 
7. (MODERATE)

the left numerator on the left-hand side by 1 − cos  and the right numerator by sin  will create a
The hint was: Get a common denominator and expand. The tricky part here is to realize that multiplying

cos   + sin  = 1 term.

 1 − cos  1 − cos  sin  sin  1 − cos  + sin 
∙ + ∙ =
sin  1 − cos  1 − cos  sin  sin  1 − cos 
1 − 2 cos  + cos  + sin 
=
sin  1 − cos 
1 − 2 cos  + 1 2 − 2 cos 
= =
sin  1 − cos  sin  1 − cos 
21 − cos  2
= =
sin  1 − cos  sin 
= 2 csc 
True!

= (Undefined when cos  = 0 or cos  = −1)

+  
+ 
8. (EASY)

The hint was: Multiply top and bottom by cos . This one should be completely obvious to you.

1
sec  − 1
=,cos  − 1- ∙ cos  = 1 − cos 
sec  + 1 1
+ 1 cos  1 + cos 
cos 
True!

9. (EASY) 1 + cot   = csc   (Undefined when sin  = 0)

The hint was: Multiply both sides by sin . This is just another simple transformation of the usual
Pythagorean identity.

1 + cot   sin  = csc   sin 

cos   1
⟺ .1 + / sin  = sin 
sin 
 sin 
⟺ sin  + cos   = 1
True!

= cos   (Left-hand side undefined when sin  = 0)

$ 
$
10. (EASY)

some angles (where csc  = ±∞), but the right-hand side is never undefined; this case is an example
The hint was: Expand the fraction. Note that the expression on the left-hand side can be undefined for

where an "undefined" expression actually has a real value, but you need some more math to explain it.

csc   − 1 csc   1
= − = 1 − sin  = cos  
csc 
 csc  csc  

True!
 = (Undefined when tan  = 0 or tan  = −1 ⟺ cot  = −1)
"  "#
" "#
11. (EASY)

The hint was: Multiply top and bottom by tan . This one should also be completely obvious to you.

1
cot  − 1 − 1 tan  1 − tan 
=,tan  -∙ =
cot  + 1 1 tan  1 + tan 
+1
tan 
True!

cos  = 0
sin  + cos tan  + cot  = sec  + csc  (Undefined when 
sin  = 0
12. (HARD) )

The hint was: Expand, get common denominator, then rearrange and factor. This is one where it takes a
few steps before you even begin to see the way through. Many problems are like this, and it's important
to make sure that the first few steps are reasonably likely to lead to a simplification.

sin  + cos tan  + cot  = sin  tan  + cos  tan  + sin  cot  + cos  cot 
sin  sin  cos  cos 
= sin  + cos  + sin  + cos 
cos  cos  sin  sin 
sin  cos  
= + sin  + cos  +
cos  sin 

After expanding, we see a sin  and a cos   floating around, but we can't use them yet because they
don't have the same denominator.

sin  cos   sin  sin  cos  sin  cos   cos 

+ sin  + cos  + = ∙ + sin  + cos  ∙ + ∙
cos  sin  cos  sin  cos  sin  sin  cos 
sin  + cos  sin  + sin  cos  + cos 
1   1
=
cos  sin 

Now it looks more complicated, but it actually isn't because we have some factoring opportunities that

way that we create cos   + sin  terms that we can turn into 1s.
didn't exist in the original expression. The key here is to rearrange the numerator and factor in such a

sin1  + cos  sin  + sin  cos   + cos 1  cos 1  + cos  sin  + sin  cos   + sin1 
=
cos  sin  cos  sin 
cos  cos   + sin  + sin  cos   + sin 
=
cos  sin 
cos  1 + sin  1
=
cos  sin 

After this, expanding the fraction reveals the solution.

cos  + sin  cos  sin  1 1

= + = + = csc  + sec 
cos  sin  cos  sin  cos  sin  sin  cos 
True!
 = 1 − sin  cos  (Undefined when cos  = − sin )
 2 2
 
13. (MODERATE)

The hint was: Factor the numerator and do cancellations. You may remember from basic algebra that
sums and differences of perfect cubes can always be factored. The rule is this:

31 ± 4 1 = 3 ± 43 ∓ 34 + 4  

Applying this rule to the numerator of the left-hand-side immediately reveals a cancellation.

sin1  + cos 1  sin  + cos sin  − sin  cos  + cos  

=
sin  + cos  sin  + cos 
= sin  − sin  cos  + cos  
= cos   + sin  − sin  cos 
= 1 − sin  cos 
True!

= (Undefined when sin  = 0 ⟺ cos  = ±1)

 
 2 
14. (EASY)

The hint was: Cross-multiply. This is because the numerator of the left-hand side and the denominator
of the right-hand side are conjugates.

cos  + 1 1 + cos  csc 

= =
sin 
1 sin 
1 1 − cos 
⟺ 1 + cos 1 − cos  = sin1  csc 
1
⟺ 1 − cos   = sin1  = sin 
sin 
True!

− = 4 tan  sec  (Undefined when sin  = ±1 ⟺ cos  = 0)

 
 
15. (MODERATE)

The hint was: Get a common denominator (conjugates). As with some of the previous problems, the act
of getting a common denominator introduces a conjugate product that simplifies everything.

1 + sin  1 + sin  1 − sin  1 − sin  1 + sin  − 1 − sin 

∙ − ∙ =
1 − sin  1 + sin  1 + sin  1 − sin  1 − sin 
1 + 2 sin  + sin  − 1 − 2 sin  + sin 
=
1 − sin 
1 + 2 sin  + sin  − 1 + 2 sin  − sin 

=
1 − sin 
4 sin  sin  1
= = 4 ∙ ∙
cos   cos  cos 
= 4 tan  sec 
True!
 cos  = 0
csc 7  − cot 7  = csc   + cot   (Undefined when 
sin  = 0
16. (EASY) )

Pythagorean identities involving csc   and cot  .

The hint was: Factor. You should immediately think of this as the first thing to do here, as well as look for

csc 7  − cot 7  = csc   − cot  csc   + cot  

= 1csc   + cot  
= csc   + cot  
True!

= (Left-hand side undefined when cos  = −1)

 $ 
$ 1   
17. (MODERATE)

The hint was: Factor the numerator and denominator and do cancellations. This example is a case where
the "identity" is not strictly true because the left-hand side is undefined for angles where the right-hand
side is not undefined; the mismatch comes about as a result of cancelling a zeroable factor.

sin  1 − cos  
=
cos   + 3 cos  + 2 cos   + 3 cos  + 2
1 − cos 1 + cos 
=
cos  + 2cos  + 1
1 − cos 
=
2 + cos 
True! (With the above caveat.)

= tan  tan : (Undefined when cot : = − cot  or when

"# "# 9
" " 9
cos  = 0 cos : = 0
18. (HARD)

any of  or ; < is true)

sin  = 0 sin : = 0

The hint was: Convert everything to sine and cosine and get common denominators for both top and

that  and : are distinct angles, which means we can't combine expressions the way we usually do when
bottom (and look for a tricky cancellation!). This problem is genuinely tricky because we have to assume

different sets of angle pairs , : because of cancellation of zeroable factors, so here is another case
we only have a single angle to worry about. The left-hand side and right-hand side are also undefined for

where the "identity" is true only in cases where both sides are defined. The key to solving this is to mess
around with the left-hand side and look for any cancellation possible.

sin  sin : sin  cos : sin : cos 

tan  + tan : cos  + cos : cos  ∙ cos : + cos : ∙ cos 
= =
cot  + cot : cos  + cos : cos  ∙ sin : + cos : ∙ sin 
sin  sin : sin  sin : sin : sin 
sin  cos : + cos  sin :
cos  cos :
=
cos  sin : + sin  cos :
sin  sin :
Do you see it? The numerator of the numerator and the numerator of the denominator are both the
same expression! Those cancel when we perform the division.

sin  cos : + cos  sin :

cos  cos : sin  cos : + cos  sin : sin  sin :
= ∙
cos  sin : + sin  cos : cos  cos : cos  sin : + sin  cos :
sin  sin :
sin  sin : sin  sin :
= = ∙
cos  cos : cos  cos :
= tan  tan :
True! (With the above caveat.)

=  (Undefined when cos  = 0 or tan  = 1 ⟺ sin  = cos )

"#  
"# 
19. (EASY)

The hint was: Multiply top and bottom by cos . Another one that should be completely obvious to you.

sin 
1 + tan  1 + cos  cos  cos  + sin 
=, -∙ =
1 − tan  sin 
1 − cos  cos  cos  − sin 
True!

sin  − tan cos  − cot  = sin  − 1cos  − 1

cos  = 0

20. (EASY) (Undefined when

sin  = 0
)

The hint was: Expand both sides. Notice that the right-hand side is never undefined, so this is another
example where the "identity" is not strictly true for all angles; as usual, cancellation of a zeroable factor
leads to the mismatch. Let's expand each side in turn. Here's the left-hand side:

sin  − tan cos  − cot  = sin  cos  − sin  cot  − tan  cos  + tan  cot 
cos  sin  1
= sin  cos  − sin  − cos  + tan 
sin  cos  tan 
= sin  cos  − cos  − sin  + 1

And here's the right-hand side:

sin  − 1cos  − 1 = sin  cos  − sin  − cos  + 1

Obviously they're the same expression, so the identity is true!