Trigonometrical Identities

Trigonometric Ratios

Suppose a boy is standing in front of a lamp post at a certain distance. The height of the
boy is 170 cm and the length of his shadow is 150 cm.

You can see from the above figure that the boy and his shadow form a right-angled
triangle as shown in the figure below.

The ratio of the height of the boy to his shadow is 170:150 i.e., 17:15.

Is this ratio related to either of the angles of ΔABC?

We can also conclude the following:

cos A , tan A

Also, note that

tan A = and cot A =

Let us now solve some more examples based on trigonometric ratios.

Example 1:

In a triangle ABC, right-angled at B, side AB = 40 cm and BC = 9 cm. Find the

value of sin A, cos A, and tan A.

Solution:

It is given that AB = 40 cm and BC = 9 cm

Using Pythagoras theorem in ΔABC, we obtain

(AC)2 = (AB)2 + (BC)2

(AC)2 = (40)2 + (9)2

(AC)2 = 1600 + 81

(AC)2 = 1681

(AC)2 = (41)2

AC = 41 cm

Now, sin A
cos A

tan A

Example 2:

From the given figure, find the values of cosec C and cot C, if AC = BC + 1.

Solution:

Now, it is given that AB = 5 cm and

AC = BC + 1 … (1)

By Pythagoras theorem, we obtain

(AB)2 + (BC)2 = (AC)2

⇒ (AC)2 − (BC)2 = (AB)2

⇒ (BC + 1)2 – (BC)2 = (5)2 [Using (1)]

⇒ (BC)2 + 1 + 2BC – (BC)2 = 25

⇒ 2BC = 25 – 1

⇒ 2BC = 24

⇒ BC = 12 cm

∴ AC = 12 + 1 = 13 cm
Thus, cosec C = AC/AB

= 13/5

And, cot C = BC/AB

= 12/5

Example 3:

In a right-angled triangle ABC, which is right-angled at B, tan A = 12/5. Find the

value of cos A and sec A.

Solution:

It is given that tan A = 12/5

We know that tan A = BC/AB

Let BC = 12k and AB = 5k

Using Pythagoras theorem in ΔABC, we obtain

(AC)2 = (AB)2 + (BC)2

= (5k)2 + (12k)2

= 25k2 + 144k2
(AC)2 = 169k2

AC = 13k

Now, cos A

Sec A

Trigonometric Identities

Now, let us prove these identities.

Let us take a standard circle with radius r such that it intersects the X-axis at point A.
Also, let the initial arm OA is rotated in anti-clockwise direction by an angle ?
In the figure, the terminal arm intersects the circle at point P (x, y) where x, y ≠ 0 and
OP = r.

By the definition of trigonometric ratios, we have

Now, OP is a distance between origin O (0, 0) and point P (x, y) which can be obtained
by distance formula as follows:

(1) On dividing both sides of the equation (i) by r2, we get

(2) On dividing both sides of the equation (i) by x2 (x ≠ 0), we get

(3) On dividing both sides of the equation (i) by y2 (y ≠ 0), we get

Corollary:

(i) When x = 0 then we have

In this case, the identities sin2θ + cos2θ = 1 and 1 + cot2θ = cosec2θ exist but the
identity 1 + tan2θ = sec2θ does not exist.

(ii) When y = 0 then we have

In this case, the identities sin2θ + cos2θ = 1 and 1 + tan2θ = sec2θ exist but the identity 1
+ cot2θ = cosec2θ does not exist.

Let us now solve some more problems using trigonometric identities.

Example 1:
Find the value of the expression (sec227° – tan27°.cot63°).

Solution:

sec227° – tan27°.cot63° = sec227° – tan27°.cot (90° – 27°)

[27° and 63° are complementary angles]

= sec227°– tan27°.tan27° [cot (90° – ?) = tan ?]

= sec227° – tan227°

= 1 + tan227° – tan2 27° [Using the identity 1 + tan2 θ = sec2 θ]

=1

Thus, the value of the given expression is 1.

Example 2:

Write all the trigonometric ratios in terms of sin A.

Solution:

Using the identity

sin2A + cos2A = 1,

we can write, cos2A = 1 – sin2A

Taking square root on both sides,

Now,

[Using (i)]

⇒
⇒

⇒ [Using (i)]

and,

The trigonometric ratios in terms of sin A are given by (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v).

Example 3:

Simplify the following expression.

[(1 + cot A – cosec A)(1 + tan A + sec A)]

Solution:

(1 + cot A – cosec A)(1 + tan A + sec A)

Thus, the value of the given expression is 2.

Trigonometric Ratios Of Complementary Angles

Consider the following figure.

Here, a right-angled triangle ABC has been shown. In this triangle, suppose that the
value of sin C is 12/13.

Can we find the value of cos A?

We can use these relations for simplifying the given expression.

For example: Let us express sec 55°− cosec 89° in terms of trigonometric ratios of
angles between 0° and 45°.

Now, how can we do so? Let us see.

Since 55° and 35° are complementary angles and also 89° and 1° are complementary
angles, we can write 55° as (90° − 35°) and 89° as (90° − 1°).

Therefore,

sec 55° − cosec 89° = sec (90° − 35°) − cosec (90° − 1°)

= cosec 35° − sec 1°

[ sec (90° – A) = cosec A and cosec (90° – A) = sec A]

∴ sec 55° − cosec 89°= cosec 35° − sec 1°

Let us now solve some more examples involving trigonometric ratios of complementary
angles.
Example 1:

Find the value of sin 53° – cos 37°.

Solution:

We know that 53° and 37° are complementary angles as

53° + 37° = 90°

∴ We can write 37° as (90° – 53°).

∴ sin 53° – cos 37° = sin 53° – cos (90° – 53°)

= sin 53° – sin 53°

[ cos (90° – A) = sin A]

=0

Thus, the value of (sin 53° – cos 37°) is 0.

Example 2:

Evaluate

Solution:

Here, 27° and 63° are complementary angles as 27° + 63° = 90°

∴ We can write 27° = 90° – 63°

Now,

Example 3:
Prove that tan 2A = cot 3A, when A = 18°.

Solution:

When A = 18°,

L.H.S = tan 2A = tan (2 × 18°)

= tan 36°

R.H.S = cot 3A = cot (3 × 18)

= cot 54°

54° and 36° are complementary angles.

∴ We can write 54° as 90° – 36°.

Therefore, cot 3A = cot 54°

= cot (90° – 36°)

= tan 36° [ cot (90° – A) = tan A]

∴ L.H.S = R.H.S = tan 36°

∴ tan 2A = cot 3A

Example 4:

If sin A = cos A, then prove that A = 45°.

Solution:

It is given that sin A = cos A

⇒ sin A = sin (90° – A)

[ sin (90° – A) = cos A]

⇒ A = 90° – A

⇒ 2A = 90°
Hence, proved

Example 5:

If P, Q, and R are interior angles of a triangle PQR, which is right-angled at Q,

then show that

Solution:

Now, P, Q, and R are the interior angles of the triangle PQR. Therefore, their sum
should be 180°.

∴ P + R = 180 – Q

Now, consider the L.H.S. =

= [ cot (90° – A) = tan A]

= R.H.S.

Hence, proved

Example 6:
Prove that

tan1°× tan 2°× tan 3° … tan 87°× tan 88°× tan 89° = 1

Solution:

Here, 1° and 89° are complementary angles as 1° + 89° = 90°

Therefore, we can write 89° = 90° – 1°

Similarly, 88° = 90° – 2°

87° = 90° – 3°

46° = 90° – 44° and so on

Now, the L.H.S is

tan 1° × tan 2° × tan 3° … tan 44° × tan 45° × tan 46° … tan 87° × tan 88° × tan 89°

= tan 1° × tan 2° × tan 3° … tan 44° × tan 45° × tan (90° – 44°) … tan (90° – 3°) tan (90°
– 2°) tan (90° – 1°)

= tan 1° × tan 2° × tan 3° … tan 44° × tan 45° × cot 44° … cot 3° × cot 2° × cot 1°

[ tan (90° – A) = cot A]

= tan 45°

=1

= R.H.S

∴ tan1° × tan 2° × tan 3° … tan 87° × tan 88° × tan 89° = 1

Hence, proved

Trigonometric Tables
We know the sine, cosine, and tangent values of angles such as 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and
90°.

However, what about angles such as 1°, 31°, 44°, 66°, and so on?

Do sine, cosine, and tangent values exist for these angles?

If yes, then how do we find these values?

Well, sine, cosine, and tangent values exist for all angles θ, where θ ∈ R

If we know the sine, cosine, and tangent values for θ lying between 0° and 90°, then we
can find the trigonometric ratio values for all other angles using trigonometric identities
and complementary angle identities.

To find the sine, cosine, and tangent values of all angles between 0° and 90°, we use
the trigonometric tables.

Let us discuss some more examples based on trigonometric tables.

Example 1:

What is the value of ?

Solution:

We read the table of natural sines in the horizontal line, which begins with 29°, and in
the vertical column headed by .

sin 29°42' = 0.4955

Now, we read, in the same horizontal line, the value written in the mean difference
column headed by .

It is found to be 5.

As θ increases, sine value increases.

∴ The mean difference value is to be added.

Example 2:

Using trigonometric tables, find the measure of angle θ when cos θ = 0.2473.

Solution:

Given: cos θ = 0.2473

∴ Difference = 0.0003

Mean difference for = 0.0003

Therefore, the required angle is .

Example 3:

Using trigonometric tables, find the value of cosθ − sinθ when tan θ = 0.8977

Solution:

tan θ = 0.8977

tan

∴ Difference = 0.0005

Mean difference for

To find the value of cosθ − sinθ, we first find the value of and sin .

∴ Difference =

Mean difference for = 0.0002

∴ Difference =

Mean difference of = 0.0002