7.

1 – Basic
Trigonometric
Identities and
Equations
Trigonometric Identities

Quotient Identities

sin  cos 
tan   cot  
cos  sin 
Reciprocal Identities
1 1 1
sin   cos   tan  
csc  sec  cot 
Pythagorean Identities

sin2+ cos2 = 1 tan2+ 1 = sec2 cot2+ 1 = csc2

sin2= 1 - cos2 tan2= sec2- 1 cot2= csc2- 1

cos2 = 1 - sin2

5.4.3
 Where did our pythagorean identities come from??

Do you remember the Unit Circle?

• What is the equation for the unit circle?
x 2 + y2 = 1
• What does x = ? What does y = ?
(in terms of trig functions)

sin2θ + cos2θ = 1

Pythagorean
Identity!
 Take the Pythagorean Identity and
discover a new one!
Hint: Try dividing everything by cos2θ
sin2θ + cos2θ = 1 .
cos2θ cos2θ cos2θ
tan2θ + 1 = sec2θ

Quotient Reciprocal
Identity another Identity
Pythagorean
Identity
 Take the Pythagorean Identity and
discover a new one!
Hint: Try dividing everything by sin2θ
sin2θ + cos2θ = 1 .
sin2θ sin2θ sin2θ
1 + cot2θ = csc2θ

Quotient Reciprocal
Identity a third Identity
Pythagorean
Identity
 Using the identities you now know,
find the trig value.
1.) If cosθ = 3/4, find secθ 2.) If cosθ = 3/5, find cscθ.
sin 2   cos 2   1
3 
2

1 1 4 sin 2      1
5 
sec    
cos 3 3 sin 2  
25 9

4 25 25
16
sin  
2

25
4
sin   
5

1 1 5
csc    
sin   4 4
5
3.) sinθ = -1/3, find tanθ
tan 2  1  sec 2 
tan 2  1  (3) 2
tan 2   8 tan   2 2

tan 2   8

4.) secθ = -7/5, find sinθ

 Simplifying Trigonometric Expressions
Identities can be used to simplify trigonometric expressions.

Simplify.
cot 2 
b)
a) cos   sin  tan  1  sin2 
sin cos 2 
 cos   sin 
cos  sin 2


sin2  cos 
2

 cos  
cos  1
cos 2  1
cos   sin 
2 2
 
 sin  cos 
2 2

cos 
1 
1
 sin2 
cos 
 sec   csc 
2

5.4.5
Simplifing Trigonometric Expressions

csc x
c) (1 + tan x) - 2 sin x sec x
2
d)
tan x  cot x
1 1
2
 (1  tan x)  2 sin x 
cos x sin x
sin x cos x
2 sin x 
 1  2 tan x  tan x  2 cos x sin x
cos x
1
2
 1  tan x  2tan x  2 tan x 
sin x
2 2
2
 sec x sin x  cos x
sin xcos x
1
 sin x
1
sin x cos x
1 sin x cos x
 
sin x 1
 cos x
 Simplify each expression.

cos x 
cos x  sin x
sin x 
1
sin   1 sin x 
cos  cos x  
sin  sin x cos x  cos2 x sin 2 x

sin x sin x
1 sin  1

sin  cos cos2 x  sin 2 x
sin x
1 
 sec 
cos 1
 csc x
sin x
 Simplifying trig Identity

Example1: simplify tanxcosx

sin
tanxx cosx
cos x

tanxcosx = sin x
 Simplifying trig Identity

Example2: simplify
sec x
csc x
1
cos
sec x =
1 sinx
x
csc
1x cos x 1
sin x
=
sin x
cos x
= tan x
 Simplifying trig Identity

Example2: simplify cos2x - sin2x

cos x

cos2x - sin12x
= sec x
cos x
 Example
Simplify:

= cot x (csc2 x - 1) Factor out cot x

= cot x (cot2 x) Use pythagorean identity

= cot3 x Simplify
 Example
Simplify:

= sin x (sin x) + cos x Use quotient identity

cos x
cos
= sin x + (cos x) cos x
2 x Simplify fraction with
cos x LCD
= sin2 x + cos2x
Simplify numerator
cos x
= 1
cos x Use pythagorean identity

= sec x Use reciprocal identity

Your Turn!
Combine
fraction
Simplify the
numerator
Use pythagorean
identity

Use Reciprocal
Identity
Practice
One way to use identities is to simplify expressions involving trigonometric
functions. Often a good strategy for doing this is to write all trig functions in
terms of sines and cosines and then simplify. Let’s see an example of this:

sin x substitute using each 1

tan x  identity csc x 
cos x sin x
tan x csc x
Simplify: 1
sec x sec x 
simplify
cos x

sin x 1 1

 cos x sin x  cos x 1
1 1
cos x cos x
 Another way to use identities is to write one function in terms of another
function. Let’s see an example of this:

Write the following expression

in terms of only one trig function:
This expression involves both sine and
cos x  sin x  1
2
cosine. The Fundamental Identity makes a
connection between sine and cosine so we
can use that and solve for cosine squared
= 1  sin 2 x  sin x  1 and substitute.

=  sin 2 x  sin x  2

sin 2 x  cos 2 x  1 cos 2 x  1  sin 2 x

 (E) Examples
• Prove tan(x) cos(x) = sin(x)

LS  tan x cos x
sin x
LS  cos x
cos x
LS  sin x
 LS  RS
20
 (E) Examples
• Prove tan2(x) = sin2(x) cos-2(x)
RS  sin 2 x cos 2 x
2 1 
RS   sin x   2 
 cos x 
1
RS   sin x 
2

 cos x  2
RS 
 sin x  2
 cos x  2
2
 sin x 
RS   
 cos x 
RS  tan 2 x
 RS  LS

21
 (E) Examples
• Prove 1 1
tan x  
tan x sin x cos x
1
LS  tan x 
tan x
sin x 1
LS  
cos x sin x
cos x
sin x cos x
LS  
cos x sin x
sin x sin x  cos x cos x
LS 
cos x sin x
sin x  cos2 x
2
LS 
cos x sin x
1
LS 
cos x sin x
 LS  RS 22
 (E) Examples
• Prove sin 2 x
 1  cos x
1  cos x

sin 2 x
LS 
1  cos x
1  cos2 x
LS 
1  cos x
(1  cos x )(1  cos x )
LS 
(1  cos x )
LS  1  cos x
 LS  RS
23