PROVING IDENTITIES AND OTHER

APPLICATIONS
Learning Objectives
1. simplify trigonometric expressions
2. prove other trigonometric identities
3. solve situational problems involving trigonometric
identities
 Proving Identities
Few guidelines:

• You may begin with one side of the equation then derive
the other side.
• You may work on both sides of the equation independently
until you reach a common expression.
• Converting everything in terms of sine and cosine may
shed some light.
 Proving Identities
Few guidelines:

• Usually, it is better to work with the more complicated side

first.
• A usually useful trick when fractions are involved is
multiplying the numerator and the denominator of the
fraction by the same expression.
• Never transpose terms or cross-multiply.
 Prove
cot x cot y − 1
cot x + y =
cot x + cot y
1
=
tan(x+y)
1−tan x tan y
=
tan x+tan y
sin x sin y
1− cot x cot y
cos x cos y
= 1 1 ∙
+ cot x cot y
cot x cot y
𝐜𝐨𝐭 𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐭 𝐲−𝟏
=
𝐜𝐨𝐭 𝐱+𝐜𝐨𝐭 𝐲
 Prove
sin θ 1 + cos θ
=
1 − cos θ sin θ
sin θ 1+cos θ
= ∙
1−cos θ 1+cos θ
sin θ(1+cos θ)
=
1−cos2 θ
sin θ(1+cos θ)
=
sin2 θ
𝟏+𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝛉
=
𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝛉
 Prove
1 + tan2 x
2 csc 2x =
tan x

2 2 𝟏
2 csc 2x = = =
sin 2x 2sin x cos x 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐱

1 + tan2 x cos x sin x

= cot x tan x = +
tan x sin x cos x
2 2
cos x sin x 𝟏
= =
sin x cos x 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐱
 7 2 π
If cos 2α = , sin β = − , tan β > 0, and < α < π,
25 13 2
find cos(2β − α)

cos(2β – α) = cos 2β cosα + sin 2β sinα

Since tan β > 0 and sin β < 0, we must have cos β < 0
4 3
cos β = − 1 − sin2 β =− 1− =−
13 13
2 5 12
cos 2β = 1 − 2 sin β = sin 2β = 2 sin β cos β =
13 13
 7 2 π
If cos 2α = , sin β = − , tan β > 0, and < α < π,
25 13 2
find cos(2β − α)

cos(2β – α) = cos 2β cosα + sin 2β sinα

π 2α
Since < α < π, sin α > 0 and cos α < 0. Since α =
2 2

1−cos 2α 3 1+cos 2α 4
sin α = = cos α = − = −
2 5 2 5
5 4 12 3
cos(2β – α) = +
13 5 13 5
𝟏𝟔
=
𝟔𝟓
Exercises
Prove the following identities:
cot x
1. csc x
= cos x
2. sec x csc x = tan x + cot x
1−tan2 x
3. cot 2x =
2tan x
csc x+cot x
4. sin x+tan x
= cot x csc x
 cot x
1. = cos x
csc x
cos x
cot x sin x
= 1
csc x
sin x
cos x sin x
= ∙
sin x 1
= cos x
2. sec x csc x = tan x + cot x
sin x cos x
tan x + cot x = +
cos x sin x
sin2 x+cos2 x
=
cos x sin x
1
=
cos x sin x
1 1
= ∙
cos x sin x
= sec x csc x
 1−sin2 x
3. cot 2x =
2tan x
cos 2x
cot 2x =
sin 2x
cos 2x−sin 2x
=
2 cos x sin x

sin x 2
1−tan2 x 1− cos x
= sin x
2tan x 2
cos x
cos2 x−sin2 x cos x
= ∙
cos2 x 2 sin x
cos2 x−sin2 x
=
2 cos x sin x
 csc x+cot x
4. = cot x csc x
sin x+tan x
1 cos x
csc x+cot x +
sin x sin x
= sin x
sin x+tan x sin x+cos x
1+cos x cos x
= ∙
sin x sin x cos x+sin x
cos x
=
sin2 x

cos x 1
cot x csc x = ∙
sin x sin x
cos x
= 2
sin x