Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 43m
- 1. Measuring Angles39m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations
Sum and Difference Identities
Problem 5.66
Textbook Question
Verify that each equation is an identity.
sin(s + t)/cos s cot t = tan s + tan t
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1
Start by rewriting the left side of the equation: \( \frac{\sin(s + t)}{\cos s \cot t} \).
Recall the identity for \( \sin(s + t) \): \( \sin(s + t) = \sin s \cos t + \cos s \sin t \). Substitute this into the equation.
Rewrite \( \cot t \) as \( \frac{\cos t}{\sin t} \) and substitute it into the equation.
Simplify the expression: \( \frac{\sin s \cos t + \cos s \sin t}{\cos s \cdot \frac{\cos t}{\sin t}} \) becomes \( \frac{\sin s \cos t + \cos s \sin t}{\frac{\cos s \cos t}{\sin t}} \).
Simplify further by multiplying the numerator and the denominator by \( \sin t \) to get \( \sin s \tan t + \tan s \sin t \), which simplifies to \( \tan s + \tan t \), verifying the identity.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Trigonometric Identities
Trigonometric identities are equations that hold true for all values of the variables involved, provided the expressions are defined. Common identities include the Pythagorean identities, reciprocal identities, and quotient identities. Understanding these identities is crucial for verifying equations and simplifying trigonometric expressions.
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Fundamental Trigonometric Identities
Sum and Difference Formulas
Sum and difference formulas express the sine and cosine of the sum or difference of two angles in terms of the sines and cosines of the individual angles. For example, sin(s + t) = sin s cos t + cos s sin t. These formulas are essential for manipulating and simplifying expressions involving multiple angles in trigonometric equations.
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Verifying Identities with Sum and Difference Formulas
Tangent Function and Its Relationships
The tangent function is defined as the ratio of the sine and cosine functions, tan θ = sin θ / cos θ. Additionally, the tangent of the sum of two angles can be expressed as tan(s + t) = (tan s + tan t) / (1 - tan s tan t). Recognizing these relationships is vital for transforming and verifying trigonometric identities involving tangent.
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