Trigonometry

Study of triangles and trigonometric functions including sine, cosine, and tangent.

Advanced Topics

Trigonometric Identities

What Are Trigonometric Identities?

Trigonometric identities are equations involving trig functions that are always true for any angle.

Fundamental Identities

  • Pythagorean Identity:

    \[ \sin^2(\theta) + \cos^2(\theta) = 1 \]

  • Quotient Identities:

    \[ \tan(\theta) = \frac{\sin(\theta)}{\cos(\theta)} \]

  • Reciprocal Identities:

    \[ \csc(\theta) = \frac{1}{\sin(\theta)}, \quad \sec(\theta) = \frac{1}{\cos(\theta)}, \quad \cot(\theta) = \frac{1}{\tan(\theta)} \]

Why Use Identities?

They help simplify complex problems and prove relationships between different trigonometric functions.

Key Formula

\[\sin^2(\theta) + \cos^2(\theta) = 1\]

Examples

  • Using the Pythagorean identity to find \(\sin(\theta)\) if you know \(\cos(\theta)\).

  • Proving that \(\tan^2(\theta)+1=\sec^2(\theta)\) using identities.

In a Nutshell

Identities help you manipulate and simplify trigonometric expressions.

Key Terms

Identity
An equation that is always true for all values of the variable.
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