C3 Trigonometry -1-

Secant, Cosecant, Cotangent

1
1. Sec x = , cos x  0
cos x

1
2. Cosec x = , sin x  0
sin x

1
3. Cot x = , tan x  0
tan x

cos x
= , sin x  0
sin x

On your calculator, you will have to use sin, cos and tan keys, followed by the
1 1 
reciprocal key  or x  . However, to find exact values for the 'special'
x 
angles, follow the following examples.

Examples

Find the exact value of:

1 (i) sec 60 
(ii) cosec 60 
(iii) cot 30 
(iv) cosec 45 

2. (i) cosec
6

(ii) sec
4

(iii) cot
3

Solution

With calculaor in degrees

 1 
1. (i) Press cos 60  because sec = to get 0.5 then press 1/x to get 2
 cos 

(ii) press sin 60 to get 018660 ... which isn't a recognisable fraction ...
then press x2 to get 0.75   34 

3
i.e. sin2 60 =
4

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C3 Trigonometry -2-

3
so, sin 60 =
2

2
so, cosec 60 =
3

(iii) press tan 30 to get 05773 ... which isn’t a recognisable fraction ...
then press x2 to get 0.3333 ... which is 31 .

1
i.e. tan2 30 =
3
1
so, tan 30 =
3

so, cot 30  = 3

(iv) press sin 45  to get 0.7071 ... which is not a recognisable fraction ...
then press x2 to get 0.5   21 

1
i.e. sin2 45 =
2

1
so, sin 45 =
2

so, cosec 45 = 2

with calculator in rads:


2. (i) press sin (   6) to get 0.5   1
2   cosec =2
6

(ii) press cos (   4) to get 0.7071 ... then press x2 to get 0.5   1
2 .
 1
i.e. cos2 = 2
4

 1
so, cos =
4 2


sec, = 2
4

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C3 Trigonometry -3-

(iii) Press tan    3  to get 1.732 ... then press x2 to get 3


i.e. tan2 =3
3

tan = 3
3

 1
cot =
3 3

The graphs of sec, cosec and cot are shown below:

Reciprocal Trig Ratios

y  cosec

y  sec

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C3 Trigonometry -4-

Reciprocal Trig Ratios

y  cot 

Their period are the same as cos, sin and tan.

Also,

Sin+ All+ Cosec+ All+

Tan+ Cos+  Cot+ Sec+

Trigonometric Identities

You already know sin2  + Cos2   1

 sin  +1 
2
1
If you divide by Cos 2

cos2  cos2 

We get tan2  + 1  sec2 

similarly, dividing by sin2  gives 1 + cot2   cos ec 2

These can be used to simplify expressions

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C3 Trigonometry -5-

Example

(i) Express 5cot  + 2 cosec2  in terms of cot 

(ii) Solve the equation 5 cot  + 2 cosec2  = 5 for 0 <  < 2 

Solution

(i) 5 cot  + 2 cosec2  5 cot  + 2 (1 + cot2  )

 5 cot  + 2 + 2cot2 

(ii)
5 cot  + 2 cosec2  = 5

 5 cot  + 2 + 2 cot2  = 5
 2 cot2  + 5 cot  - 3 = 0

This is a quadratic in cot 

5  25  4(2)( 3)
cot  =
2x2

5  49 5  7 1
=   2 or -3
4 4

 tan  = 2 or - 31

-ve tan  2nd and

+ve tan  1st 4th quad
and 3rd quad.

Because the range of  is given in terms of  we must have our

Calculator in radians

  tan 1 2  1.11

  1.11,   1.11
=1.11, 4.25

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C3 Trigonometry -6-

 1
  tan 1     0.322
 3

The Addition Formulae

For all angles, A and B,

sin  A  B   sin A cos B cos A sin B

cos  A  B   cos A cos B sin A sin B
tan A  tan B
tan  A  B  
1 tan A tan B

(these are in the formula book)

Example 1: Prove the identity sin  x  45   cos  x  45   2 cos x

o o

Solution:
sin  x  45o   sin x cos 45  cos x sin 45
1 1
 sin x x  cos x x
2 2
cos  x  45   cos x cos 45  sin x sin 45
1 1
 cos x x  sin x x
2 2

cos x cos x
 sin  x  45  cos  x  45   
2 2
 1 1 
 cos x   
 2 2
2
 cos x x
2
 2 cos x

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C3 Trigonometry -7-

Example 2: By writing 75o as (30o + 45o) find the exact value of cos75o

Solution: cos75 = cos(30 + 45)

= cos30cos45 - sin30sin45
3 2 1 2
 x  x
2 2 2 2
6 2
 
4 4
Example 3: Find the value of tanxo given that sin(x + 30o) = 2cos(x –
30o)

Solution: sin(x + 30) = 2cos(x - 30)

sin x cos 30  cos x sin 30  2[cos x cos 30  sin x sin 30]
3 1 3 1
sin x  cos x = 2 [ cos x  sin x]
2 2 2 2
 3 cos x  sin x
Rearranging gives

3 1
sin x  sin x = 3 cos x  cos x
2 2
 3   1
sin x   1 = cos x  3     cos x 
 2   2
 3   1
tan x   1 =  3  
 2   2
1
3
2  2
tan x =  
3  2
1
2
2 3 1

32

Double Angle Formulae(LEARN)

Putting A=B into the addition formulae gives identities for sin2A, cos2A and
tan2A:-

Using, sin(A+B) = sin A cos B + cos A sin B.

Sin 2A = sin(A+A) = sin A cos A + cos A sin

Sin 2A = 2 sin A cos A

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C3 Trigonometry -8-

Similarly

cos 2 A  cos2 A  sin2 A

 2cos2 A  1
 1  2 sin2 A

Note: there are 3 forms of cos2A

and

2 tan A
tan 2A =
1  tan2 A

Example: Solve the equation 2 sin 2  sin  for 0    360o (to 1dp)

Solution:

2 sin2  sin 
2  2 sin cos    sin
4 sin cos  sin ( Do not divide by sin θ. You must factorise)

4 sin  cos   sin   0

sin  (4 cos   1)  0

sin  0 or 4 cos   1  0
cos   0.25
  0,180,360   75.5,284.5

  0,75.5,180,284.5,360

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C3 Trigonometry -9-

3
Example; If sin A = and A is obtuse, find the exact values of cos A,
5
sin2 A, tan 2 A.
Solution:
sin2 A  cos2 A  1  cos2 A  1  sin2 A
9 16
 1 
25 25
4
 cos A   , but A is obtuse.
5
4
 cos A  
5
sin2 A  2 sin A cos A
3 4
 2   ( )
5 5
24

25
sin A 3 2 tan A
tan A     tan 2 A 
cos A 4 1  tan2 A
2(  34 )  32 24
   
1  169 7
16 7

Example: Solve cos 2A + 3 + 4cos A = 0, 0  A  2

Solution: (Since we have cos A in the equation we choose the form of

cos 2A which involves cos A only)

i.e. cos 2 A  2cos 2 A  1

Sub in equation : (2cos2 A  1)  3  4 cos A  0

i
2cos 2 A  4 cos A  2  0
cos 2 A  2cos A  1  0

(this is a quadratic in cosA)

2  4  4
cos A 
2
= 1
A = cos-1 (1)
A=

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C3 Trigonometry - 10 -

The form a cos x  b sin x  R cos( x  ), R sin( x  )

It is useful to be able to express the sum of sin x and cos x as a single sin or
cos. It enables us to:

- find the max/min of the expression

- solve equations

To find R and  , we expand the right hand side and equate like terms.

This gives R =  a 2  b 2  ( ALWAYS )

and values for sin  and cos  in terms of a, b and R.

Example: i) Express 3sinx+2cos x in the form Rsin( x  )

ii) Find the max and min of the expression

and find in radians to 2dp the smallest
positive value of x for which they occur.

iii) Solve the equation 3 sin x + 2 cos x = 1 for -  x   to 2dp

Solution:
(i) R= 32  22  13

3 sin x  2cos x  R sin( x  )

3 sin x  2cos x  R sin x cos  R cos x sin 
3 sin x  2cos x  (R cos )sin x  (R sin )cos x

Equating sin x terms : 3  R cos  ....(1)

Equating cos x terms : 2  R sin  ....(2)

2
(2)  (1) gives tan 
3
2
 tan1( )  0.5880 and R= 13, from above
3

 3 sin x  2cos x  13 sin( x  0.5880)

ii) Max and min of 3 sin x + 2 cos x is same as max & min of 13sin(x+0.5880)
Max of any sine is +1
Min of any sine is -1
 Max of expression is + 13 and Min of expression is - 13
Max when sin (x +0.5880) = 1  x + 0.5880 = π , x = 0.9828
2
= 0.98c (2dp)

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C3 Trigonometry - 11 -

Min when sin ( x  0.5880)  1  x  0.5880  3 x  4.12c (2dp)

2

iii ) 3 sin x  2cos x  1

13 sin( x  0.5880)  1

sin( x  0.5880) 
13
1
x  0.5880  sin1( )
3
x  0.5880  0.2810.

x  0.5880  0.2810,   0.2810

 0.2810, 2.8606
x  0.307, 2.7226
 0.31, 2.72 (2dp)

NB: 3sin x + 2cos x can also be expressed in the form R cos ( x   ),

but it is usually more convenient to choose the form which
produces the terms in the right order with the correct sign.

i.e
a sin x - b cos x = R sin ( x  )
a cos x + b sin x = R cos ( x  )
a cos x - b sin x = R cos ( x  )

Inverse Trig Functions

For f -1(x) to exist then f ( x ) must be a one to one function.

If f(x) Is not 1-to-1 over its whole domain then f 1( x ) can exist
provided we restrict the domain of f (x)

The functions cos x,sin x and tan x are not 1-to-1 over their whole domain.

The inverse functions cos-1 x, sin-1 x and tan1 x exist for the domains:

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C3 Trigonometry - 12 -

cos1 x : 0 x 

sin1 x :   x  
2 2
 
tan1 x : x
 2    2


(tan x has asymptotes at  )
2

The graph of f 1 (x) is a reflection of f(x) in the line y = x

 sin1,cos1 x,tan1 x are reflections of sin x, cos x tan x in the line y = x (x in
radians, same scale on both axes).


2


4

 -
1 1 

2 2



4



2

f  x   sin 1 x
f  x   arcsin x


2

 -1 1 

2 2

f  x   cos 1 x
f  x   arccos x

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C3 Trigonometry - 13 -


2

 -
1 1 

2 2



2

f  x   tan 1 x
f  x   arctan x

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