Trigonometry : Pythagorean Identities

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Trigonometry

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Trigonometry

Reduce the following expression.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Because  

therefore:

By definition of cosecant,

Example Question #11 : Trigonometric Identities

Reduce the following expression.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

There are several ways to work this problem, but all of them use the second Pythagorean trig identity, .

You can use this identity to substitute for parts of the expression. Here are two examples.

Method 1:

Substituting  for , we get

, which equals zero.

Method 2:

Substituting  for , we get

, which equals zero.

 

Regardless of which substitution you choose, the answer is the same.

Example Question #13 : Trigonometry

Simplify

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #14 : Trigonometry

Simplify

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #15 : Trigonometry

Simplify

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #16 : Trigonometry

Simplify

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #11 : Trigonometry

Simplify

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #18 : Trigonometry

Simplify

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #19 : Trigonometry

Simplify

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

Example Question #20 : Trigonometry

Simplify

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The first step to simplifying is to remember an important trig identity.

If we rewrite it to look like the denominator, it is.

Now we can substitute this in the denominator.

Now write each term separately.

Remember the following identities.

Now simplify, and combine each term.

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