Trigonometric Identities & Formulas

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Reciprocal Identities Ratio or Quotient Identities

1 1 sin x cos x
sin x  csc x  tan x  cot x 
csc x sin x cos x sin x

1 1
cos x  sec x  sinx = cosx tanx cosx = sinx cotx
sec x cos x

1 1
tan x  cot x 
cot x tan x

Pythagorean Identities Pythagorean Identities in Radical Form

sin x  cos x  1
2 2
sin x   1  cos2 x
1  tan 2 x  sec2 x
1  cot 2 x  csc2 x tan x   sec 2 x  1

Note: there are only three, basic Pythagorean identities, the other forms cos x   1  sin 2 x
are the same three identities, just arranged in a different order.

Confunction Identities Odd-Even Identities

Also called negative angle identities
   
sin  x  cos x cos  x  sin x Sin (-x) = -sin x Csc (-x) = -csc x
2  2 
Cos (-x) = cos x Sec (-x) = sec x
   
tan  x  cot x cot   x  tan x Tan (-x) = -tan x Cot (-x) = -cot x
2  2 

    c
sec  x  csc x csc  x  sec x Phase Shift =
2  2  b
2
Period =
b

Sum and Difference Formulas/Identities How to Find Reference Angles

sin(u  v )  sin u cos v  cos u sin v Step 1: Determine which quadrant the angle is in
sin(u  v )  sin u cos v  cos u sin v Step 2: Use the appropriate formula
Quad I = is the angle itself
cos(u  v )  cos u cos v  sin u sin v Quad II = 180 – θ or π- θ
cos(u  v )  cos u cos v  sin u sin v Quad III = θ – 180 or θ- π
Quad IV = 360 – θ or 2π - θ
tan u  tan v
tan(u  v ) 
1  tan u tan v

tan u  tan v
tan(u  v ) 
1  tan u tan v
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 Reciprocal Identities Ratio or Quotient Identities
1 1 sin x cos x
sin x  csc x  tan x  cot x 
csc x sin x cos x sin x

1 1
cos x  sec x  sinx = cosx tanx cosx = sinx cotx
sec x cos x

1 1
tan x  cot x 
cot x tan x

Pythagorean Identities Pythagorean Identities in Radical Form

sin x  cos x  1
2 2
sin x   1  cos2 x
1  tan 2 x  sec2 x
1  cot 2 x  csc2 x tan x   sec 2 x  1

Note: there are only three, basic Pythagorean identities, the other forms
are the same three identities, just arranged in a different order.

Confunction Identities Odd-Even Identities

Also called negative angle identities
   
sin  x  cos x cos  x  sin x Sin (-x) = -sin x Csc (-x) = -csc x
2  2 
Cos (-x) = cos x Sec (-x) = sec x

  
tan  x  cot x cot   x  tan x Tan (-x) = -tan x Cot (-x) = -cot x
2  2 

   
sec  x  csc x csc  x  sec x
2  2 

Sum and Difference Formulas - Identities

sin(u  v )  sin u cos v  cos u sin v cos(u  v )  cos u cos v  sin u sin v
sin(u  v )  sin u cos v  cos u sin v cos(u  v )  cos u cos v  sin u sin v

tan u  tan v tan u  tan v

tan(u  v )  tan(u  v ) 
1  tan u tan v 1  tan u tan v

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 The Unit Circle
90°
3 3
Tan = - 3 cot  tan = undefined & cot= 0 tan = 3 cot =
3 3

120° 60°
Tan = 1
Tan =- - 1 cot = 1
Cot = -1
135° 45°

2.09 1.57
1.04
150° 2.35 30°
.785
2.61
3 3
Tan =  cot = - 3 .523 tan = cot = 3
3 3

3.14
Tan= 0 Tan=0 & cot=undef
Cot=undef
180° 360°
3.66 2(3.14 )= 6.28
3 3
Tan cot = 3 3.925 5.75 tan =  cot = - 3
3 3
4.186 5.49
4.71 5.23 330°
210°

Tan = -1
Tan = 1 Cot = -1
Cot = 1
225° 315°

240° 270° 300°

3 3
Tan = 3 cot = tan=undefined tan = - 3 cot = 
3 3
Cot = 0

Definition of Trigonometric Functions concerning the Unit Circle

opp y hyp r
sin θ =  csc θ = 
hyp r opp y

adj x hyp r
cos θ =  sec θ = 
hyp r adj x

opp y adj x
tan θ =  cot θ = 
adj x opp y
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Right Triangle Definitions of Trigonometric Functions
Note: sin & cos are complementary angles, so are tan & cot and sec & cos, and the sum of complementary angles is 90 degrees.
C
opp y hyp r
sin θ =  csc θ = 
hyp r opp y
r y
Hypotenuse opposite
adj x hyp r
cos θ =  sec θ = 
hyp r adj x
A x B
adjacent
opp y adj x
tan θ =  cot θ = 
adj x opp y

Adjacent = is the side adjacent to the angle in consideration. So if we are considering Angle A, then the adjacent side is CB

Trigonometric Values of Special Angles

Degrees 0° 30° 45° 60° 90° 180° 270°
   
Radians 0 6 4 3 2  3
2
1 2 3
sinθ 0 2 2 2 1 0 -1

3 2 1
cosθ 1 2 2 2 0 -1 0

3
tanθ 0 1 3 undefined 0 undefined
3

 rad
To Convert Degrees to Radians, Multiply by
180deg

180deg
To Convert Radians to Degrees, Multiply by
 rad

Vocabulary
 Cotangent Angles - are two angles with the same terminal side
 Reference Angle - is an acute angle formed by terminal side of angle(α) with x-axis

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Double Angle Identities Half Angle Identities Power Reducing Formulas
A 1  cos A 1  cos 2u
sin 2 A  2 sin A cos A sin   sin 2 u 
2 2 2

A 1  cos A 1  cos 2u
cos 2 A  cos2 A  sin 2 A cos  cos2 u 
2 2 2

A 1  cos A 1  cos 2u
cos 2 A  2 cos2 A  1 tan  tan 2 u 
2 sin A 1  cos 2u
cos 2 A  1  2 sin 2 A

2 tan A A sin A
tan 2 A  tan 
1  tan 2 A 2 1  cos A

Product-to-Sum Formulas Sum-to-Product Formulas

1  x  y  x  y
sin u sin v  cos(u  v )  cos(u  v ) sin x  sin y  2 sin  cos 
2  2   2 

1  x  y  x  y
cos u cos v 
2
cos(u  v)  cos(u  v) sin x  sin y  2 cos  sin
 2   2 


1  x  y  x  y
sin u cos v 
2
sin(u  v)  sin(u  v) cos x  cos y  2 cos
 2 
 cos
 2 


1  x  y  x  y
cos u sin v 
2
sin(u  v)  sin(u  v) cos x  cos y   2 sin  sin
 2   2 


Law of Sines Law of Cosines

Solving Oblique Triangles using sine: AAS, ASA, SSA, SSS, SAS Cosine: SAS, SSS

Standard Form Alternative Form

a b c sin A sin B sin C b2  c2  a 2
  or   a  b  c  2bc cos A
2 2 2
cos A 
sin A sin B sin C a b c 2bc
a  c2  b2
2

b 2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B cos B 

2ac
a  b 2  c2
2

c 2  b 2  a 2  2ab cos C cosC 

2ab

Finding the Area of non-90degree Triangles

Area of an Oblique Triangle Heron’s Formula

1 1 1  a  b  c
area  bc sin A  ab sin C  ac sin B Step 1: Find “s” s
2 2 2 2
Step 2: Use the formula area  s( s  a )( s  b)( s  c)
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