TRIGONOMETRY FORMULAS

cos 2 ( x) + sin 2 ( x) = 1 1 + tan 2 ( x) = sec 2 ( x) cot 2 ( x) + 1 = csc 2 ( x)

cos( x ± y ) = cos( x) cos( y ) ∓ sin( x) sin( y ) tan( x) ± tan( y )

tan( x ± y ) =
sin( x ± y ) = sin( x) cos( y ) ± cos( x) sin( y ) 1 ∓ tan( x) tan( y )

sin(2 x) = 2 sin( x) cos( x)

cos 2 ( x) − sin 2 ( x) c 2 = a 2 + b 2 − 2ab cos(C )
 sin( A) sin( B ) sin(C )
cos(2 x) = 2 cos 2 ( x) − 1 = =
1 − 2 sin 2 ( x) a b c

2 tan( x)
tan(2 x) =
1 − tan 2 ( x)

1 − cos(2 x) x 1 + cos( x)

sin 2 ( x) = cos  = ±
2 2 2
1 + cos( 2 x)  x 1 − cos( x)
cos 2 ( x) = sin   = ±
2  2 2
1 − cos( 2 x)  x 1 − cos( x)
tan 2 ( x) = tan   = ±
1 + cos(2 x)
2 1 + cos( x)

sin( x) sin( y ) = 12 [cos( x − y ) − cos( x + y )]

cos( x) cos( y ) = 12 [cos( x − y ) + cos( x + y )]
sin( x) cos( y ) = 12 [sin ( x + y ) + sin( x − y )]
cos( x) sin( y ) = 12 [sin ( x + y ) − sin( x − y )]

x+ y x− y
sin( x) + sin( y ) = 2 sin   cos 
 2   2 
x− y x+ y
sin( x) − sin( y ) = 2 sin   cos 
 2   2 
x+ y x− y
cos( x) + cos( y ) = 2 cos  cos 
 2   2 
x+ y x− y
cos( x) − cos( y ) = −2 sin   sin  
 2   2 

For two vectors A and B, A·B = ||A||||B||cos(θ)

The well known results: soh, cah, toa

o
soh: s stands for sine, o stands for opposite and h stands for hypotenuse, sin x =
h
a
cah: c stands for cosine, a stands for adjacent h stands for hypotenuse, cos x = h o
h
o
toa: t stands for tan, o stands for opposite and a stands for adjacent, tan x = a
a
Where x is the angle between the hypotenuse and the adjacent.
Other three trigonometric functions have the following relations:
1 h 1 h 1 a
csc x = = , sec x = = and cot x = =
sin x o cos x a tan x o

Important values:

π π π π
0 300 = 450 = 600 = 900 =
6 4 3 2
sin 1 2 3
0 2 1
2 2
cos 3 2 1
1 2 0
2 2
tan 1
0 3 1 3 undefined
csc 2
undefined 2 2 3 1
sec 2
1 3 2 2 undefined
cot 1
undefined 3 1 3 0

sin(nπ ± x) = [ ? ]sin x, cos(nπ ± x) = [ ? ]cos x, tan(nπ ± x) = [ ? ]tan x , the sign ? is for plus or minus
depending on the position of the terminal side. One may remember the four-quadrant rule: (All
Students Take Calculus: A = all, S = sine, T = tan, C = cosine)

sine all

tan cosine

F2006 © Department of Mathematics & Statistics – Arizona State University 2

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Example: Find the value of sin 3000 . We may write sin 3000 = sin(2 ⋅1800 − 600 ) = [−]sin 600 = - ,
2
in this case the terminal side is in quadrant four where sine is negative.

In the following diagram, each point on the unit circle is labeled first with its coordinates (exact
values), then with the angle in degrees, then with the angle in radians. Points in the lower hemisphere
have both positive and negative angles marked.

F2006 © Department of Mathematics & Statistics – Arizona State University 3