An identity is an equation that is true

for all defined values of a variable.

We are going to use the identities that we have already

established and establish others to "prove" or verify
other identities. Let's summarize the basic identities we
have.
 RECIPROCAL IDENTITIES
1 1 1
sin x  cos x  tan x 
csc x sec x cot x
1 1 1
csc x  sec x  cot x 
sin x cos x tan x

QUOTIENT IDENTITIES
sin x cos x
tan x  cot x 
cos x sin x
 2 2
sin x  cos x  1
Let’s look at the Fundamental Identity derived in Section 1.6
Now to find the two more identities from this famous and oft used one.
2 2
sin x  cos x  1 Divide all terms by cos2x

cos2x cos2x cos2x

What trig function What trig function
is this squared? 1 is this squared?
2 2
tan x  1  sec x
2 2
sin x  cos x  1 Divide all terms by sin2x

sin2x sin2x sin2x These three are sometimes

called the Pythagorean
1 What trig function What trig function
is this squared? is this squared?
Identities since the
derivation of the
fundamental theorem used
2 2
1  cot x  csc x the Pythagorean Theorem
 RECIPROCAL IDENTITIES
1 1 1
sin x  cos x  tan x 
csc x sec x cot x
1 1 1
csc x  sec x  cot x 
sin x cos x tan x

QUOTIENT IDENTITIES
sin x cos x
tan x  cot x 
cos x sin x

PYTHAGOREAN IDENTITIES
1  cot 2 x  csc 2 x
sin 2 x  cos 2 x  1 tan 2 x  1  sec 2 x
All of the identities we learned are found on the back page of your book.
You'll need to have these memorized or be able to derive them for this course.
One way to use identities is to simplify expressions
involving trigonometric functions. Often a good strategy for
doing this is to write all trig functions in terms of sines and
cosines and then simplify. Let’s see an example of this:
sin x substitute using 1
tan x  csc x 
cos x each identity sin x
tan x csc x
Simplify: 1
sec x sec x 
cos x
simplify
sin x 1 1

 cos x sin x  cos x 1
1 1
cos x cos x
 Another way to use identities is to write one function in
terms of another function. Let’s see an example of this:

Write the following expression

in terms of only one trig function:
2 This expression involves both
cos x  sin x  1 sine and cosine. The
Fundamental Identity makes a
= 1  sin 2 x  sin x  1 connection between sine and
cosine so we can use that and
solve for cosine squared and
=  sin 2 x  sin x  2 substitute.

sin 2 x  cos 2 x  1 cos 2 x  1  sin 2 x

 A third way to use identities is to find function values. Let’s
see an example of this: 1
csc  
1 sin 
Given sin   with  in quadrant II, We'd get csc by taking
3 reciprocal of sin
find the other five trig functions using identities. csc   3
sin 2   cos 2   1 Now use the fundamental trig identity

2 Sub in the value of sine that you know

1 2
   cos   1 Solve this for cos 
 3
8 8 2 2
2
cos   cos    
square root
9 9 3
When we square root, we need  but determine that we’d
both sides
need the negative since we have an angle in Quad II where
cosine values are negative.
 1
sin   You can easily find sec by taking reciprocal of cos.
3 This can be rationalized

2 2 3 2 3 2
csc   3 cos    sec    
3 2 2 2 4
sin 
tan   We need to get tangent using
cos  fundamental identities.
This can be rationalized
1 Simplify by inverting and multiplying

tan   3 1  3  1 2
      
2 2 3  2 2 2 2 4

3 Finally you can find
cot   2 2 cotangent by taking the
reciprocal of this answer.
Now let’s look at the unit circle to compare trig functions
of positive vs. negative angles.


What is cos ?
3
1
2

 
What is cos   ?
 3
1
2

Remember a negative 1
 ,
3

2 2 
angle means to go  

clockwise
cos   x   cos x
Recall from College Algebra that if we put
a negative in the function and get the
original back it is an even function.


What is sin ?
3
3
2

 
What is sin   ?
 3
3
 1
 , 3 


2 2
 2 
 sin   x    sin x
Recall from College Algebra that if we
put a negative in the function and get
the negative of the function back it is an
odd function.


What is tan ?
3
3

 
What is tan   ?
 3
 3 1
 ,
3

2 2 
 
 If a function is even, its reciprocal function will be
also. If a function is odd its reciprocal will be also.
EVEN-ODD PROPERTIES
sin(- x ) = - sin x (odd) csc(- x ) = - csc x (odd)
cos(- x) = cos x (even) sec(- x ) = sec x (even)
tan(- x) = - tan x (odd) cot(- x ) = - cot x (odd)

sin  60   what in terms of a positive angle?

 sin 60
 2 
sec    what in terms of a positive angle?
 3  2
sec
3
 RECIPROCAL IDENTITIES
1 1 1
csc x  sec x  cot x 
sin x cos x tan x

QUOTIENT IDENTITIES
sin x cos x
tan x  cot x 
cos x sin x

PYTHAGOREAN IDENTITIES
2 2 2 2
sin x  cos x  1 tan x  1  sec x
1  cot 2 x  csc 2 x

EVEN-ODD IDENTITIES
sin   x    sin x cos   x   cos x tan   x    tan x
csc   x    csc x sec   x   sec x cot   x    cot x