Trigonometric Identities & Formulas

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Reciprocal Identities Ratio or Quotient Identities

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

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

tan x  cot x 
1 1
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

2  2 
Sin (-x) = -sin x Csc (-x) = -csc x

   
Cos (-x) = cos x Sec (-x) = sec x
tan  x  cot x cot   x  tan x
2  2 
Tan (-x) = -tan x Cot (-x) = -cot x

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

2
b

Period =
b

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

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
Step 2: Use the appropriate formula

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

Quad I = is the angle itself
180 – θ π- θ
cos(u  v )  cos u cos v  sin u sin v
Quad II = or
Quad III = θ – 180 or θ- π
360 – θ 2π - θ
tan u  tan v
Quad IV = or
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
sin x  csc x  tan x  cot x 
1 1 sin x cos x
csc x sin x cos x sin x

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

tan x  cot x 
1 1
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

2  2 
Sin (-x) = -sin x Csc (-x) = -csc x


  
Cos (-x) = cos x Sec (-x) = sec x
tan  x  cot x cot   x  tan x
2  2 
Tan (-x) = -tan x Cot (-x) = -cot x

   
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°

cot 
3 3
Tan = - 3 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

Tan = 
3 3
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

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

 Cotangent Angles
Vocabulary

 Reference Angle
- are two angles with the same terminal side
- 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
1  cos A 1  cos 2u
sin 2 A  2 sin A cos A sin   sin 2 u 
A
2 2 2

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

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

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

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

 x  y  x  y
Product-to-Sum Formulas Sum-to-Product Formulas
sin x  sin y  2 sin  cos 
 2   2 
1
2

cos u cos v  cos(u  v)  cos(u  v)  x  y  x  y

sin x  sin y  2 cos  sin
 2   2 

1
2

sin u cos v  sin(u  v)  sin(u  v)  x  y

cos x  cos y  2 cos
 2 
 x  y
 cos
 2 

1
2

cos u sin v  sin(u  v)  sin(u  v)  x  y  x  y

cos x  cos y   2 sin  sin
 2   2 

1
2

Law of Sines Law of Cosines

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

b2  c2  a 2
Standard Form Alternative Form

    a  b  c  2bc cos A cos A 

a b c sin A sin B sin C 2 2 2
or

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

b 2  a 2  c 2  2ac cos B cos B 

2

a  b 2  c2
2ac

c 2  b 2  a 2  2ab cos C cosC 

2

2ab

Finding the Area of non-90degree Triangles

Area of an Oblique Triangle Heron’s Formula

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