TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS AND IDENTITIES

The word trigonon means a triangle and the word metron means a measurement. Hence trigonometry means the
science of measuring triangles.

SYSTEMS OF MEASUREMENT OF ANGLES

There are three systems for measuring angles
1. Sexagesimal or English system
2. Centesimal or French system
3. Circular system
Sexagesimal system : The principal unit in this system is degree (°). One right angle is divided into 90 equal part
and each part is called one degree (1°) . One degree is divided into 60 equal parts and each part is called one
minute and is denoted by (1'). One minute is equally divided into 60 equal parts and each part is called one second
(1").
In Mathematical form :
One right angle = 90° (Read as 90 degrees )
1° = 60' (Read as 60 minutes )
1' = 60" (Read as 60 seconds )
Centesimal system : The principal unit in this system is grade and is denoted by (g). One right angle is divided
into 100 equal parts, called grades, and each grade is subdivided into 100 minutes, and each minute into 100
seconds.
In Mathematical form :
One right angles = 100g (Read as 100 grades)
1g = 100' (Read as 100 minutes)
1' = 100" (Read as 100 seconds)
Circular system : In circular system the unit of measurement is radian. One radian, written as 1C, is the
measure of an angle subtended at the centre of a circle by an arc of length equal to the radius of the circle.
Relation between systems of measurement of angles

D G 2C
 
90 100 

TRIGONOMETRICAL RATIOS OR FUNCTIONS

Let a line OA make  angle with a fixed line OX and AM is perpendicular from A on OX. Then in right-angled
triangle AMO, trigonometrical ratios (functions) with respect to  are defined as follows :
Y
P B P A
sin  = , cos  = , tan  =
H H B

H H B H P
cosec  = . sec  = , cot  =
P B P

X
O B M
Note :
(i) Since t-ratios are ratios between two sides of a right angled triangle with respect to an angle, so they are real
numbers.
(ii)  may be acute angle or obtuse angle or right angle.
[1]
[2] Trigonometric Ratios and Identities

SIGN OF TRIGONOMETRIC RATIOS

(i) All ratios sin  , cos  , tan  , cot  , sec  and cosec  are positive in Ist quadrant.
(ii) sin  (or cosec  ) positive in IInd quadrant, rest are negative.
(iii) tan  (or cot  ) positive in IIIrd quadrant, rest are negative.
(iv) cos  (or sec  ) positive in IVth quadrant, rest are negative.

DOMAIN AND RANGE OF A TRIGONOMETRICAL FUNCTION

If f : X  Y is a function, defined on the set X, then the domain of the function f, written as Domain is the set of
all independent variables x, for which the image f(x) is well defined element of Y, called the co-domain of f.
Range of f : X  Y is the set of all images f(x) which belongs to Y , i.e.
Range f = {f(x) Y: x  X }  Y

The domain and range of trigonometrical functions are tabulated as follows

Trigonometric function Domain Range

sin x R, the set of all the real number [–1, 1]

cosx R –1  cos x  1
  
tan x R –  2n  1 ,nI  R
 2 
cosecx R – n  ,n I R–{x:–1<x<1}
  
sec x R –  2n  1 ,nI  R – { x : –1 < x < 1 }
 2 
cot x R – n  ,n I R

TRIGONOMETRICAL RATIOS OF STANDARD ANGLES

Trigonometric Ratios and Identities [3]

GRAPH OF DIFFERENT TRIGONOMETRICAL RATIOS

tan x
[4] Trigonometric Ratios and Identities

SUM AND DIFFERENCE FORMULAE

(i) sin(A + B) = sinA cosB + cosA sin B (ii) sin(A – B) = sinA cosB – cosA sin B
(iii) cos(A + B) = cosA cosB – sinA sinB (iv) cos(A – B) = cosA cosB + sinA sinB
tan A  tan B tan A  tan B
(v) tan(A + B) = (vi) tan(A – B) =
1  tan A tan B 1  tan A tan B

  1  tan    1  tan 
(vii) tan      (viii) tan     
4  1  tan  4  1  tan 

cot A cot B  1 cot A cot B  1

(ix) cot(A + B) = (xi) cot(A – B) =
cot A  cot B cot B  cot A
(xii) sin(A + B) sin(A – B) = sin2 A – sin2B = cos2B – cos2A
(xiii) cos(A + B) cos(A – B) = cos2A – sin2B = cos2B – sin2A
2 tan 
(xiv) sin2  = 2sin  cos  =
(1  tan 2 )
(xv) (cosA ± sin A)2 = 1 ± sin 2A

(1  tan 2 )
(xvi) cos2  = = cos2  – sin2  = 1 – 2 sin2  = 2 cos2  – 1
(1  tan 2 )

2 tan 
(xvii) tan2  =
1  tan 2 

A 1  cos A A 1  cos A
(xviii) sin  , cos  
2 2 2 2

A 1  cos A
(xix) tan 
2 1  coA

3 tan A  tan3 A
(xx) tan 3A = ( A  n  +  /6 )
1  3 tan2 A

FORMULAE FOR TRANSFORMATION OF SUM OR DIFFERENCE INTO PRODUCT

 (C  D )   (C  D) 
(i) sinC + sinD = 2sin   cos  
 2   2 

 (C  D )   (C  D) 
(ii) sinC – sinD = 2cos   sin  
 2   2 

 (C  D )   (C  D) 
(iii) cosC + cosD = 2cos   cos  
 2   2 

 (C  D)   (D  C) 
(iv) cosC – cosD = 2sin   sin  
 2   2 

sin A sin B sin A cos B  cos A sin B sin( A  B)   

(v) tanA ± tanB =     A  n  , B  m  
cos A cos B cos A cos B cos A cos B  2 
Trigonometric Ratios and Identities [5]

sin(B  A )  
(vi) cotA ± cotB =  A  n, B  m  
sin A sin B  2

    1
 A = cos  4  A 
(vii) cosA ± sinA = 2 sin  4  2  
· tanA + cotA =
(sin A cos A )

cos( A  B ) cos( A  B)
(viii) 1 + tanA tanB = · 1 – tanA tanB =
cos A cos B cos A cos B
(ix) cotA – tanA = 2cot2A · tanA + cotA = 2cosec2A
A A A A
(x) sin + cos = ± 1 sin A · sin – cos = ± 1 sin A
2 2 2 2

FORMULAE FOR TRANSFORMATION OF PRODUCT INTO SUM OR DIFFERENCE

(i) 2sinA cosB = sin(A + B) + sin(A – B)
(ii) 2cosA sinB = sin(A + B) – sin(A – B)
(iii) 2cosA cosB = cos(A + B) + cos(A – B)
(iv) 2sinA sinB = cos(A – B) – cos(A + B)

TRIGONOMETRICAL RATIOS OF SOME IMPORTANT ANGLES

1 4 2 6 1 4 2 6
(i) sin 7 = (ii) cos 7 =
2 2 2 2 2 2

1 ( 3  1)
(iii) tan 7
2
=  3 2  2 1  (iv) sin15º =
2 2
= cos75º

( 3  1)
(v) cos15º = = sin75º (vi) tan15º = 2 – 3 = cot75º
2 2

º
1 1
(vii) cot15º = 2 + 3 = tan75º (viii) sin22 = 2 2
2 2

1º 1 1º
(ix) cos22 = 2 2 (x) tan22 = 2 –1
2 2 2
º
1 1
(xi) cot22 = 2+1 (xii) sin18º = ( 5 – 1) = cos72º
2 4
1 1
(xiii) cos18º = 10  2 5 = sin72º (xiv) sin36º = 10  2 2 = cos54º
4 4

1
(xv) cos36º = ( 5 + 1) = sin54º
4

FORMULAE FOR SUM OF THREE ANGLES

(i) sin (A + B + C) = sinA cos B cosC + cosA sin B cos C + cos A cos B sin C – sinA sinB sinC
= cos A cos B cos C ( tanA + tan B + tanC – tan A tan B tan C )
(ii) cos (A + B + C) = cosA cosB cosC – sinA sinB cosC – sinA cos B sin C – cosA sinB sinC
= cos A cos B cos C (1 – tan A tan B – tan B tan C – tan C tanA )
[6] Trigonometric Ratios and Identities

tan A  tanB  tan C  tan A tanB tan C

(iii) tan (A + B + C) =
1  tan A tanB  tanB tanC  tan C tan A
(iv) 4sin(60º – A) sinA sin(60º + A) = sin3A
4cos(60º – A) cosA cos(60º + A) = cos3A
tan(60º – A) tanA tan(60º + A) = tan3A

CONDITIONAL IDENTITIES
(1) If A + B + C = 180° , then
(i) sin 2A + sin 2B + sin2C = 4 sin A sin B sin C
(ii) sin 2A + sin 2B – sin 2C = 4 cosA cos B sin C
(iii) sin (B + C –A) + sin (C + A – B) + sin (A + B –C) = 4 sin A sin B sin C
(iv) cos 2A + cos 2B + cos 2C = –1–4 cos A cos B cos C
(v) cos 2A + cos 2 B – cos 2C = 1 – 4 sinA sin B cos C
(2) If A + B + C = 180°, then
A B C
(i) sin A + sin B + sin C = 4cos cos cos
2 2 2

A B C
(ii) sin A + sin B – sin C = 4 sin sin cos
2 2 2

A B C
(iii) cosA + cos B + cosC = 1 + 4 sin sin sin
2 2 2

A B C
(iv) cosA + cosB – cos C = –1 + 4 cos cos sin
2 2 2
cos A cosB cosC
(v)   2
sinB sinC sinC sin A sin A sinB
(3) If A + B + C =  , then
(i) sin2A + sin2B – sin2C = 2 sin A sin B cos C
(ii) cos2A + cos2B + cos2C = 1–2 cos A cos B cos C
(iii) sin2A + sin2B + sin2C = 2 + 2 cosA cos B cosC
(iv) cos2A + cos2B – cos2C = 1–2 sin A sin B cos C
(4) If A + B + C =  , then
B C A B C
(i) sin2 A + sin2 + sin2 =1 – 2sin sin sin
2 2 2 2 2 2

A B C A B C
(ii) cos2  cos2  cos2  2  2sin sin sin
2 2 2 2 2 2

A B C A B C
(iii) sin2  sin2  sin2  1  2cos cos sin
2 2 2 2 2 2
A B C A B C
(iv) cos2  cos2  cos2  2cos cos sin
2 2 2 2 2 2

(5) If x + y + z = , then
2
(i) sin2 x + sin2y + sin2z = 1–2 sin x sin y sin z
(ii) cos2x + cos2y + cos2z = 2 + 2 sin x sin y sin z
Trigonometric Ratios and Identities [7]

(iii) sin2x + sin2y + sin 2z = 4 cos x cosy cos z

(6) If A + B + C =  , then
(i) tanA + tan B + tan c = tan A tan B tan C
(ii) cotB cot C + cot C cot A + cot A cot B = 1
B C C A A B
(iii) tan tan  tan tan  tan tan  1
2 2 2 2 2 2
A B C A B C
(iv) cot  cot  cot  cot cot cot
2 2 2 2 2 2

MOTHOD OF COMPONENDO AND DIVIDENDO

p a
If  , then by componendo an dividendo we can write
q b
pq ab qp ba
 or 
qq ab qp ba
pq ab qp ba
or  or 
pq ab qp ba
Note :- Reference of the above formulae will be given in the solutions of problems.

SOME IMPORTANT RESULTS

(i)  a2  b2  a sin x  b cos x  a2  b2

(ii) sin2x + cosec2 x  2
(iii) cos2x + sec2 x  2
(iv) tan2x + cot2 x  2
1  sin   
(v)  tan     sec   tan 
1  sin  4 2
1  sin    
(vi)  tan     sec   tan 
1  sin  4 2
1  cos  
(vii)  cot  cosec  cot 
1  cos  2
1  cos  
(viii)  tan  cosec  cot 
1  cos  2
2 n–1 sin 2n 
(ix) cos  . cos 2  . cos 2  ............ cos 2  = 2n sin  ;   n 

sin nB / 2  B
(x) cosA + cos (A +B) + cos (A + 2B) + ........ + cos { A + ( n –1) B } = cos A  (n  1) 
sinB / 2  2

MISCELLANEOUS POINTS
(i) Some useful identities :
 tan A  tan A tanB tanC
(a) tan (A + B + C) =
1   tan A tanB
(b) tan  = cot  – 2 cot 2 
(c) tan3  = tan  . tan ( 60° –  ) .tan ( 60° +  )(d) tan (A+B) – tanA – tanB = tanA. tanB.tan(A+B)
1 1
(e) sin  sin ( 60° –  ) sin (60° +  ) = sin3 (f) cos  cos ( 60° –  ) cos (60° +  ) = cos3
4 4
[8] Trigonometric Ratios and Identities

(ii) Some useful series :

  n  1     n  
sin        sin   
  2     2 
;   2n
(a) sin  + sin (  +  ) + sin (  + 2  ) ......... + to n terms = 
sin  
2
  n  1     n  
cos       sin   
  2     2 
;   2n
(b) cos  + cos (  +  ) + cos (  + 2  )+ ........ + to n terms = 
sin  
2

(iii) Least value of a sinx + b cos x + c is c  a2  b2 and greatest value is c  a2  b2