Introduction to Trigonometry | Exercise 8.3

Question 2

Write all the other trigonometric ratios of A\angle A in terms of secA\sec A.

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Solution
Understand the Question
  • To express all trigonometric ratios (sinA,cosA,tanA,cosecA,cotA\sin A, \cos A, \tan A, \operatorname{cosec} A, \cot A) in terms of secA\sec A, we use the fundamental trigonometric identities:
    • Reciprocal identity: cosA=1secA\cos A = \dfrac{1}{\sec A}
    • Pythagorean identities: sin2A+cos2A=1\sin^2 A + \cos^2 A = 1 and 1+tan2A=sec2A1 + \tan^2 A = \sec^2 A
    • Reciprocals for remaining ratios: cosecA=1sinA\operatorname{cosec} A = \dfrac{1}{\sin A} and cotA=1tanA\cot A = \dfrac{1}{\tan A}

Step 1 · Express cosA\cos A in Terms of secA\sec A

Using the reciprocal identityDiagram 1

cosA=1secA\cos A = \dfrac{1}{\sec A}

Step 2 · Express sinA\sin A in Terms of secA\sec A

Using the identity sin2A+cos2A=1\sin^2 A + \cos^2 A = 1

sin2A=1cos2A=1(1secA)2=11sec2A=sec2A1sec2A\begin{aligned} \sin^2 A &= 1 - \cos^2 A \\[0.6em] &= 1 - \left(\dfrac{1}{\sec A}\right)^2 \\[0.6em] &= 1 - \dfrac{1}{\sec^2 A} \\[0.6em] &= \dfrac{\sec^2 A - 1}{\sec^2 A} \end{aligned}

Taking the square root on both sides

sinA=sec2A1sec2A=sec2A1secA\begin{aligned} \sin A &= \sqrt{\dfrac{\sec^2 A - 1}{\sec^2 A}} \\[0.6em] &= \dfrac{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}}{\sec A} \end{aligned}

Step 3 · Express tanA\tan A in Terms of secA\sec A

Using the identity 1+tan2A=sec2A1 + \tan^2 A = \sec^2 A

tan2A=sec2A1\tan^2 A = \sec^2 A - 1

Taking the square root on both sides

tanA=sec2A1\tan A = \sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}

Step 4 · Express cosecA\operatorname{cosec} A in Terms of secA\sec A

Using the reciprocal relation cosecA=1sinA\operatorname{cosec} A = \dfrac{1}{\sin A}

cosecA=1sinA=1sec2A1secA=secAsec2A1\begin{aligned} \operatorname{cosec} A &= \dfrac{1}{\sin A} \\[0.6em] &= \dfrac{1}{\dfrac{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}}{\sec A}} \\[1.1em] &= \dfrac{\sec A}{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}} \end{aligned}

Step 5 · Express cotA\cot A in Terms of secA\sec A

Using the reciprocal relation cotA=1tanA\cot A = \dfrac{1}{\tan A}

cotA=1tanA=1sec2A1\begin{aligned} \cot A &= \dfrac{1}{\tan A} \\[0.6em] &= \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}} \end{aligned}
Answer

cosA=1secA,sinA=sec2A1secA,tanA=sec2A1cosecA=secAsec2A1,cotA=1sec2A1\begin{aligned} \cos A &= \dfrac{1}{\sec A}, & \sin A &= \dfrac{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}}{\sec A}, & \tan A &= \sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1} \\[0.8em] \operatorname{cosec} A &= \dfrac{\sec A}{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}}, & \cot A &= \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}} \end{aligned}

Common Mistakes
  • Root Simplification Error: Incorrectly simplifying sec2A1\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1} as secA1\sec A - 1. A square root cannot be distributed over subtraction.
  • Sign of Identity: Confusing 1+tan2A=sec2A1 + \tan^2 A = \sec^2 A with tan2A1=sec2A\tan^2 A - 1 = \sec^2 A.
  • Denominator Under Radical: Forgetting to take the square root of the denominator when finding sinA\sin A, writing sec2A1sec2A\sqrt{\dfrac{\sec^2 A - 1}{\sec^2 A}} as sec2A1sec2A\dfrac{\sqrt{\sec^2 A - 1}}{\sec^2 A} instead of dividing by secA\sec A.

More questions in Exercise 8.3

Q1

Express the trigonometric ratios sinA\sin A, secA\sec A and tanA\tan A in terms of cotA\cot A.

Q2

Write all the other trigonometric ratios of A\angle A in terms of secA\sec A.

Q3

Choose the correct option. Justify your choice.

(i) 9sec2A9tan2A=9 \sec^2 A - 9 \tan^2 A =

(A) 11 (B) 99 (C) 88 (D) 00

(ii) (1+tanθ+secθ)(1+cotθcscθ)=(1 + \tan \theta + \sec \theta) (1 + \cot \theta - \csc \theta) =

(A) 00 (B) 11 (C) 22 (D) 1-1

(iii) (secA+tanA)(1sinA)=(\sec A + \tan A) (1 - \sin A) =

(A) secA\sec A (B) sinA\sin A (C) cscA\csc A (D) cosA\cos A

(iv) 1+tan2A1+cot2A=\dfrac{1 + \tan^2 A}{1 + \cot^2 A} =

(A) sec2A\sec^2 A (B) 1-1 (C) cot2A\cot^2 A (D) tan2A\tan^2 A

Q4

Prove the following identities, where the angles involved are acute angles for which the expressions are defined.

(i) (cosec θcotθ)2=1cosθ1+cosθ(\text{cosec } \theta - \cot \theta)^2 = \dfrac{1 - \cos \theta}{1 + \cos \theta}

(ii) cosA1+sinA+1+sinAcosA=2secA\dfrac{\cos A}{1 + \sin A} + \dfrac{1 + \sin A}{\cos A} = 2 \sec A

(iii) tanθ1cotθ+cotθ1tanθ=1+secθ cosec θ\dfrac{\tan \theta}{1 - \cot \theta} + \dfrac{\cot \theta}{1 - \tan \theta} = 1 + \sec \theta \text{ cosec } \theta [Hint : Write the expression in terms of sinθ\sin \theta and cosθ\cos \theta]

(iv) 1+secAsecA=sin2A1cosA\dfrac{1 + \sec A}{\sec A} = \dfrac{\sin^2 A}{1 - \cos A} [Hint : Simplify LHS and RHS separately]

(v) cosAsinA+1cosA+sinA1=cosec A+cotA\dfrac{\cos A - \sin A + 1}{\cos A + \sin A - 1} = \text{cosec } A + \cot A, using the identity cosec2A=1+cot2A\text{cosec}^2 A = 1 + \cot^2 A.

(vi) 1+sinA1sinA=secA+tanA\sqrt{\dfrac{1 + \sin A}{1 - \sin A}} = \sec A + \tan A

(vii) sinθ2sin3θ2cos3θcosθ=tanθ\dfrac{\sin \theta - 2 \sin^3 \theta}{2 \cos^3 \theta - \cos \theta} = \tan \theta

(viii) (sinA+cosec A)2+(cosA+secA)2=7+tan2A+cot2A(\sin A + \text{cosec } A)^2 + (\cos A + \sec A)^2 = 7 + \tan^2 A + \cot^2 A

(ix) (cosec AsinA)(secAcosA)=1tanA+cotA(\text{cosec } A - \sin A)(\sec A - \cos A) = \dfrac{1}{\tan A + \cot A} [Hint : Simplify LHS and RHS separately]

(x) (1+tan2A1+cot2A)=(1tanA1cotA)2=tan2A\left(\dfrac{1 + \tan^2 A}{1 + \cot^2 A}\right) = \left(\dfrac{1 - \tan A}{1 - \cot A}\right)^2 = \tan^2 A

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