Proving Trigonometric Identities

Part A: Basic Identities to Use to prove other identities.

Reciprocal Identities 1 1 1 csc A , sec A , cot A sin A cos A tan A Quotient Identities

tan A

sin A , cos A

tan 2 A

sin 2 A , cos 2 A

cot A

cos A sin A

Pythagorean Identities

cos 2 A sin 2 A 1

or

sin 2 A 1 cos 2 A cos 2 A 1 sin 2 A

Part B:

Basic Rules to follow to prove identities.

Learn the basic identities so that you can use them to prove identities. Rewrite trigonometric ratios in terms of sinA and cosA. Work on the most complicated side, using mathematics tools that have been previously learned. Examples of these tools are: factoring, expanding, addition of fractions, multiplication and division of fractions, as well as the basic trigonometric identities. Work on that side until it is equal to the other side of the identity. If you are not progressing toward that goal, back up and start again after checking that you have not made a mathematical error.