6 – General Solution of Trig Equations

1. Write down a general solution of

2 3
(a) tan x = 3 (b) cos x = (c) sin x =
2 2
1 1
(d) tan x = −1 (e) cos x = − (f) sin x = −
2 2

2. Write down a general solution of

π π π
(a) cos θ = cos (b) tan θ = tan (c) sin θ = sin
6 4 5
4π  π 5π
(d) sin θ = sin (e) tan θ = tan  −  (f) cos θ = cos
3  3 6

3. Write down a general solution for each of the following by referring to the graphs of y = sin x , y = cos x
and y = tan x .
(a) sin x = 0 (b) cos x = 1 (c) tan x = 0
(d) cos x = 0 (e) sin x = 1 (f) sin x = −1

4. In each case (i) find a general solution (ii) write down all solutions in the domain −π ≤ x ≤ π
x 1 1
(a) cos 2 x = 1 (b) sin = (c) tan 3 x =
2 2 3
 π  π 1  π
(d) sin  x −  = 0 (e) cos  x +  = − (f) tan  2 x −  = − 3
 4  6 2  6
π π  3π   π
(g) cos 2 x = cos (h) tan 4 x = tan (i) sin  2 x +  = sin  − 
5 3  10   10 

5. In each case (i) find a general solution (ii) write down all solutions in the domain −π ≤ θ ≤ π
 π
(a) sin 2 θ + sin θ = 0 (b) sin 2θ = cos θ (c) cot 2  θ −  = 3
 6
(d) 2 sin 2 θ = 3 + 3cos θ (e) sin 2θ + 3 cos 2θ = 0 (f) sec 2 2θ = 1 + tan 2θ

6. Solve for 0 ≤ x ≤ π :
(a) sin 5 x = sin x (b) cos 5 x = cos x (c) sin 5 x = cos x (d) cos 5 x = sin x

π
7. (a) Show that ( )
3 + 1 cos 2 x + ( ) 
3 − 1 sin 2 x = 2 2 cos  2 x −  .
 12 
(b) Hence find the general solutions of ( )
3 + 1 cos 2 x + ( )
3 − 1 sin 2 x = 2 .

8. Sketch the graphs of the following relations:

(a) cos y = cos x (b) cos y = sin x (c) tan y = tan x
Answers
π π π 2π
1. (a) x = nπ + (b) x = 2nπ ± (c) x = 2nπ + , 2nπ +
3 4 3 3
π 2π π 7π
(d) x = nπ − (e) x = 2nπ ± (f) x = 2nπ − , 2nπ +
4 3 6 6
π π π 4π
2. (a) θ = 2 nπ ± (b) θ = nπ + (c) θ = 2nπ + , 2nπ +
6 4 5 5
4π π π 5π
(d) θ = 2 nπ + , 2 nπ − (e) θ = nπ − (f) θ = 2nπ ±
3 3 3 6
3. (a) x = nπ (b) x = 2nπ (c) x = nπ
π π π
(d) x = 2 nπ + (e) x = 2nπ + (f) x = 2nπ −
2 2 2
4. (a) (i) x = nπ (ii) x = −π, 0, π
π 3π π
(b) (i) x = + 4nπ, x = + 4 nπ (ii) x =
2 2 2
nπ π 17 π 11π 5π π 7 π 13π
(c) (i) x = + (ii) x = − ,− ,− , , ,
3 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
π 3π π
(d) (i) x = nπ + (ii) x = − ,
4 4 4
7π 11π 11π 7 π
(e) (i) x = 2nπ + , 2nπ − (ii) x = − ,
12 12 12 12
nπ π 7π π 5π 11π
(f) (i) x = − (ii) x = − , − , ,
2 12 12 12 12 12
π 9π π π 9π
(g) (i) x = nπ ± (ii) x = − , − , ,
10 10 10 10 10
nπ π 11π 2π 5π π π π 7 π 5π
(h) (i) x = + (ii) x = − ,− ,− ,− , , , ,
4 12 12 3 12 6 12 3 12 6
π 2π 3π π 2 π 4π
(i) (i) x = − + nπ, + nπ (ii) x = − , − , ,
5 5 5 5 5 5
3π π
5. (a) (i) θ = nπ, + 2 nπ (ii) θ = −π, − , 0, π
2 2
π π 5π π π π 5π
(b) (i) θ = nπ + , + 2nπ, + 2nπ (ii) θ = − , , ,
2 6 6 2 6 2 6
π 2π π
(c) (i) θ = nπ, nπ + (ii) θ = −π, − , 0, , π
3 3 3
2π 2 π 2π
(d) (i) θ = 2nπ ± π, 2nπ ± (ii) θ = −π, − , ,π
3 3 3
nπ π 2π π π 5π
(e) (i) θ = − (ii) θ = − , − , ,
2 6 3 6 3 6
nπ nπ π 7π π 3π π π 5π
(f) (i) θ = , + (ii) θ = −π, − , − , − , 0, , , ,π
2 2 8 8 2 8 8 2 8
π π 5π π π 2π π π 5π 5π 3π π 3π 5π 3π 7 π
6. (a) x = 0, , , ,π (b) x = 0, , , ,π (c) x = , , , , (d) x = , , , ,
6 2 6 3 2 3 12 8 12 8 4 12 8 12 4 8
π π
7. (b) x = nπ + , nπ −
6 12
8. (a) (b) (c)