Need help from an expert?
The world’s top online tutoring provider trusted by students, parents, and schools globally.
The sum-to-product identities in trigonometry are used to simplify trigonometric expressions involving the sum or difference of two angles.
The first identity is:
sin(A+B) = sinAcosB + cosAsinB
To prove this identity, we start with the left-hand side:
sin(A+B) = sinAcosB + cosAsinB
= (sinAcosB + cosAsinB) / 1
= (sinAcosB + cosAsinB) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB) * (cosAcosB + sinAsinB) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= (sinAcosB + cosAsinB)cosAcosB + (sinAcosB + cosAsinB)sinAsinB / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= sinAcosAcosBcosB + sinAsinBcosAcosB + sinAcosAsinBsinA + cosAsinAsinBcosB / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= sin(A+B) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
Therefore, sin(A+B) = sinAcosB + cosAsinB.
The second identity is:
cos(A+B) = cosAcosB - sinAsinB
To prove this identity, we start with the left-hand side:
cos(A+B) = cosAcosB - sinAsinB
= (cosAcosB - sinAsinB) / 1
= (cosAcosB - sinAsinB) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB) * (cosAcosB + sinAsinB) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= cosAcosBcosA - cosAcosBsinAsinB + sinAsinBcosA - sinAsinBsinB / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= cosAcosBcosA - cosAcosBsinAsinB + sinAsinBcosA - sinAsinBsinB / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
= cos(A+B) / (cosAcosB + sinAsinB)
Therefore, cos(A+B) = cosAcosB - sinAsinB.
These identities can be used to
Study and Practice for Free
Trusted by 100,000+ Students Worldwide
Achieve Top Grades in your Exams with our Free Resources.
Practice Questions, Study Notes, and Past Exam Papers for all Subjects!
The world’s top online tutoring provider trusted by students, parents, and schools globally.