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TRIGONOMETRIC EQUATIONS – SHEET - 1

1 If sin, 1, cos2 are in G.P. Find .

Solve the following equations:

2 sec x – 1 = ( 2  1) tan x.

3. sin 3 + cos 2  = 0

4. sin 3x + cos 2x = 1

5. sin 3x + cos 2x = –2

7
6. sin4x + cos4x = . sinx. cosx.
2

4
7. sec  - cosec  =
3

8. (1 - tan) (1 + sin 2) = 1 + tan 

9. tan + tan2 + tan3 = 0

x
 sec 2
10. 1 + 2 cosec x = 2
2

x
11. 8 tan2  1  sec x
2

12. 2 (cosx + cos 2x) + sin 2x (1 + 2 cosx) = 2 sin x

13. tan2 + sec2 = 1

HINTS & SOLUTIONS

1 Since, sin, 1, cos2 are in G.P.
 1 = sin  cos2
 1 = sin  (1 – 2 sin2)
 2 sin3 - sin  + 1 = 0
 (sin  + 1) (2 sin2 - 2 sin  + 1) = 0
 sin  + 1 = 0 (as 2 sin2 - 2 sin  + 1  0).
 sin  = –1
2. sec x – 1 = ( 2  1) tan x
x x
 1 – cos x = ( 2  1) . 2 sin cos  0
2 2
x x x
 sin sin  ( 2  1)cos   0 2
2 2 2
x x x
 sin sin  ( 2  1)cos   0
2 2 2

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Page 2 of 7 SANKALP_TE-1
x x 
 sin 0 or  ( 2  1)  tan
tan
2 2 8
x x 
  n or  n 
2 2 8

 x  2n, 2n 
4
3. sin 3 + cos 2  = 0
 
 cos 2 = –sin(3) = cos   3 
2 
 
 2  2n    3  , n  I
2 
Taking (+ve) sign;
 
we get     2n  
 2
Taking (-ve) sign;

We get 5  2n 
2
2n 
  
5 10
3
from (i) and (ii), the solutions belonging to 0    are;
2
3 7  11 15 3 
 , , , ,
10 10 10 10 2
4.  (3 sin x – 4 sin3x) + (1 – 2 sin2x) = 1
i.e. –4 sin3x – 2 sin2x + 3 sin x = 0
2  4  48
 sin x (4 sin2x + 2 sin x – 3) = 0  sin x  0 or sin x 
8
1  13
i.e. sin x  0 or sin x 
4
 1  13 
 x = n or x = n + (–1)n sin1  
 4
 
 1  13 
 sin x  is rejected as it is   1

 4 
Note: If the equation contains one of the expressions (sin x + cos x) or (sin x – cosx)
and the function sin 2x (or the product sin x cos x) then use the fact.
sin 2x = (sin x + cos x)2 – 1 = 1 – (sin x – cosx)2
5. Since, sin 3x  –1 and cos 2x  –1. We have, sin 3x + cos 2x  –2.
Thus the equality holds true if and only if
sin 3x = –1 and cos 2x = –1
 
 3x  n  ( 1)n    and 2x = 2n  
 2
n   
i.e. x   ( 1)n    and x  n  , n  1
3  6 2
 Solution set is,
 n     
x / x   ( 1)n       x / x  n  
 3  6   2

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Note: Here unlike all other problems the solution set consists of the intersection of
two solution sets and not the union of the solution sets.
7
6. sin4x + cos4x = . sinx. cosx.
2
7
 (sin2x + cos2x)2 – 2 sin2x cos2x = sin x. cos x
2
1 7
 1  (sin2x)2  (sin 2x)
2 4
2
 2 sin 2x + 7 sin 2x – 4 = 0
 (2 sin x – 1) (sin 2x + 4) = 0
1
 sin 2x  or sin 2x  4   1
2

 2x  n  ( 1)n
6
n 
i.e., x   ( 1)n
2 12
7. Given equation is
4
sec - cosec =
3
1 1 4
or,  
cos  sin  3
sin   cos  4
or, 
sin .cos  3
or, 3sin - 3cos = 4sin cos
squaring we get, 9sin2 + 9cos2 - 18sin cos = 4sin22
or, 9 – 9sin2 = 4sin22
or, 4sin22 + 9sin2 - 9 = 0
or, 4sin22 + 12sin2 - 3sin2 - 9 = 0
or, (sin 2 + 3) (4 sin2 - 3) = 0
3
 either sin2 = –3 or, sin2 = = sin (suppose)
4
 no solution  2 = n + (–1)n
 
  = n  ( 1)n .
2 2
3
where  = sin–1  
4
8. (1 - tan) (1 + sin 2) = (1 + tan)
 2 tan  
 (1  tan ) 1  2 
 (1  tan )
 1  tan  
 (1 - tan) (1 + tan)2 = (1 + tan) (1 + tan2)
 1 – tan2 = 1 + tan2 or tan = –1
 tan = 0 or tan  = –1

  = n or   n 
4
  
But        0, 
2 2 4
9. We have,
(tan + tan2) + tan 3 = 0

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Page 4 of 7 SANKALP_TE-1

 tan   tan2 
   (1  tan  . tan 2)  tan3  0
 1  tan  tan 2 
 tan ( + 2) (1 - tan tan2) + tan 3 = 0
 tan 3 (1 - tan tan2 + 1) = 0
 either tan 3 = 0 or 2 - tan tan 2 = 0
2  tan .(2 tan )
i.e., 3  n or 0
1  tan2 
n 1
  or tan   
3 2
n 1
  or   n  , where tan  =
3 2
10. Here,
x
 sec 2
1 + 2 cosec x = 2
2
1 2 [1  tan x / 2]
2
 
sin 2
 x
i.e. 2[2  1sin x]   1  tan2  sin x
 2
 x   x 
 2 tan  2    2 tan 
 2    2   1  tan2  x 2
   
1  tan2  x    2  1  tan2 x 
 2   2
 
x
Put tan  t,
2
 2t   2t 
2  2   (1  t 2 )  2 
1  t  1 t 
2

 4t2 + 4t + 4 + 2t (1 + t2) =0
 2t3 + 4t2 + 6t + 4 = 0
i.e., t3 + 2t2 + 3t + 2 = 0
 (t + 1) (t2 + t + 2) = 0
 t = –1 ( t2 + t + 2  0)
x x 
or tan  t  1   n  , n  I
2 2 4

 x = 2n - , n  I is the required solution.
2
x 1  cos x
11. We know that tan2 2  1  cos x
x
Given 8 tan2  1  sec x
2
 1  cos x  1 1  cos x
or, 8   1 
 1  cos x  cos x cos x
or, 8cosx – 8cos x = (1 + cosx)2
2

or, 8cosx – 8cos2x = 1 + cos2x + 2cosx

or, 9cos2x – 6cosx + 1 = 0
or, (3cosx – 1)2 = 0 or, 3cosx – 1 = 0
1
or, cosx =  cos  (suppose)
3
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 x = 2n  
 1
or, x = 2n  cos–1   , where n = 0,  1, 2, …
3
12. 2(cosx + cos2x) + sin2x + 2sin2x cosx – 2sinx = 0
3x x
or, 2.2cos cos  sin 2x  sin3x  sin x  2 sin x  0
2 2
3x x 5x x x x
or, 4 cos cos  2sin .cos  2 sin cos  0
2 2 2 2 2 2
x 3x 5x x
or, 2cos  2cos  sin  sin   0
2 2 2 2
x 3x 3x 
or, 2cos  2cos  2cos .sin x   0
2 2 2 
x 3x
or, 4 cos cos [1  sin x]  0
2 2
x 3x
or, cos cos [1  sin x]  0
2 2
x x 
If cos  0 ,  (2n  1)  x = (2n + 1)
2 2 2
3x 3x  
If cos  0,  (2n  1)  x  (2n  1)
2 2 2 3
 
If 1 + sinx = 0, sinx = –1 = sin   
 2
  
 x = n + (–1)n    =n + (–1)n + 1
 2 2
Putting the value of n = 0,  1,  2, … in the above results and selecting the values
lying in the interval –  x  , we have
  
x = , –, ,  , 
3 3 2
  
 ,  ,  , , 
2 3 3
13. Given tan2 + sec2 = 1
1  tan2   1  tan2  
or, tan2 +  1  cos 2   
1  tan2   1  tan2  
or, tan2 - tan4 + 1 + tan2 = 1 – tan2
or, tan4 - 3tan2 = 0
or, tan2 (tan2 - 3) = 0
 either tan2 = 0 or, tan2 - 3 = 0
 tan = 0  tan =  3

  = n   = n 
3
 
Clearly for tan to be defined   odd  and for sec2 to be defined 2  odd 
2 2

i.e.   odd 
2

  = n or n 
3
——
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tan 2  tan 
Q.1  f = 0, then the general value of is
1  tan  tan 2
n n n
(A) n ; n  I (B) ;nI (C) ; n  I (D) ;nI
3 4 6
ANS B

 x 3
Q.2 Find the general solution of x, cot   
4 3 3

(A) (12n – 1) ; n  I
2

(B) (12n + 1) ; n  I
2

(C) (12n + 1) ; n  I
4

(D) (12n + 1); n  I
4
ANS C

Q.3 If tan a – tan b = 0, then the values of  for a series in –

(A) A.P. (B) G.P.
(C) H.P. (D) None of these
ANS A

Q.4 Find the general solution of x when

4tan2 = 3sec2
 
(A) n ± , n  I (B) n ± , n  I
4 6

(C) n ± ,nI (D) None of these
3
ANS C

Q.5 Find the general solution of x when

2cosx . cos2x = cosx
 
(A) n  & k ± , n, k  I
2 6

(B) n ±  & k ± , n, k  I
3

(C) (2n + 1)& k ± , n, k  I
2
(D) None of these
ANS A
Q.6 The solution set of (2 cos x – 1)(3 + 2 cos x) = 0 in the interval 0  x  2 is -
(A) {/3}
(B) {/3, 5/3}
(C) {/3, 5/3, cos–1(–3/2)}
(D) None of these
ANS B

Q.7 Find the general solution of 2 sinx + tanx = 0

2
(A) n, (3k ± 1) ;kI
3
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2
(B) 2n, (3k + 1) ;kI
3
2
(C) 2n, (3k ± 1) ;kI
3
(D) None of these
ANS A

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