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Cos sec² a - cot²a=1​

User Yeong
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1 Answer

8 votes

Answer:

The relation is:

cosec^2(a) - cot^2(a) = 1.

Where:

cosec(x) = 1/sin(x)

cot(x) = 1/tan(x) = cos(x)/sin(x)

Let's prove this.

Ok, we know by the Pythagorean theorem, that:

r^2 = x^2 + y^2

And we have the trigonometric relations, for an angle "a" measured from the x-axis

cos(a) = x/r

sin(a) = y/r

tan(a) = y/x

Where r is the hypotenuse, x and y are the catheti.

Now, let's divide the Pythagorean theorem by y^2 in both sides to get:

(r^2/y^2) = (x^2 + y^2)/y^2

r^2/x^2 = x^2/y^2 + y^2/y^2

r^2/y^2 = 1 + x^2/y^2

(r/y)^2 = 1 + (x/y)^2

and remember that:

y/r = sin(a)

then:

r/y = 1/sin(a) = cosec(a)

(r/y)^2 = cosec^2(a)

and:

y/x = tan(a)

then:

x/y = 1/tan(a) = cot(a)

and:

(x/y)^2 = cot^2(a)

replacing these in the equation (r/y)^2 = 1 + (x/y)^2 we get:

cosec^2(a) = 1 + cot^2(a)

cosec^2(a) - cot^2(a) = 1

User Ireneusz Skrobis
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