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Simplify to a single trignometric function with no denominator. 5cos²x-5

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Final answer:

The expression 5cos²x-5 simplifies to -5sin²x using the Pythagorean trigonometric identity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The expression given is 5cos²x-5. We can simplify this using the Pythagorean trigonometric identity, which states that sin²x + cos²x = 1. Therefore, we can express cos²x as 1 - sin²x. Substituting this into the original expression:

5cos²x - 5 = 5(1 - sin²x) - 5

a. Simplify by distributing the 5:

5 - 5sin²x - 5

b. Combining like terms:

-5sin²x

Thus, the original expression simplifies to the single trigonometric function -5sin²x, which has no denominator.

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