Using Pythagoras' theorem, show that sin^2(x)+cos^2(x)=1 for all x.

Take a right angled triangle with hypotenuse of length 1, and angle at the bottom of the hypotenuse equal to x. We will let o denote the length of the side opposite the angle, and a denote the length of the side adjacent to the angle.
Using SOHCAHTOA, we know that sin(x)=o/1=o, and cos(x)=a/1=a.
So we now have a right angled triangle with a hypotenuse of length 1, another side of length sin(x), and a side of length cos(x). Using Pythagoras' theorem, we know that o^2+a^2=1^2, and so sin^2(x)+cos^2(x)=1.

Related Maths A Level answers

All answers ▸

The curve C has equation y = x^3 - 3x^2 - 9x + 14. Find the co-ordinates and nature of each of the stationery points of C.


Differentiate with respect to x: y = xln[2x]


Edexcel C3 June 2015 Q1: tan(x)=p, where p is a constant. Using standard trigonometric identities, find the following in terms of p. a) tan(2x). b) cos(x). c) cot(x-45).


Use integration by parts to integrate the following function: x.sin(7x) dx