# Homework Help: Expression eqivalent to 1+sec/cos ? Explain

1. Feb 3, 2005

### aisha

Expression eqivalent to 1+sec/cos ?? Explain plz

How do u find an expression equivalent to $$\frac {1+\sec\theta} {\cos\theta}$$ to be $$\frac {\cos\theta+1} {\cos^2\theta}$$

When I did this question I got my answer to be $$\frac {2} {\cos\theta}$$

Im not very good with identities can someone please explain to me how to do this question and other like it.

Last edited: Feb 3, 2005
2. Feb 3, 2005

### learningphysics

Can you show your steps to getting that? I'll point out where you went wrong.

3. Feb 3, 2005

### aisha

$$\frac {sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta} {\cos \theta} + \frac {\sin^2\theta+\cos^2\theta} {\cos\theta} (this is over \cos \theta)$$

4. Feb 3, 2005

### learningphysics

Forget about $$sin^2\theta + \cos^2\theta =1$$.

Do the problem again, but this time only use:$$sec\theta=\frac{1}{cos\theta}$$ and try to simplify it.

Last edited: Feb 3, 2005
5. Feb 3, 2005

### aisha

I have gone through so many of these types of questions but I have no idea of how to simplify it, I've looked everywhere for a similar example but just cant find anything, I dont know what to do... How do u solve these questions that ask for equivalent identities?

6. Feb 3, 2005

### cepheid

Staff Emeritus
Well, did you take learningphysics' advice? Substitute 1/sec(x) every time you see cos(x) to get the expression in terms of secant, instead of cosine. That is definitely a step in the right direction.

BTW, check back to your thread "plz explain". I posted the solution to your previous problem there, since you were very close to understanding it anyway.

7. Feb 3, 2005

### dextercioby

Use:
$$\sec x =\frac{1}{\cos x}$$

and
$$\frac{1+\frac{1}{a}}{b}=\frac{a+1}{ab}$$

which is an elementary property of fractions.

Daniel.

8. Feb 3, 2005

### aisha

Can u explain how u got this elementary property of fractions, this might be the step I dont remember lol

9. Feb 3, 2005

### learningphysics

I plugged in $$sec\theta=\frac{1}{cos\theta}$$

I get:

$$\frac {1+\frac{1}{cos\theta}} {\cos\theta}$$

Do something to the numerator and denominator so that you get a cleaner looking expression. Try different things... you can try adding the two terms in the numerator together (get a common denominator etc...)

10. Feb 3, 2005

### aisha

This is exactly where I am stuck!I tried multiplying the numerator and denominator by cos theta, but that didnt work, I took ur advice and im half way I made the numerators have a common denominator

so I got $$1+\frac{1}{\cos\theta} = \frac {\cos\theta} {\cos\theta}+ \frac {1}{\cos\theta}$$ This is only the numerator of the question my answer was $$\frac {\cos\theta+1} {\cos\theta}$$ But this is all over $$\cos\theta$$ what do u do next? How do you get cos^2theta in the denominator of the answer :yuck: ?

11. Feb 3, 2005

### learningphysics

Try working on the expression dextercioby gave... how can you rewrite the expression... try experimenting...

That 1/a is messy, how can you rewrite the expression so that the 1/a is no longer there?

12. Feb 3, 2005

### dextercioby

$$\frac{1+\frac{1}{a}}{b}=\frac{\frac{a+1}{a}}{b}=\frac{a+1}{ab}$$

Daniel.

13. Feb 4, 2005

### learningphysics

Ok. I see where you are stuck now. The whole fraction is:
$$\frac { \frac {\cos\theta} {\cos\theta}+ \frac {1}{\cos\theta}}{\cos\theta}$$

I'll rewrite the numerator, and the fraction becomes:
$$\frac { \frac {\cos\theta +1}{\cos\theta}}{cos\theta}$$

Now the denominator of this fraction is $$\cos\theta$$

Instead of dividing by $$\cos\theta$$, I'm going to multiply by:
$$\frac{1}{\cos\theta}$$

So we have:
$$\frac {\cos\theta +1}{\cos\theta} * \frac{1}{\cos\theta}$$

Multiply the numerators, and multiply the denominators and we get:
$$\frac {\cos\theta+1}{\cos^2\theta}$$

14. Feb 4, 2005

### learningphysics

$$\frac{(\frac{a}{b})}{c} = \frac{a}{bc}$$

Last edited: Feb 4, 2005
15. Feb 4, 2005

### K.J.Healey

Why not just multiple top and bottom by cos....
$$\frac {1+\sec\theta} {\cos\theta}$$
$$\frac {1+\sec\theta} {\cos\theta}(\frac{\cos\theta}{\cos\theta})$$
$$\frac {\cos\theta+1} {\cos^2\theta}$$

because cos*sec =1 = cos*(1/cos) = 1

16. Feb 4, 2005

### aisha

WoW I think I get it thanks sooo much everyone, once again u all saved me!