Question about simplifying this equation

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In summary: Thanks for the help though!In summary, the expression tan x/sin x + 1/cos x simplifies to 2sec x. When solving for cos(pi + theta), the equivalent expression is -cos theta. The Latex tags can be used to import symbols in a forum post.
  • #1
iBankingFTW
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tan x/sin x + 1/cos x

The choices are A. 2tan^2x B. 2cosx C. 2cosx-1 D. 2secx

Do I make the tan sin/cos and multiply by reciprocal of sin? I did that and end up with 1/cos + 1/cos
 
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  • #2
iBankingFTW said:
tan x/sin x + 1/cos x

The choices are A. 2tan^2x B. 2cosx C. 2cosx-1 D. 2secx

Do I make the tan sin/cos and multiply by reciprocal of sin? I did that and end up with 1/cos + 1/cos
You got it right so far. Do you know what secx is?
 
  • #3
Tan x / Sin x + 1 /cos x

Since tanx = (sinx/cosx) we can substitute and get:

(Sinx / cos x)/ Sin x + 1 / cos x

here we can cancel out the sin x 's and get

1 / cos x + 1 / cos x

since the denominators are the same we can add and get

2 / cos x

Now since sec x = 1 / cosx we get

2 sec x


Make sense?
 
  • #4
Diffy said:
Tan x / Sin x + 1 /cos x

Since tanx = (sinx/cosx) we can substitute and get:

(Sinx / cos x)/ Sin x + 1 / cos x

here we can cancel out the sin x 's and get

1 / cos x + 1 / cos x

since the denominators are the same we can add and get

2 / cos x

Now since sec x = 1 / cosx we get

2 sec xMake sense?

Yeah, thanks for that. But I thought about what mathman said and the answer was obvious, lol. Thanks a lot though for working it out.

mathman said:
You got it right so far. Do you know what secx is?

Yeah, so the 2(1/cosx) becomes 2secx...

That was pretty stupid, lol. Thanks though. This is a little off-topic for this thread but I really lack in courses like physics and math and I really like this forum (I'm new, lol) and what I like is how you guys don't just give an answer. You either show all the steps like Diffy did or what you did and made me think about it. :)
 
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  • #5
I have another question I can't understand.

Which expression is equivalent to cos(pi + theta) (I don't know how to import the signs. and I checked the computer's character map)

So what I did was take cos(pi + theta) and put down the formula:

cos pi * cos theta - sin pi * sin theta

But I don't know what to do from there. I tried to see if I could do anything putting sin over cos but they're on opposite sides of the "-".

Choices are: A. -cos theta B. cos theta C. -sin theta D. sin theta
 
  • #6
you have cos(pi) and Sin(pi) in your expressions... What is the cos(pi)? sin(pi)?
 
  • #7
  • #8
Diffy said:
you have cos(pi) and Sin(pi) in your expressions... What is the cos(pi)? sin(pi)?

Thanks for telling me about the symbols. That should come in handy :)Just realized this isn't the forum for homework questions so I'm going to make a new thread in the correct section.
 
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1. How do I simplify this equation?

To simplify an equation, you need to combine like terms and use the appropriate mathematical operations (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to simplify the expression. It may also be helpful to use the distributive property or to factor out common terms.

2. Can you give an example of simplifying an equation?

Sure, for example, let's simplify the equation 3x + 5x + 2x. We can combine the like terms (the terms with the same variable, x) to get 10x. So the simplified equation would be 10x.

3. What is the purpose of simplifying an equation?

Simplifying an equation makes it easier to work with and understand. It also helps to identify any patterns or relationships within the equation.

4. Are there any rules I should follow when simplifying an equation?

Yes, when simplifying an equation, you should always maintain equality by performing the same operation on both sides of the equation. You should also follow the order of operations (PEMDAS) and combine like terms before performing any other operations.

5. Is there a limit to how much an equation can be simplified?

No, there is no specific limit to how much an equation can be simplified. However, some equations may be more complex and require more steps to simplify than others. It all depends on the specific equation and the techniques used to simplify it.

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