Simplifying Trigonometric Integrals Using Trig Identities

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Saladsamurai
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Okay so I am suposed to evaluate 2 of these:

1.) [tex]\int\sin^3(a\theta)d\theta[/tex] the solution manual looks

like it used a trig ID to do this. Why??

Doesn't [tex]\int\sin^3u du=\frac{1}{3}\cos^3u-(\cos u)+C[/tex] ?

So just use the u-sub [tex]u=a\theta \Rightarrow du/a=d\theta[/tex]

So it should just be [tex]\frac{1}{3a}\cos^3a\theta-\frac{1}{a}\cosa\theta+C[/tex] ?But they got: [tex]-\frac{1}{a}\cos a\theta-\frac{1}{3a}\cos^3a\theta+C[/tex]

Why the negative -1/3a ? What did I miss? Is it my formula?
2.) For [tex]\int\sin^4(3x)\cos^3xdx[/tex] they went from <---that to

[tex]=\int\sin^4(3x)(1-sin^23x)\cos3xdx[/tex]

How the hell does that make this problem ANY easier?! Is there a formula for ^^^that!Casey
 
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You're using sin(u) like a variable, and integrating, which will certainly get you nowhere. One thing is that [tex]\int sin(u)^{3}[/tex] does not equal [tex]\frac{1}{3}\cos^3u[/tex]. You're going to have to use u-substitution, as you already have, and almost certainly some integration by parts.
 
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Dick said:
I would suggest you use the trig identity sin(x)^2=1-cos(x)^2, followed by u=cos(x).

I'll try that now. But why is my formula not producing the correct result if I am using u=a*theta ? Shouldn't it be 1/a *{Pug it in} ?
 
[tex]\int \sin^3(a\theta)d\theta = \int \sin(a\theta)d\theta - \int \sin(a\theta)\cos^2(a\theta)d\theta[/tex]

The first term should be easy for you to integrate, for the second term, try a substitution of

[tex]u = \cos(a\theta) \Rightarrow \frac{du}{d\theta} = -a\sin(a\theta) \Rightarrow \sin(a\theta)d\theta = -\frac{1}{a}du[/tex]

After which the equation simplifies a little.

Use a similar idea for the second one.
 
Dick said:
I would suggest you use the trig identity sin(x)^2=1-cos(x)^2, followed by u=cos(x).

So I got it using this. But I am still trying to figure out where I went wrong with the formula.

Casey
 
Saladsamurai said:
So I got it using this. But I am still trying to figure out where I went wrong with the formula.

Casey

Seems to me like there is simply a typo in the book (the coefficient of the cos^3 should indeed be positive)
 
nrqed said:
Seems to me like there is simply a typo in the book (the coefficient of the cos^3 should indeed be positive)

Not if you use the trig substitution; it is negative. It is definitely a mistake on my part.

Casey
 
Saladsamurai said:
2.) For [tex]\int\sin^4(3x)\cos^3xdx[/tex] they went from <---that to

[tex]=\int\sin^4(3x)(1-sin^23x)\cos3xdx[/tex]

did you mean [tex]\cos^{3}3xdx[/tex]?
 
rocophysics said:
did you mean [tex]\cos^{3}3xdx[/tex]?

I don't know what I meant?! I figured it out though.

Thanks!
Casey
 
i was trying to solve it for myself but then it saw that ... lol, is all good though.