2.

7 The factor formulae

The factor formulae are not in the specification for C3 but they
are in the formulae booklet for you to use in an examination
if you wish.
The factor formulae change the sum or difference of two sines or
cosines into the product of two sines or cosines.

Add the two expansions for sin (a + b) and sin (a - b):

sin (a + b) + sin (a - b)
= sin acos b + cos asin b + sin acos b -cos asin b
= 2sin acos b
Substitute A = a + b and B = a b A + B = a + b + a - b = 2a
so a = A + B .
so that a = A + B and b = A B 2
2 2 Similarly, subtracting A and B
You now have gives b = A B
sin A + sin B = 2sin A + B cos A B
2
2 2

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You can use a similar method to find a product for sin A - sin B
and also for cos A cos B.
The factor formulae are:

sin A + sin B = 2sin A + B cos A B

2 2

sin A - sin B = 2cos A + B sin A B

2 2

cos A + cos B = 2cos A + B cos A B

2 2
A+B AB
cos A - cos B = -2sin 2 sin 2 The product for cos A - cos B
starts with a negative sign.
EXAMPLE 1

Find, as a surd, the value of cos 105 + cos 15.

Use the factor formula for cos A + cos B:

cos 105 + cos 15 = 2cos 105 + 15 cos 105 15

2 2
= 2cos 60 cos 45
=21 1
2 2
= 1
2
1
 EXAMPLE 2
Solve the equation sin 4q - sin 2q = 0 for 0 / x / p

Use the factor formula for sin A - sin B:

sin 4q - sin 2q = 2cos 4q + 2q sin 4q 2q

2 2
= 2cos 3q sin q
The equation is now 2cos 3q sin q = 0
Solutions occur when
cos 3q = 0 or sin q = 0
3q = p , 3p , 5p , 7p , . . . or q = 0, p, 2p, . . .
2 2 2 2
q = p , 3p , 5p , 7p , . . .
6 6 6 6
Given that 0 / x / p, the solutions are q = 0, p , p, 5p or p.
6 2 6

Exercise 2.7
1 Write these expressions as the product of two trigonometric
functions.
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a sin 7q + sin 3q b sin 5q + sin 7q

c sin 2x - sin 60 d cos 70 + cos 20
e cos (x + 60) - cos (x - 60) f cos (4x + 50) + cos (2x - 10)

2 Find, as a surd if necessary, the exact value of

a sin 75 - sin 15 b cos 75 - cos 15
c cos 165 + cos 15 d sin 105 + sin 15
e cos 126 + cos 54 f sin 165 - sin 15

3 Solve these equations for 0 / x / 180

a sin x + sin 3x = 0 b cos 4x - cos 2x = 0 Give solutions for e and f
in degrees.
c sin 2x = sin 4x d cos 3x = cos 2x
e sin (x + 20) + sin (x - 20) = 0 f cos (x + 10) + cos (x + 20) = 0

4 Simplify
a sin 2x + sin x b cos 7x + cos 3x
cos 2x + cos x sin 7x + sin 3x

5 Solve these equations for 0 / q / 180

a sin q + sin 3q = sin 2q b cos q + cos 2q + cos 3q = 0
2
6 Prove these identities.
a sina + sin b tan a + b
cosa + cos b 2

sin 5q sinq
b 4 cos 3q
sinq cosq

c cos 2B cos 2A tan(A B)

sin 2B + sin 2A

d cos2 (a + b) - cos2 (a - b) -sin 2asin 2b

7 If a + b + g = 180, prove that

a sin 2a + sin 2b 2cos (a - b)sin g
b sin 2a + sin 2b + sin 2g 4sin asin bsin g

INVESTIGATION
8 To tune a musical instrument, a musician sounds two
notes at slightly different frequencies. The two notes first
reinforce and then cancel each other out over time to

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create the phenomenon of a beat. The beat slows down
and disappears as the two notes become in tune.
Let the volumes of the two notes be rsin w1t and rsin w2t
where w1 and w2 are the frequencies of the notes. The
volume that the listener hears is
(w1 + w2)t (w - w2)t
V = rsin w1t + rsin w2t = 2rsin 2
cos 1
2
(w - w2)t
As w1 - w2 0, cos 1 oscillates at a slower and
2
slower frequency until,
when w1 - w2 = 0 (that is, w1 = w2), the two notes become
in tune.
Let r = 4, w1 = 2 and w2 = 3
Use a computer to draw the graph of V = 4sin 2t + 4sin 3t,
initially for -3000 < t < 3000
Investigate the effect on V as w2 is gradually reduced from
3 to 2.