A-level Maths revision · Pure, year 2

Sec, cosec, cot and inverse trig

The idea

sec⁡x=1cos⁡x\sec x = \frac{1}{\cos x}, csc⁡x=1sin⁡x\csc x = \frac{1}{\sin x} and cot⁡x=1tan⁡x\cot x = \frac{1}{\tan x}. Two identities follow: 1+tan⁡2x≡sec⁡2x1 + \tan^2 x \equiv \sec^2 x and 1+cot⁡2x≡csc⁡2x1 + \cot^2 x \equiv \csc^2 x. arcsin⁡\arcsin, arccos⁡\arccos and arctan⁡\arctan give one angle in a restricted range.

  1. Turn sec⁡\sec, csc⁡\csc and cot⁡\cot into cos⁡\cos, sin⁡\sin and tan⁡\tan.
  2. Use the identities to get one function.
  3. Solve and find every angle in the interval.

Watch out sec⁡x\sec x is 1cos⁡x\frac{1}{\cos x}, not cos⁡−1x\cos^{-1} x.

See it worked

Worked example

Solve sec⁡x=2\sec x = 2 for 0∘≤x<360∘0^\circ \le x < 360^\circ.

  1. cos⁡x=12\cos x = \frac{1}{2}.
  2. x=60∘x = 60^\circ.
  3. Also 360∘−60∘=300∘360^\circ - 60^\circ = 300^\circ.

Answer x=60∘,300∘x = 60^\circ, 300^\circ

Your turn

Question 1Non-calculator3 marks

Find the exact value of arcsin⁡(12)\arcsin\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) in radians.

Question 2Non-calculator3 marks

Solve csc⁡x=2\csc x = 2 for 0∘≤x<360∘0^\circ \le x < 360^\circ.

Question 3Calculator allowed3 marks

Solve sec⁡2x−tan⁡x=3\sec^2 x - \tan x = 3 for 0∘≤x<360∘0^\circ \le x < 360^\circ. Give answers to 1 decimal place.

In past papers

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