How do you prove (cosx+ 1)/ sin^3x = cscx/(1-cosx)?

2 Answers
Dec 20, 2015

Let's manipulate only the right hand side in order to make it appear like the left hand side.

First, multiply by the conjugate of the denominator.

cscx/(1-cosx)*(1+cosx)/(1+cosx)=(cscx(1+cosx))/(1-cos^2x)

Note that since sin^2x+cos^2x=1, it's true that sin^2x=1-cos^2x.

Thus, the expression can be rewritten as:

=(cscx(cosx+1))/sin^2x

Recall that cscx=1/sinx.

=(1/sinx(cosx+1))/sin^2x

Multiply the numerator and denominator by sinx.

=(1/sinx(cosx+1))/sin^2x*sinx/sinx

=(cosx+1)/sin^3x

Voilà! This is the left hand side.

Feb 1, 2017

This is method without conjugates. It involves manipulating only the left-hand side of the equation.

(cosx+1)/sin^3x

=(cosx+1)/(sinx(sin^2x))

Through the Pythagorean Identity:

=(cosx+1)/(sinx(1-cos^2x))

Factoring:

=(cosx+1)/(sinx(1-cosx)(1+cosx))

Cancelling (cosx+1)/(1+cosx)=(cosx+1)/(cosx+1)=1:

=1/(sinx(1-cosx))

Rewriting sinx as 1/cscx:

=1/(1/cscx(1-cosx))

Inverting:

=cscx/(1-cosx)

Which is the right-hand side. Thus the equality is proven.