How do you verify sinx/cosx + cosx/sinx = 1?

2 Answers
Feb 10, 2016

You can't verify it since it is not an identity.

Explanation:

You can't since this is not true.

To prove that this is not an identity, find one x for which this equation is not true.

For example, you can take x = pi/3:

As you know, sin(pi/3) = sqrt(3)/2 and cos(pi/3) = 1/2.

sin(pi/3) / cos(pi/3) + cos(pi/3)/sin(pi/3) = (sqrt(3)/2)/(1/2) + (1/2)/(sqrt(3)/2) = sqrt(3)/1 + 1 / sqrt(3) = 4 / sqrt(3) != 1

Thus, this equation is not an identity.

Feb 10, 2016

The given equation is not true
and therefore can not be verified.

Explanation:

(sin x)/(cos x)+(cos x)/(sin x)=1/(sin(x)*cos(x))!=1

As an obvious counter-example
if x=pi/4
color(white)("XXX")sin(pi/4)=cos(pi/4)

rArr (sin(pi/4))/(cos(pi/4))+(cos(pi/4))/(sin(pi/4))= 1+1 = 2 != 1