In Chapter 10, you explore the fundamental concepts and techniques of solving trigonometric equations, including:
• Exact solutions versus general solutions versus solutions on an interval
• The role of inverse trigonometric functions
• The zero-product property and factoring
• The quadratic formula
• Equations containing single- and multiple-angle arguments
Some of the techniques in Chapter 10 are revisited in this chapter, so ensure that you understand all of the bulleted items above before attempting any of the problems in this chapter.
In this chapter, you learn a few more techniques for your trigonometric equation solving toolbox. The four major concepts of this chapter are:
(1) rewriting trig equations using identities, (2) introducing a squared function when you need one, (3) getting rid of a square when you don’t need one, and (4) solving equations that contain fractions.
If you need to review identities, flip back to Chapters 7 and 8. Make sure that you have the three Pythagorean identities memorized, because you will see them a lot in these problems.