Back to homeMathematics · High School Year 2 · Physics-Math · Change subject
Start for free
Prep 2 Tech · Mathematics
Trigonometry · Trigonometry

Trigonometric Ratios of the Difference of Angles

Before you start, make sure you know: Reduction to the first quadrant and the fundamental identity (Secondary Year 3)
Before you start, make sure you know: Oriented angles and the unit circle (Secondary Year 3)

Ximena wants the exact value of $\sin(15^\circ)$ for an exam, but her calculator only gives a decimal and her teacher asked for the answer with radicals. How can she get it if $15^\circ$ is not a special angle? The key is to write it as a difference of angles we do know: $45^\circ - 30^\circ$.

The Difference Formulas

They are obtained from the sum formulas by replacing $\beta$ with $-\beta$ and using the facts that $\sin(-\beta)=-\sin\beta$ and $\cos(-\beta)=\cos\beta$ (sine is an odd function and cosine is even).

Unit circle with the angles alpha and beta measured from the positive x semi-axis and the difference angle between them. β α α − β
Practice★☆☆Not started
Simplify the following trigonometric expression as much as possible: $\cos(x) \cos(y) + \sin(x) \sin(y)$. Then, use the simplified result to evaluate the expression…

Simplify the following trigonometric expression as much as possible: $\cos(x) \cos(y) + \sin(x) \sin(y)$. Then, use the simplified result to evaluate the expression exactly when $x = 75^\circ$ and $y = 15^\circ$.

Solve
Practice★☆☆Not started
Given that $\sin \alpha = \frac{4}{5}$ and $\cos \beta = \frac{12}{13}$, and that both $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are angles in the first quadrant, calculate the exact value…

Given that $\sin \alpha = \frac{4}{5}$ and $\cos \beta = \frac{12}{13}$, and that both $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are angles in the first quadrant, calculate the exact value of $\sin(\alpha - \beta)$.

Solve

Complementary and Supplementary Angles

When one of the angles is $90^\circ$ or $180^\circ$, the formulas simplify and give very useful identities.

Right triangle with acute angles x and 90 degrees minus x. The horizontal leg is opposite 90 degrees minus x and the vertical leg is opposite x. x 90° − x cos(90° − x) = sin x sin(90° − x) = cos x

In the figure, the vertical leg is opposite $x$ and adjacent to $90^\circ-x$; the horizontal leg is the other way around. That is why each ratio of an angle is the "crossed" ratio of its complement.

Practice★☆☆Not started
Simplify the expression $\sin(90^\circ - x)$ by applying the formula for the sine of the difference of two angles and verify that it is equivalent to one of the basic…

Simplify the expression $\sin(90^\circ - x)$ by applying the formula for the sine of the difference of two angles and verify that it is equivalent to one of the basic trigonometric ratios of the angle $x$.

Solve
Practice★☆☆Not started
Prove step by step that $\cos(180^\circ - \alpha) = -\cos \alpha$ using the formula for the cosine of the difference of two angles.

Prove step by step that $\cos(180^\circ - \alpha) = -\cos \alpha$ using the formula for the cosine of the difference of two angles.

Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
Given that two angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are complementary ($\alpha + \beta = 90^\circ$), prove step by step that the identity $\sin(\alpha - \beta) = \cos(2\beta)$…

Given that two angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are complementary ($\alpha + \beta = 90^\circ$), prove step by step that the identity $\sin(\alpha - \beta) = \cos(2\beta)$ holds.

Solve

Exact Values with Special Angles

An angle such as $15^\circ$ is written as a difference of two special angles ($45^\circ-30^\circ$ or $60^\circ-45^\circ$), and this gives its ratios without a calculator.

The 15-degree angle as the difference between 45 and 30 degrees. 45° − 30° = 15°
Practice★☆☆Not started
Calculate the exact value of $\cos(15^\circ)$ without using a calculator, applying the formula for the cosine of the difference of two angles and knowing that…

Calculate the exact value of $\cos(15^\circ)$ without using a calculator, applying the formula for the cosine of the difference of two angles and knowing that $15^\circ = 45^\circ - 30^\circ$.

Solve
Practice★☆☆Not started
Find the exact value of $\sin(15^\circ)$ by expressing the angle as the difference $60^\circ - 45^\circ$ and applying the corresponding identity.

Find the exact value of $\sin(15^\circ)$ by expressing the angle as the difference $60^\circ - 45^\circ$ and applying the corresponding identity.

Solve
Practice★☆☆Not started
Determine the exact value of $\tan(15^\circ)$ from the tangents of the special angles $45^\circ$ and $30^\circ$. Rationalise the result if necessary.

Determine the exact value of $\tan(15^\circ)$ from the tangents of the special angles $45^\circ$ and $30^\circ$. Rationalise the result if necessary.

Solve
Practice★☆☆Not started
Calculate the exact value of $\tan(105^\circ)$ using the formula for the difference of two angles, considering that $105^\circ = 135^\circ - 30^\circ$.

Calculate the exact value of $\tan(105^\circ)$ using the formula for the difference of two angles, considering that $105^\circ = 135^\circ - 30^\circ$.

Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
Evaluate the following trigonometric expression exactly, without using a calculator, by identifying which expansion it corresponds to:…

Evaluate the following trigonometric expression exactly, without using a calculator, by identifying which expansion it corresponds to:

$\sin(75^\circ) \cos(15^\circ) - \cos(75^\circ) \sin(15^\circ)$

Solve

Given Ratios and Quadrants

Often the problem doesn't give the angles, but some of their ratios. The missing ones are found with the fundamental identity, paying attention to the sign according to the quadrant, and then you substitute into the formula.

Quadrant sine cosine tangent
I + + +
II + − −
III − − +
IV − + −
Practice★★☆Not started
In a maritime navigation simulation, a ship must adjust its current heading. The necessary correction angle is given by the expression $\alpha - \beta$. Given that…

In a maritime navigation simulation, a ship must adjust its current heading. The necessary correction angle is given by the expression $\alpha - \beta$. Given that $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are acute angles with $\tan \alpha = 3$ and $\tan \beta = \frac{1}{2}$, calculate the exact value of $\tan(\alpha - \beta)$ and deduce the size of the correction angle.

Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
A light ray passes through two different media with angles of refraction $\alpha$ and $\beta$. If, from the material properties, we know that $\cos \alpha = \frac{3}{5}$…

A light ray passes through two different media with angles of refraction $\alpha$ and $\beta$. If, from the material properties, we know that $\cos \alpha = \frac{3}{5}$ (where $\alpha$ is an angle in the fourth quadrant) and $\sin \beta = \frac{5}{13}$ (where $\beta$ is an angle in the second quadrant), determine the exact value of $\cos(\alpha - \beta)$.

Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
Two coplanar forces are applied to an object forming angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ with the horizontal, respectively. If $\sin \alpha = \frac{8}{17}$ and…

Two coplanar forces are applied to an object forming angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$ with the horizontal, respectively. If $\sin \alpha = \frac{8}{17}$ and $\cos \beta = \frac{4}{5}$ (both angles being in the first quadrant), calculate the sine of the angle formed between both forces, that is, $\sin(\beta - \alpha)$.

Diagram of two coplanar forces F₁ and F₂ forming angles α and β with the horizontalyHorizontalαββ − αF₁F₂Object
Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
In a market study, the seasonal sales cycles of two products are modelled using trigonometric functions. The phase difference that determines direct competition is given…

In a market study, the seasonal sales cycles of two products are modelled using trigonometric functions. The phase difference that determines direct competition is given by the value of $\cos(x - y)$. If $\sin x = \frac{1}{3}$ and $\cos y = \frac{2}{5}$, with $x$ located in the first quadrant and $y$ in the fourth quadrant, find the exact value of $\cos(x - y)$.

Solve

Proving Identities

To prove an identity, you expand one side with the formulas until you reach the other. It's best to start from the more complicated side.

Practice★★☆Not started
Simplify the following algebraic trigonometric expression and express it purely in terms of the tangents of the angles $a$ and $b$: $\frac{\sin(a - b)}{\cos a \cos b}$

Simplify the following algebraic trigonometric expression and express it purely in terms of the tangents of the angles $a$ and $b$:

$\frac{\sin(a - b)}{\cos a \cos b}$

Solve
Practice★★☆Not started
Prove analytically that $\tan(45^\circ - x) = \frac{1 - \tan x}{1 + \tan x}$. Use this result to find the exact value of $\tan(15^\circ)$ given that…

Prove analytically that $\tan(45^\circ - x) = \frac{1 - \tan x}{1 + \tan x}$. Use this result to find the exact value of $\tan(15^\circ)$ given that $\tan(30^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{3}$.

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
Prove the following trigonometric identity by appropriately combining the sum and difference angle formulas for sine and cosine:…

Prove the following trigonometric identity by appropriately combining the sum and difference angle formulas for sine and cosine:

$\frac{\cos(a - b) - \cos(a + b)}{\sin(a + b) + \sin(a - b)} = \tan b$

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
Prove analytically that $\sin(\alpha - \beta) \times \sin(\alpha + \beta) = \sin^2 \alpha - \sin^2 \beta$. Then, use this algebraic result to calculate mentally the…

Prove analytically that $\sin(\alpha - \beta) \times \sin(\alpha + \beta) = \sin^2 \alpha - \sin^2 \beta$. Then, use this algebraic result to calculate mentally the exact value of the expression $\sin(75^\circ) \times \sin(15^\circ)$.

Solve

Equations and Applications

If the equation already contains the whole difference angle, you solve it directly, without expanding.

Applications

A surveyor measures the angle of elevation $\beta$ to the base of an antenna and $\alpha$ to its tip. The angle under which the antenna alone is seen is $\alpha-\beta$. If the antenna sits on a hill of height $H$, the antenna's height is $h$, and the horizontal distance is $d$, then $\tan\alpha=\frac{H+h}{d}$ and $\tan\beta=\frac Hd$.

In electricity, two out-of-phase signals are combined using the difference formula to obtain a single wave $A\sin(\omega t+\phi)$. Let's see how.

Practice★★★Not started
Solve the following trigonometric equation, finding all possible solutions in the interval $0^\circ \leq x < 360^\circ$: $\sin(x - 30^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$

Solve the following trigonometric equation, finding all possible solutions in the interval $0^\circ \leq x < 360^\circ$:

$\sin(x - 30^\circ) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}$

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
A surveyor observes a cliff of height $H$ and, located right on the edge above it, a lighthouse of height $h$. From their position at a horizontal distance $d$, the…

A surveyor observes a cliff of height $H$ and, located right on the edge above it, a lighthouse of height $h$. From their position at a horizontal distance $d$, the angle of elevation to the base of the lighthouse is $\beta$ and to the top of the lighthouse is $\alpha$. Express the tangent of the angle subtended by the lighthouse alone, that is $\tan(\alpha - \beta)$, purely in terms of the distances $H$, $h$ and $d$.

β α α - β H h d
Solve
Practice★★★Not started
Solve the following system of trigonometric equations given that both $x$ and $y$ are angles belonging to the first quadrant: $\sin x \cos y = \frac{3}{4}$…

Solve the following system of trigonometric equations given that both $x$ and $y$ are angles belonging to the first quadrant:

$\sin x \cos y = \frac{3}{4}$

$\cos x \sin y = \frac{1}{4}$

Hint: First calculate the values of $\sin(x - y)$ and $\sin(x + y)$ by adding and subtracting both equations.

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
In the design of a robotic arm, the rotation angle of the end effector depends on the difference between two internal control angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$. If the tangent…

In the design of a robotic arm, the rotation angle of the end effector depends on the difference between two internal control angles $\alpha$ and $\beta$. If the tangent of the resulting angle is $\tan(\alpha - \beta) = \frac{1}{2}$ and due to mechanical constraints we know that $\tan \alpha = 3 \tan \beta$, determine the possible exact values of $\tan \beta$.

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
Solve the following trigonometric equation, determining all possible solutions in the interval $[0, 2\pi)$ radians: $\cos(x - 45^\circ) + \cos(x + 45^\circ) = 1$

Solve the following trigonometric equation, determining all possible solutions in the interval $[0, 2\pi)$ radians:

$\cos(x - 45^\circ) + \cos(x + 45^\circ) = 1$

Solve
Practice★★★Not started
In an alternating current circuit, the potential difference between two nodes is given by the superposition of two out-of-phase signals:…

In an alternating current circuit, the potential difference between two nodes is given by the superposition of two out-of-phase signals: $V(t) = 10 \sin(\omega t) - 10 \sin(\omega t - \frac{\pi}{3})$. Use the trigonometric difference angle formulas to express the potential difference $V(t)$ in the simplified form $A \sin(\omega t + \phi)$, determining the values of $A$ and $\phi$.

Solve

Back to the beginning: for Ximena's $\sin15^\circ$: $\sin(45^\circ-30^\circ)=\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\cdot\frac{\sqrt3}{2}-\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\cdot\frac12=\frac{\sqrt6-\sqrt2}{4}$.

Summary

See all the exercises in this section