AP Calculus BC

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Trigonometric Identities practice questions — AP Calculus BC

11 free multiple-choice problems on trigonometric identities, ordered to match AP Calculus BC difficulty, each with a full worked solution. No account needed — and there's a fresh problem set every day.

Problems & worked solutions

Problem #0568 International

Problem 1Trigonometric Identities

If cosx=35\cos x = \dfrac{3}{5} and x ⁣(0,π2)x \in \!\left(0, \dfrac{\pi}{2}\right), then sinx2\sin\dfrac{x}{2} equals:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 15\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{5}}
  2. B. 110\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{10}}✓ correct
  3. C. 25\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{5}}
  4. D. 310\dfrac{3}{\sqrt{10}}

sin2x2=13/52=2/52=15\sin^2\dfrac{x}{2} = \dfrac{1 - 3/5}{2} = \dfrac{2/5}{2} = \dfrac{1}{5}.

Since x(0,π2)x \in \left(0, \dfrac{\pi}{2}\right), we have x2(0,π4)\dfrac{x}{2} \in \left(0, \dfrac{\pi}{4}\right), so sinx2>0\sin\dfrac{x}{2} > 0 and equals 15\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{5}}.

Problem #0565 International

Problem 2Trigonometric Identities

Given x ⁣(π2,π)x \in \!\left(\dfrac{\pi}{2}, \pi\right) and sinx=45\sin x = \dfrac{4}{5}, compute sin2x\sin 2x.

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 2425-\dfrac{24}{25}✓ correct
  2. B. 725-\dfrac{7}{25}
  3. C. 725\dfrac{7}{25}
  4. D. 2425\dfrac{24}{25}

Since x ⁣(π2,π)x \in \!\left(\dfrac{\pi}{2}, \pi\right), cosx<0\cos x < 0. From sin2x+cos2x=1\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x = 1: cos2x=11625=925\cos^2 x = 1 - \dfrac{16}{25} = \dfrac{9}{25}, so cosx=35\cos x = -\dfrac{3}{5}.

Then sin2x=245 ⁣(35)=2425\sin 2x = 2 \cdot \dfrac{4}{5} \cdot \!\left(-\dfrac{3}{5}\right) = -\dfrac{24}{25}.

Problem #0011 International

Problem 3Trigonometric Identities

Compute cos(75)cos(15)+sin(75)sin(15)\cos(75^\circ)\cos(15^\circ) + \sin(75^\circ)\sin(15^\circ).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 14\dfrac{1}{4}
  2. B. 12\dfrac{1}{2}✓ correct
  3. C. 22\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2}
  4. D. 32\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

By the identity cos(AB)=cosAcosB+sinAsinB\cos(A-B) = \cos A\cos B + \sin A\sin B, the expression equals cos(60)=12\cos(60^\circ) = \dfrac{1}{2}.

Problem #0566 International

Problem 4Trigonometric Identities

If sinx+cosx=12\sin x + \cos x = \dfrac{1}{2}, then sinxcosx\sin x \cos x equals:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 38-\dfrac{3}{8}✓ correct
  2. B. 18-\dfrac{1}{8}
  3. C. 18\dfrac{1}{8}
  4. D. 38\dfrac{3}{8}

(sinx+cosx)2=14(\sin x + \cos x)^2 = \dfrac{1}{4}. Expanding: sin2x+2sinxcosx+cos2x=14\sin^2 x + 2\sin x \cos x + \cos^2 x = \dfrac{1}{4}, so 1+2sinxcosx=141 + 2\sin x \cos x = \dfrac{1}{4}. Hence sinxcosx=38\sin x \cos x = -\dfrac{3}{8}.

Problem #0567 International

Problem 5Trigonometric Identities

Compute sin75+sin15\sin 75^{\circ} + \sin 15^{\circ}.

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 12\dfrac{1}{2}
  2. B. 22\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2}
  3. C. 62\dfrac{\sqrt{6}}{2}✓ correct
  4. D. 11

sin75+sin15=2sin902cos602=2sin45cos30=22232=62\sin 75^{\circ} + \sin 15^{\circ} = 2\sin\dfrac{90^{\circ}}{2}\cos\dfrac{60^{\circ}}{2} = 2 \sin 45^{\circ} \cos 30^{\circ} = 2 \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt 2}{2} \cdot \dfrac{\sqrt 3}{2} = \dfrac{\sqrt 6}{2}.

Problem #0562 International

Problem 6Trigonometric Identities

If sinx=13\sin x = \dfrac{1}{3}, then cos2x\cos 2x equals:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 19\dfrac{1}{9}
  2. B. 29\dfrac{2}{9}
  3. C. 79\dfrac{7}{9}✓ correct
  4. D. 89\dfrac{8}{9}

cos2x=12sin2x=1219=79\cos 2x = 1 - 2\sin^2 x = 1 - 2 \cdot \dfrac{1}{9} = \dfrac{7}{9}.

Problem #0563 International

Problem 7Trigonometric Identities

The expansion of sin(x+y)\sin(x + y) is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. sinxcosx+sinycosy\sin x \cos x + \sin y \cos y
  2. B. sinxcosy+cosxsiny\sin x \cos y + \cos x \sin y✓ correct
  3. C. sinxcosycosxsiny\sin x \cos y - \cos x \sin y
  4. D. cosxcosysinxsiny\cos x \cos y - \sin x \sin y

This is the standard sum identity: sin(x+y)=sinxcosy+cosxsiny\sin(x + y) = \sin x \cos y + \cos x \sin y.

Problem #0561 International

Problem 8Trigonometric Identities

The value of sinπ3\sin\dfrac{\pi}{3} is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 12\dfrac{1}{2}
  2. B. 22\dfrac{\sqrt{2}}{2}
  3. C. 32\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}✓ correct
  4. D. 11

sinπ3=32\sin\dfrac{\pi}{3} = \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} — a notable value from the unit circle.

Problem #0564 International

Problem 9Trigonometric Identities

The value of sin7π6\sin\dfrac{7\pi}{6} is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 12\dfrac{1}{2}
  2. B. 12-\dfrac{1}{2}✓ correct
  3. C. 32\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}
  4. D. 32-\dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2}

sin ⁣(π+π6)=sinπ6=12\sin\!\left(\pi + \dfrac{\pi}{6}\right) = -\sin\dfrac{\pi}{6} = -\dfrac{1}{2}.

Problem #0569 International

Problem 10Trigonometric Identities

The number of solutions of sin2x=3cosx\sin 2x = \sqrt{3}\,\cos x on [0,2π)[0, 2\pi) is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 22
  2. B. 33
  3. C. 44✓ correct
  4. D. 55

2sinxcosx3cosx=0cosx(2sinx3)=02\sin x \cos x - \sqrt{3}\cos x = 0 \Rightarrow \cos x\,(2\sin x - \sqrt{3}) = 0.

\bullet cosx=0x ⁣{π2,3π2}\cos x = 0 \Rightarrow x \in \!\left\{\dfrac{\pi}{2}, \dfrac{3\pi}{2}\right\}

\bullet sinx=32x ⁣{π3,2π3}\sin x = \dfrac{\sqrt{3}}{2} \Rightarrow x \in \!\left\{\dfrac{\pi}{3}, \dfrac{2\pi}{3}\right\}

Total: 44 solutions on [0,2π)[0, 2\pi).

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