Verifying Identities Practice – Solutions (My methods in italics.
Note: There are certainly other ways to verify these.
1.     2 − sec 2 α = 1 − tan 2 α           Work with the right-hand side.
                             (
                    = 1 − sec 2 θ − 1  )   (left is just as easy)
                                                                                   4.      cos x + sin x tan x = sec x        Work with the left-hand side.
                     = 1 − sec θ + 1
                                 2
                                           Use the identity                                               sin x
                                                                                        = cos x + sin x ⋅                     Write in terms of sine and cosine.
                                           tan 2 α + 1 = sec 2 α                                          cos x
                     = 2 − sec θ 2
                                                                                          cos x cos x sin x sin x
                                                                                        =        ⋅       +      ⋅             Find a common denominator.
                                                                                            1 cos x          1 cos x
        sec θ − 1                                                                         cos 2 x sin 2 x
2.                 = sec θ                                                              =          +
        1 − cos θ                          Work with the left-hand side.                   cos x     cos x
          1                                                                               cos x + sin 2 x
                                                                                              2
               −1                          Write everything in terms of sine and        =
     = cos θ                               cosine.                                              cos x
       1 − cos θ                                                                            1                                 Pythagorean identity.
                                                                                        =
          1                                                                               cos x
               −1
        cos θ        cos θ                 Multiply by cos x to clear fractions.        = sec x
     =            ⋅
       1 − cos θ cos θ
            1 − cos θ
     =
       (1 − cos θ ) cos θ                  Reduce.                                 5.
                                                                                             tan x + tan y
                                                                                                           =
                                                                                                             cot x + cot y    Work with the left-hand side. (right
                                                                                            1 − tan x tan y cot x cot y − 1   is just as easy)
          1
     =
       cos θ                                                                                 1       1                        Write in terms of cotangent.
                                                                                                  +
     = sec θ                                                                               cot x cot y
                                                                                        =
                                                                                                1     1
                                                                                          1−
                                                                                              cot x cot y
3.      sec x − cos x = sin x tan x        Work with the left-hand side.
         1                                                                                 ⎛ 1         1 ⎞
     =        − cos x                                                                      ⎜⎜      +      ⎟⎟
       cos x                               Write everything in terms of sine and            ⎝ cot x cot y ⎠ cot x cot y
                                                                                        =                     ⋅               Multiply by cot x cot y to clear
         1              cos x              cosine.                                        ⎛          1     ⎞ cot x cot y
     =        − cos x ⋅                                                                   ⎜⎜1 −            ⎟⎟                 fractions
       cos x            cos x                                                              ⎝ cot x cot y ⎠
         1      cos 2 x                    Multiply by cos x to get a common               cot y + cot x
     =        −                                                                         =
       cos x cos x                         denominator.                                   cot x cot y − 1
       1 − cos 2 x                                                                         cot x + cot y
     =                                                                                  =
          cos x                                                                           cot x cot y − 1
       sin 2 x                             Use the Pythagorean Identity.
     =
        cos x
       sin x sin x
     =
          cos x
     = sin x tan x
6.     cos(x + y ) cos(x − y ) = cos 2 x − sin 2 y                  Work with the left-hand side.
     = (cos x cos y − sin x sin y )(cos x cos y + sin x sin y )
                                                                    Use the identities for
     = cos 2 x cos 2 y − sin 2 x sin 2 y                            cos(x + y ) and cos(x − y ) .
               (           ) (               )
     = cos 2 x 1 − sin 2 y − 1 − cos 2 x sin 2 y
                                                                    I was stuck here for about 15
     = cos x − sin y cos x − sin y + sin 2 y cos 2 x
           2         2       2           2
                                                                    minutes. Use the
     = cos 2 x − sin 2 y                                            Pythagorean identities
                                                                    manipulated – then simplify.
Note: Problems 7 and 8 are from section 5.5.
                   sec 2 θ
7.     sec 2θ =                                    Work with the right-hand side.
                 2 − sec 2 θ
                       1                           Write in terms of cosine
               =    cos 2
                          θ
                          1
                 2−
                      cos 2 θ
                   ⎛ 1 ⎞
                   ⎜          ⎟
                   ⎝ cos θ ⎠
                          2
                                    cos 2 θ        Multiply by cos 2 θ to clear fractions.
               =                  ⋅
                 ⎛          1 ⎞ cos 2 θ
                 ⎜2 −           ⎟
                 ⎝     cos 2 θ ⎠
                       1
               =
                 2 cos 2 θ − 1
                    1
               =                                   Use the identity cos 2θ = 2 cos 2 θ − 1
                 cos 2θ
               = sec 2θ
8.     (cos x + sin x )2 = 1 + sin 2 x               Work with the left-hand side.
     = cos x + 2 cos x sin x + sin x
           2                         2
     = sin 2 x + cos 2 x + 2 sin x cos x             Use the Pythagorean identity.
     = 1 + 2 sin x cos x
     = 1 + sin 2 x