Comments | math_help: Precalculus Help

so_wtf in math_help

Precalculus Help

Oct 26, 2008 23:20

I was wondering would anyone know what websites are good for Precalculus? Any recommendations? Any book recommendations? A good place/website/book to go to study, when you can only do it by yourself and for self-practice ( Read more... )

function, precalculus, precal, trig, identities

Comments 5

amaylia October 27 2008, 03:37:41 UTC

If you're just trying to simplify that equation, try factoring it first. Remember that (sinx)^2 + (cosx)^2 = 1.

so_wtf October 27 2008, 04:09:13 UTC

Yeah I'm trying to do that by changing it into terms of cosines and sines.

hmmm so in that case would I be able to use cos^3x +sin^2x? So would it be like 1 + cosx + cosx? or is that just plain wrong?

tu_ne_cedemalis October 27 2008, 03:46:53 UTC

I don't know exactly what you're trying to figure out about that statement, but I'd imagine you want to get everything in terms of cosines. I would suggest you use the Pythagorean Identity.

just_you_wait October 27 2008, 04:16:57 UTC

from the original, factor out a cos(x).

sans_galois October 27 2008, 06:54:41 UTC

Notice that the two summands have a common factor of cos(x), and so, as the comment above me says, you can factor it out.

What do you notice about what's left over?