Chapter 17

Compound angles
(a) sin(π + α) = sin π cos α + cos π sin α (from
17.1 Compound angle formulae
the formula forsin(A + B))
An electric current i may be expressed as i = = (0)(cos α) + (−1) sin α = −sin α
5 sin(ωt − 0.33) amperes. Similarly, the displacement (b) −cos(90◦ + β)
x of a body from a fixed point can be expressed as
x = 10 sin(2t + 0.67) metres. The angles (ωt − 0.33) and = −[cos 90◦ cos β − sin 90◦ sin β]
(2t + 0.67) are called compound angles because they
= −[(0)(cos β) − (1) sin β] = sin β
are the sum or difference of two angles. The compound
angle formulae for sines and cosines of the sum and
difference of two angles A and B are: (c) sin(A − B) − sin(A + B)

= [sin A cos B − cos A sin B]

sin(A + B) = sin A cos B + cos A sin B
− [sin A cos B + cos A sin B]
sin(A − B) = sin A cos B − cos A sin B
cos(A + B) = cos A cos B − sin A sin B = −2cos A sin B
cos(A − B) = cos A cos B + sin A sin B
Problem 2. Prove that
 π
(Note, sin(A + B) is not equal to (sin A + sin B), and cos(y − π) + sin y + = 0.
so on.) 2
The formulae stated above may be used to derive two
further compound angle formulae: cos(y − π) = cos y cos π + sin y sin π
= (cos y)(−1) + (sin y)(0)
tan A + tan B
tan(A + B) = = −cos y
1 − tan A tan B
 π π π
tan A − tan B sin y + = sin y cos + cos y sin
tan(A − B) = 2 2 2
1 + tan A tan B
= (sin y)(0) + (cos y)(1) = cos y
The compound-angle formulae are true for all values of  π
A and B, and by substituting values of A and B into the Hence cos(y − π) + sin y +
2
formulae they may be shown to be true.
= (−cos y) + (cos y) = 0
Problem 1. Expand and simplify the following
expressions: Problem 3. Show that
 π  π
(a) sin(π + α) (b) −cos(90◦ + β)
tan x + tan x − = −1.
(c) sin(A − B) − sin(A + B) 4 4
164 Higher Engineering Mathematics

 π tan x + tan π4
tan x + = Problem 5. Solve the equation
4 1 − tan x tan π4
4 sin(x − 20◦ ) = 5 cos x
from the formula fortan(A + B)
 
tan x + 1 1 + tan x for values of x between 0◦ and 90◦ .
= =
1 − (tan x)(1) 1 − tan x
π 4 sin(x − 20◦ ) = 4[sin x cos 20◦ − cos x sin 20◦ ],
since tan = 1
4 from the formula forsin(A − B)
  
π tan x − tan π4 tan x − 1 = 4[sin x(0.9397) − cos x(0.3420)]
tan x − = =
4 1 + tan x tan π4 1 + tan x = 3.7588 sin x − 1.3680 cos x
 π   π 
Hence tan x + tan x − Since 4 sin(x − 20◦ ) = 5 cos x then
4 4
   3.7588 sin x − 1.3680 cos x = 5 cos x
1 + tan x tan x − 1 Rearranging gives:
=
1 − tan x 1 + tan x
3.7588 sin x = 5 cos x + 1.3680 cos x
tan x − 1 −(1 − tan x)
= = = −1 = 6.3680 cos x
1 − tan x 1 − tan x
sin x 6.3680
and = = 1.6942
Problem 4. If sin P = 0.8142 and cos Q = 0.4432 cos x 3.7588
evaluate, correct to 3 decimal places:
i.e. tan x = 1.6942, and x = tan−1 1.6942 =59.449◦ or
(a) sin(P − Q), (b) cos(P + Q) and
59◦ 27
(c) tan(P + Q), using the compound-angle
formulae. [Check: LHS = 4 sin(59.449◦ − 20◦ )
Since sin P = 0.8142 then = 4 sin 39.449◦ = 2.542
P = sin−1 0.8142 =54.51◦ .
Thus cos P = cos 54.51◦ = 0.5806 and RHS = 5 cos x = 5 cos59.449◦ = 2.542]
tan P = tan 54.51◦ = 1.4025
Since cos Q = 0.4432, Q = cos−1 0.4432 =63.69◦ . Now try the following exercise
Thus sin Q = sin 63.69◦ = 0.8964 and
tan Q = tan 63.69◦ = 2.0225
Exercise 72 Further problems on
(a) sin(P − Q) compound angle formulae
= sin P cos Q − cos P sin Q 1. Reduce the following to the sine of one
= (0.8142)(0.4432) − (0.5806)(0.8964) angle:
= 0.3609 − 0.5204 = −0.160 (a) sin 37◦ cos 21◦ + cos 37◦ sin 21◦
(b) sin 7t cos 3t − cos 7t sin 3t
(b) cos(P + Q) [(a) sin 58◦ (b) sin 4t ]
= cos P cos Q − sin P sin Q
2. Reduce the following to the cosine of one
= (0.5806)(0.4432) − (0.8142)(0.8964)
angle:
= 0.2573 − 0.7298 = −0.473
(a) cos 71◦ cos 33◦ − sin 71◦ sin 33◦
(c) tan(P + Q) π π π π
(b) cos cos + sin sin
tan P + tan Q (1.4025) + (2.0225) 3 4 3 4
= = ⎡ ⎤
1 − tan P tan Q 1 − (1.4025)(2.0225) (a) cos 104◦ ≡ −cos 76◦
3.4250 ⎣ π ⎦
= = −1.865 (b) cos
−1.8366 12
 Compound angles 165

same frequency (which is further demonstrated in

3. Show that:
   Chapter 25).
π 2π √
(a) sin x + + sin x + = 3 cos x (iv) Since a = R cos α, then cos α = a/R, and since
3 3
and  b = R sin α, then sin α = b/R.

3π
(b) − sin − φ = cos φ
2
4. Prove that:   
π 3π
(a) sin θ + − sin θ −
4 4 R
√ b
= 2(sin θ + cos θ)
cos(270◦ + θ) ␣
(b) = tan θ
cos(360◦ − θ) a

5. Given cos A = 0.42 and sin B = 0.73 evaluate

(a) sin(A − B), (b) cos(A − B), (c) tan(A+ B),
correct to 4 decimal places. Figure 17.1
[(a) 0.3136 (b) 0.9495 (c) −2.4687]
In Problems 6 and 7, solve the equations for If the values of a and b are known then the values
values of θ between 0◦ and 360◦. of R and α may be calculated. The relationship between
constants a, b, R and α are shown in Fig. 17.1.
6. 3 sin(θ + 30◦ ) = 7 cosθ
[64.72◦ or 244.72◦] From Fig. 17.1, by Pythagoras’ theorem:
-
7. 4 sin(θ − 40◦ ) = 2 sin θ R = a 2 + b2
[67.52◦ or 247.52◦]
and from trigonometric ratios:

α = tan−1 b/a
17.2 Conversion of a sin ωt + b cos ωt
into R sin(ωt + α) Problem 6. Find an expression for 3 sin ωt + 4
cos ωt in the form R sin(ωt + α) and sketch graphs
(i) R sin(ωt + α) represents a sine wave of maxi- of 3 sin ωt , 4 cosωt and R sin(ωt + α) on the
mum value R, periodic time 2π/ω, frequency same axes.
ω/2π and leading R sin ωt by angle α. (See
Chapter 14).
Let 3 sin ωt + 4 cosωt = R sin(ωt + α)
(ii) R sin(ωt + α) may be expanded using the
compound-angle formula for sin(A + B), where then 3 sin ωt + 4 cosωt
A = ωt and B = α. Hence, = R[sin ωt cos α + cos ωt sin α]
R sin(ωt + α) = (R cos α) sin ωt + (R sin α) cosωt
= R[sin ωt cos α + cos ωt sin α]
Equating coefficients of sin ωt gives:
= R sin ωt cos α + R cos ωt sin α
= (R cos α) sin ωt + (R sin α) cos ωt 3
3 = R cos α, from which, cosα =
R
(iii) If a = R cos α and b = R sin α, where a and Equating coefficients of cos ωt gives:
b are constants, then R sin(ωt + α) =a sin ωt +
b cos ωt , i.e. a sine and cosine function of the same 4
4 = R sin α, from which, sin α =
frequency when added produce a sine wave of the R