Problem 10

Question

Verify each identity. $$\cos ^{2} x-\sin ^{2} x=2 \cos ^{2} x-1$$

Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer
The given trigonometric identity \(\cos ^{2} x-\sin ^{2} x=2 \cos ^{2} x-1\) is therefore verified.
1Step 1: Replace \(\sin ^{2} x\) using the Pythagorean identity
Start with the left side of the equation. \(\sin ^{2} x\) is equivalent to \(1 - \cos ^{2} x\), stemming from the Pythagorean identity \(\sin ^{2} x + \cos ^{2} x = 1\). So, we replace \(\sin ^{2} x\) with \(1 - \cos ^{2} x\), resulting in \(\cos ^{2} x - (1 - \cos ^{2} x)\).
2Step 2: Simplify the equation
Simplify the equation resulting from the previous step. \(\cos ^{2} x - (1 - \cos ^{2} x)\) simplifies to \(2 \cos ^{2} x - 1\), by distributing the minus sign to the \(1\) and the \(-\cos ^{2} x\). This resulting equation is now the same as the right side of the initial given equation.