How do you prove sec(x)cos(x)=sin(x)tan(x)?

1 Answer
Jul 10, 2016

Knowing that sec(x)=1cos(x) and tan(x)=sin(x)cos(x), rewriting the equation yields

1cos(x)cos(x)1=sin(x)(sin(x)cos(x))

Rewriting the left fraction by using the property

abcd=adbcbd

and simplifying the right side of the equation yields

1cos2(x)cos(x)=sin2(x)cos(x)

Note that in this case, we can make use of the identity

sin2(x)+cos2(x)=1, since 1cos2(x)=sin2(x), giving us

sin2(x)cos(x)=sin2(x)cos(x), which is true, therefore we have proven that

sec(x)cos(x)=sin(x)tan(x)