Q.At x=65π, f(x)=2sin3x+3cos3x is:
(A) maximum
(B) minimum
(C) zero
(D) neither maximum nor minimum
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Maximum Value Sine Cosine
Maximum Value of Sine and Cosine – The Core Idea
Imagine a point moving around a unit circle centred at the origin. Its coordinates are (cosθ,sinθ), where θ is measured from the positive x-axis.
The farthest right the point reaches is (1,0) — cosθ=1; the farthest left is (−1,0) — cosθ=−1. The highest is (0,1) — sinθ=1; the lowest is (0,−1) — sinθ=−1. So sine and cosine never exceed 1 or fall below −1: they are bounded by the unit circle.
For any real angle θ,
−1≤sinθ≤1and−1≤cosθ≤1
The Precise Statement
Maximum value: 1; minimum value: −1. Both are achieved at specific angles.
For sine:
- sinθ=1 when θ=90∘+360∘n (i.e. 2π+2πn)
- sinθ=−1 when θ=270∘+360∘n (i.e. 23π+2πn)
For cosine:
- cosθ=1 when θ=0∘+360∘n (i.e. 2πn)
- cosθ=−1 when θ=180∘+360∘n (i.e. π+2πn)
Here n is any integer — the pattern repeats every full rotation.
Why This Matters in Exams
Many problems ask for the maximum or minimum of expressions like 3sinx+4cosx or 2−5sinx. Since sine and cosine are individually trapped between −1 and 1, you can bound any linear combination.
For asinθ+bcosθ, the maximum is a2+b2 and the minimum is −a2+b2. Derive it by rewriting as Rsin(θ+ϕ).
Common Mistake to Avoid …
To classify a point as a maximum or minimum, first check whether the derivative is zero there. If f′=0, the point cannot be an extremum.
Step 1 — Differentiate. f(x)=2sin3x+3cos3x, so
f′(x)=6cos3x−9sin3x.
Step 2 — Evaluate at x=65π. Here 3x=25π=2π+2π, so cos25π=0 and sin25π=1: …
At x=65π, f′(x)=−9=0, so the point is not a critical point and the function is neither a maximum nor a minimum — option (D).
The idea
A smooth function can only have a local maximum or minimum where its derivative is zero. So the first thing to test is whether f′ vanishes at the given point. If f′=0 there, the graph is still climbing or falling through the point and it cannot be a turning point.
Set up
f(x)=2sin3x+3cos3x.
Work the steps
- Differentiate (chain rule, since the angle is 3x):
f′(x)=2⋅3cos3x+3⋅(−sin3x)⋅3=6cos3x−9sin3x.
- Plug in x=65π, so 3x=25π. Since 25π=2π+2π,
cos25π=cos2π=0,sin25π=sin2π=1.
Therefore
f′(65π)=6(0)−9(1)=−9. …
Method: Testing Whether a Given Point Is a Local Extremum
Use this whenever a question gives a specific x-value and asks whether the function is at a maximum, minimum, zero, or neither there.
Steps
Step 1: Differentiate the function.
Find f′(x) using the standard rules, including the chain rule for any composite arguments like kx.
Step 2: Evaluate the derivative at the given point.
Substitute the specified x-value into f′(x) and simplify, using known values or periodicity of trig functions as needed to reduce the angle to a standard reference angle.
f′(x0)=?
Step 3: Check whether f′(x0)=0 — this is the necessary first test. …
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Jumping straight to classifying max/min without first checking whether the derivative is even zero.
Why it's wrong: a point can only be a local extremum where f′(x)=0; testing anything else at a point where f′=0 is meaningless and leads to a wrong conclusion. Correct approach: always compute f′(x0) first and confirm it equals zero before applying any further classification test.
Mistake 2: Mis-reducing the angle when it goes beyond 2π or involves a multiple angle like 3x.
Why it's wrong: forgetting to subtract off full rotations (2π) before evaluating sin or cos at a large angle leads to the wrong reference-angle value and a wrong derivative sign. Correct approach: always reduce the angle modulo 2π (here 25π=2π+2π) before reading off the standard sine/cosine value. …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.What is the maximum value of the determinant sinx−cosx2cosx1+2sinx?(i) 0(ii) 1(iii) 3(iv) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
Expand the determinant to get sinx+2; since sinx≤1, the maximum value is 3.
We are given sinx−cosx2cosx1+2sinx.
Expanding along the first row:
Δ=sinx(1+2sinx)−2cosx(−cosx)=sinx+2sin2x+2cos2x
Since sin2x+cos2x=1:
Δ=sinx+2(sin2x+cos2x)=sinx+2
…
- CBSE 2025Set sz1 markQ.cos x = 0.6 for some value of x in its domain. (True/False)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The statement is True: the range of cosx is [−1,1], and 0.6 lies inside this range.
The domain of cosx is all real numbers, and its range is exactly [−1,1] — cosine never exceeds 1 or goes below −1, but it does take every value in between (it is a continuous function).
…
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The range of the trigonometric function y=sinx is:(a) −1<y≤1(b) −1<y<1(c) −1≤y≤1(d) −1≤y<1
›Reveal solutionSolution
sinx attains every value between −1 and 1, including both endpoints, so its range is the closed interval [−1,1].
…
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Write the maximum value of sinx−cosxcosx1+sinx
›Reveal solutionSolution
Expanding the determinant gives 1+sinx, whose maximum value over x is 2.
sinx−cosxcosx1+sinx=sinx(1+sinx)−cosx(−cosx)=sinx+sin2x+cos2x=sinx+1
…
- CBSE 2024Set hz1 markMCQQ.Maximum value of cosθ is:(a) −1(b) 0(c) 1(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
cosθ∈[−1,1] for all real θ; its maximum value is 1.
For every real number θ, the cosine function satisfies −1≤cosθ≤1. This bound comes directly from the definition of cosθ as the x-coordinate of a point on the unit circle, which can never leave the interval [−1,1]. The value cosθ=1 …
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.If f(x)=sinx+2 in the interval [−2π,2π), what can you say about the greatest value of f(x)?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Greatest value of sinx on [−π/2,π/2] is 1, so f(x)=sinx+2 has greatest value 3.
On the interval [−2π,2π], sinx increases from −1 to 1, attaining its maximum value 1 at x=2π.
…
- CBSE 2019Set HE1 markQ.Write the answer in one word/sentence: The minimum value of 3sinθ+4cosθ is ______.
›Reveal solutionSolution
An expression asinθ+bcosθ always lies between −a2+b2 and a2+b2; here that gives [−5,5].
For 3sinθ+4cosθ, the amplitude is R=32+42=9+16=25=5. This can be written as Rsin(θ+ϕ) for a suitable phase ϕ, which ranges …
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The maximum and minimum value of function f(x)=sin3x+4 are respectively:(a) 5 and 3(b) 6 and 4(c) 4 and 3(d) None of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Since sin(3x) ranges over [−1,1], shifting by 4 gives the range of f.
…
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Match the Column-A item 'The maximum value of function f(x) = 3 sin x + 4 cos x will be' with the correct entry from Column-B. Column-B options (as printed, unordered):(1) 1;(2) 6;(3) 3;(4) 5;(5) 4.
›Reveal solutionSolution
For f(x)=asinx+bcosx, the maximum value is always a2+b2.
f(x)=3sinx+4cosx. Writing R=32+42=25=5, we can express f(x)=Rsin(x+ϕ) for a suitable phase ϕ, and since sin(x+ϕ) ranges over [−1,1], the maximum value of f(x) is R=5.
…
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.f(x)=3sinx+cosx is maximum then value of x= ............(a) 6π(b) 2π(c) 3π(d) 4π
›Reveal solutionSolution
Write f=2sin(x+6π); it peaks at x=3π.
3sinx+cosx=2(23sinx+21cosx)=2sin(x+6π).
…
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