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Exercise 7.3 · Q23

Q.∫sin⁡2x−cos⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2xdx\int \frac{\sin^2 x - \cos^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} dx is equal to (A) tan⁡x+cot⁡x+C\tan x + \cot x + C (B) tan⁡x+cosec⁡x+C\tan x + \operatorname{cosec} x + C (C) −tan⁡x+cot⁡x+C-\tan x + \cot x + C (D) tan⁡x+sec⁡x+C\tan x + \sec x + C

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The key idea is to split the integrand into two simpler fractions using the identity sin⁡2x−cos⁡2x=−(cos⁡2x−sin⁡2x)=−cos⁡2x\sin^2 x - \cos^2 x = -(\cos^2 x - \sin^2 x) = -\cos 2x, but an even faster approach is to separate term-by-term: sin⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x−cos⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x=sec⁡2x−csc⁡2x\frac{\sin^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} - \frac{\cos^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} = \sec^2 x - \csc^2 x. Integrating gives tan⁡x+cot⁡x+C\tan x + \cot x + C, which matches option (A).

The problem looks like a trigonometric integral, but the real trick is noticing that the denominator is a product of squares. Many students try to use double-angle identities immediately, but the cleanest path is to split the fraction first.

When you have a sum (or difference) in the numerator and a product in the denominator, always check if you can break it into separate terms. Here:

sin⁡2x−cos⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x=sin⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x−cos⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x\frac{\sin^2 x - \cos^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} = \frac{\sin^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} - \frac{\cos^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x}

Each fraction simplifies beautifully:

sin⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x=1cos⁡2x=sec⁡2x\frac{\sin^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} = \frac{1}{\cos^2 x} = \sec^2 x

cos⁡2xsin⁡2xcos⁡2x=1sin⁡2x=csc⁡2x\frac{\cos^2 x}{\sin^2 x \cos^2 x} = \frac{1}{\sin^2 x} = \csc^2 x

So the integrand becomes sec⁡2x−csc⁡2x\sec^2 x - \csc^2 x.

Now integrate term by term:

  1. ∫sec⁡2x dx=tan⁡x+C1\int \sec^2 x \, dx = \tan x + C_1 — this is a standard result, since the derivative of tan⁡x\tan x is sec⁡2x\sec^2 x.
  2. ∫csc⁡2x dx=−cot⁡x+C2\int \csc^2 x \, dx = -\cot x + C_2 — because the derivative of cot⁡x\cot x is −csc⁡2x-\csc^2 x. …

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