Q.Integrate the following function: sin3xcos4x
Concept understanding — Product To Sum Identity
Why turn a product into a sum?
Products of trig functions are messy — they don't integrate nicely and are hard to simplify. Sums are clean: you can separate and integrate them term-by-term. The Product-to-Sum identities convert a product of sines and cosines into a sum (or difference), turning something like sin3xcos5x into 21[sin8x+sin(−2x)].
The core idea in one sentence
Any product of two sines and/or cosines can be rewritten as half the sum (or difference) of two sine/cosine functions whose arguments are the sum and difference of the original angles.
The four identities
For any two angles A and B:
sinAcosBcosAsinBcosAcosBsinAsinB=21[sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)]=21[sin(A+B)−sin(A−B)]=21[cos(A+B)+cos(A−B)]=21[cos(A−B)−cos(A+B)]
The pattern:
- Same functions (coscos or sinsin) → result uses cosines.
- Different functions (sincos or cossin) → result uses sines.
- The sinsin case has a minus before cos(A+B) — the one that trips people up.
Where they come from (the derivation)
They follow directly from the sum and difference formulas:
sin(A+B)sin(A−B)cos(A+B)cos(A−B)=sinAcosB+cosAsinB=sinAcosB−cosAsinB=cosAcosB−sinAsinB=cosAcosB+sinAsinB
Add the first two: sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)=2sinAcosB. Divide by 2 → the first identity. Subtract them → the second. Add/subtract the cosine formulas → the other two.
If you forget an identity, derive it in 10 seconds from the sum/difference formulas.
Worked examples
Simplify sin5xcos2x. With A=5x, B=2x (first identity):
sin5xcos2x=21[sin7x+sin3x]
Simplify sin4xsinx. With A=4x, B=x (fourth identity):
sin4xsinx=21[cos3x−cos5x]
The sinsin identity has a minus between the two cosines, with cos(A−B) first. Writing 21[cos(A+B)−cos(A−B)] is wrong.
When will you use this?
- Integration: ∫sin3xcos5xdx becomes 21∫(sin8x+sin(−2x))dx — trivial.
- Solving equations and physics (wave interference, signal processing), where products of sinusoids appear constantly.
Doubt yourself? Test with a simple angle. With A=30∘, B=0∘: sin30∘cos0∘=0.5, and 21[sin30∘+sin30∘]=0.5. ✓
Bottom line: Product-to-sum identities turn multiplication into addition — and addition is always easier to handle.
Product-to-sum identities are part of the NCERT Class 11 Trigonometric Functions chapter and become essential again in the Class 12 Integrals chapter whenever a product like sin 3x cos 5x needs to be integrated. Students searching 'product to sum formulas class 11 trigonometry' or 'how to integrate sin x cos x product' will find these four identities are exactly the transformation tool both CBSE units expect students to have memorized.
Turn the product into a sum with sinAcosB=21[sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)].
With A=3x, B=4x:
sin3xcos4x=21[sin7x+sin(−x)]=21[sin7x−sinx].
Integrate term by term (using ∫sinkxdx=−k1coskx):
∫sin3xcos4xdx=21(−7cos7x+cosx)+C=−141cos7x+21cosx+C.
∫sin3xcos4xdx=−141cos7x+21cosx+C
Product-to-sum gives sin3xcos4x=21(sin7x−sinx), and integrating gives −141cos7x+21cosx+C.
Why convert to a sum
Products of sines and cosines are hard to integrate directly, but sums are trivial. The identity sinAcosB=21[sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)] does the conversion.
Apply the identity
Take A=3x, B=4x:
sin3xcos4x=21[sin(7x)+sin(−x)].
Since sin(−x)=−sinx,
sin3xcos4x=21[sin7x−sinx].
Integrate
Use ∫sinkxdx=−k1coskx:
∫sin3xcos4xdx=21(−7cos7x)−21(−cosx)+C=−141cos7x+21cosx+C.
Watch the 71: 21⋅71=141, not 21.
∫sin3xcos4xdx=−141cos7x+21cosx+C
Method: Product-to-sum identity for sin(ax)cos(bx)
A product of a sine and a cosine of different angles cannot be integrated as-is; convert it into a sum of sines, which integrate term by term.
Steps
Step 1: Apply the correct product-to-sum identity.
sinAcosB=21[sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)]
Match A and B to the two angles in the integrand.
Step 2: Simplify signed angles using parity.
A negative angle inside sine flips sign: sin(−x)=−sinx. (For cosine, cos(−x)=cosx.) Simplify before integrating.
Step 3: Integrate each sine term.
Use ∫sin(kx)dx=−k1cos(kx)+C, keeping the k1 factor for every term.
Remember which identity to reach for: a sincos or cossin product yields sines, while sinsin or coscos yields cosines.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Trying to integrate sin3xcos4x as a single product.
Why it's wrong: there is no u whose derivative appears because the two angles differ, so direct substitution fails. Correct approach: use sinAcosB=21[sin(A+B)+sin(A−B)] to split it into 21[sin7x+sin(−x)].
Mistake 2: Leaving sin(−x) without simplifying its sign.
Why it's wrong: sin(−x)=−sinx, so overlooking the odd symmetry gives a wrong sign on that term. Correct approach: simplify to 21[sin7x−sinx] before integrating, yielding −141cos7x+21cosx+C.
- KCET 2025Set A-11 markMCQQ.If cosx+cos2x=1, then the value of sin2x+sin4x is (A) −1 (B) 1 (C) 0 (D) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
The condition forces sin2x=cosx; substituting turns sin2x+sin4x back into the given expression cosx+cos2x=1.
Step 1 — Rearrange the given condition.
We are given
cosx+cos2x=1.
Isolate cosx:
cosx=1−cos2x.
Step 2 — The concept: use the Pythagorean identity.
The fundamental identity sin2x+cos2x=1 rearranges to
1−cos2x=sin2x.
The right-hand side of Step 1 is exactly this. So the given condition is equivalent to the elegant relation
cosx=sin2x.
This is the whole trick — the condition secretly says "cosx is sin2x", which lets us swap one for the other.
Step 3 — Rewrite the required expression in terms of sin2x.
sin2x+sin4x=sin2x+(sin2x)2.
Step 4 — Substitute sin2x=cosx.
sin2x+(sin2x)2=cosx+(cosx)2=cosx+cos2x.
Step 5 — Recognise the given condition and finish.
But cosx+cos2x=1 is precisely what we were told. Therefore
sin2x+sin4x=1.
Step 6 — Numerical sanity check.
Solve cos2x+cosx−1=0 for c=cosx: c=2−1+5≈0.6180 (the root in [−1,1]).
Then sin2x=1−c2≈1−0.3820=0.6180 (indeed =c ✓), and sin4x≈0.3820.
Sum: 0.6180+0.3820=1.0000 ✓ — matches.
Also note the value must be positive (a sum of even powers), which immediately kills (A) −1; and it cannot be 0 (that would need sinx=0, forcing cosx=±1, neither of which satisfies the condition), killing (C).
✓Final answerThe correct option is (B) — 1.
ANSWER: B
- KCET 2023Set A-21 markMCQQ.If limx→0xsin(2+x)−sin(2−x)=AcosB, then the values of A and B respectively are (A) 1,2 (B) 2,1 (C) 1,1 (D) 2,2
›Reveal solutionSolution
The limit is a derivative in disguise — it equals 2cos2, so A=2 and B=2.
The core idea here is that the given limit looks exactly like the definition of a derivative, but with a symmetric difference. Instead of blindly applying L'Hôpital's rule, recognise that
limx→0xf(2+x)−f(2−x)
is a standard form for 2f′(2), provided f is differentiable. Here f(t)=sint, so f′(t)=cost. That gives the answer almost instantly.
Let’s walk through it carefully.
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Identify the function.
Let f(t)=sint. Then the numerator is f(2+x)−f(2−x).
-
Rewrite the limit in derivative form.
The derivative of f at t=2 is
f′(2)=limh→0hf(2+h)−f(2).
But our limit uses f(2−x) instead of f(2). Notice that
xf(2+x)−f(2−x)=xf(2+x)−f(2)+f(2)−f(2−x).
Split it:
=xf(2+x)−f(2)+xf(2)−f(2−x).
The second term can be rewritten by letting h=−x:
xf(2)−f(2−x)=−xf(2−x)−f(2)=hf(2+h)−f(2),
where h=−x. As x→0, h→0 as well. So both terms approach f′(2).
- Combine the two pieces. Hence
limx→0xf(2+x)−f(2−x)=f′(2)+f′(2)=2f′(2).
-
Compute f′(2).
Since f(t)=sint, f′(t)=cost, so f′(2)=cos2.
-
Match to the given form.
The limit equals 2cos2. The problem says this equals AcosB. So A=2 and B=2.
Watch outA common mistake is to think the limit equals cos2 (forgetting the factor of 2) or to confuse B with the argument of sine (like B=1). The symmetric difference doubles the derivative.
TipYou can also verify quickly using the sine sum-to-product identity:
sin(2+x)−sin(2−x)=2cos2sinx, so the limit becomes limx→0x2cos2sinx=2cos2. This is even faster — but the derivative insight is more general.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (D), with A=2 and B=2.
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- KCET 2024Set A-11 markMCQQ.If △ABC is right angled at C, then the value of tanA+tanB is (A) a+b (B) bca2 (C) abc2 (D) acb2
›Reveal solutionSolution
In a right triangle with the right angle at C, angles A and B are complementary, so tanA+tanB=cosAsinA+cosBsinB simplifies to abc2 using side relations.
The key insight is that in a right triangle, the two acute angles add up to 90∘. That means A+B=90∘, so B=90∘−A. This immediately tells us tanB=cotA, because tan(90∘−A)=cotA. So the sum tanA+tanB becomes tanA+cotA.
But the options are given in terms of side lengths a, b, c — where by standard convention, side a is opposite A, side b opposite B, and side c opposite C (the hypotenuse, since C=90∘). So we need to express tanA+cotA in terms of these sides.
Let’s work through it step by step.
-
Set up the triangle.
Right angle at C means c is the hypotenuse. So AB=c, BC=a (opposite A), and AC=b (opposite B).
From the definitions:
tanA=adjacent to Aopposite to A=ba
tanB=adjacent to Bopposite to B=ab
-
Add them directly.
tanA+tanB=ba+ab=aba2+b2
-
Use the Pythagorean theorem.
Since the triangle is right-angled at C, we have a2+b2=c2.
Therefore tanA+tanB=abc2.
That matches option (C).
TipYou could also use tanA+tanB=tanA+cotA=cosAsinA+sinAcosA=sinAcosA1. Then note sinA=a/c, cosA=b/c, so the sum becomes (a/c)(b/c)1=abc2. Same result, faster.
Watch outA common mistake is to think tanA+tanB=tan(A+B) — that’s false. The formula tan(A+B) is for the tangent of a sum, not the sum of tangents. Here A+B=90∘, and tan90∘ is undefined, so that path leads nowhere.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (C) abc2.
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