Q.Find the minimum and maximum values of 3cosx+4sinx.
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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 …
An expression acosx+bsinx ranges between −a2+b2 and +a2+b2; here 32+42=5. …
acosx+bsinx has range [−a2+b2,a2+b2]; with a=3,b=4 this is [−5,5].
Any expression of the form acosx+bsinx can be written as Rcos(x−α) where R=a2+b2. Since cos(x−α) lies between −1 and 1, the expr …
- 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
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- 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).
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- 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
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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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