Simplify: (cos^2x-1)/cosx+1

Question

lalaly · Answer

cos^2x-1= (cosx+1)(cosx-1)

so jus cancel out cosx+1

the answer is cosx-1

anonymous · Answer

top is difference of 2 squares
a^2-b^2 = (a+b(a-b)

anonymous · Answer

man - you guys rock.  thank you! never done trig IDs before and all these different formulas are messing me up - I'm forgetting the basics!

anonymous · Answer

yw - keep practicing - thats so important in maths

anonymous · Answer

sorry jim - there are no paren. on the numerator, i just did that to show the whole thing was the numerator.....does that change the answer?

anonymous · Answer

$$\frac{\cos ^2x -1}{\cos  x}+1$$

anonymous · Answer

?

anonymous · Answer

no the cosx+1 is the denom.

anonymous · Answer

(sorry i'm not familiar with the equation editor yet)

anonymous · Answer

then they did that problem above, layla and Jim

anonymous · Answer

so cos^2x-1 even without the paren is still the diff. of two squares?

anonymous · Answer

parenthesis just for organization

anonymous · Answer

bc cos^2x-1 looks like cosxcosx-1 ... or?

anonymous · Answer

maybe i should just repost....lol