Question

Verify: (cosx/secx-1) - cosx-tan^2x = cotx

Answer 1

A good first step is to change everything to be in terms of sines and cosines, then use basic identities.

Answer 2

should you make common denominators? or no?

Answer 3

You're going to be adding some fractions, so yeah, that's probably a good idea.

Answer 4

well do you know your trig identities?

Answer 5

yes. i'm mostly confused about what to do with the -1

Answer 6

or what to do first

Answer 7

well cotx is 1/tanx or it is 1-tan²x? i think, so that is the goal

you can try multiplying everything by secx-1