Write each expression in terms of sine and cosine, and then simplify the expression so that no quotients appear and all functions are of θ only. See Example 3. (sec²θ - 1)/(csc²θ - 1)
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Recall the definitions of the secant and cosecant functions in terms of sine and cosine: \(\sec \theta = \frac{1}{\cos \theta}\) and \(\csc \theta = \frac{1}{\sin \theta}\).
Rewrite the given expression \(\frac{\sec^{2} \theta - 1}{\csc^{2} \theta - 1}\) by substituting \(\sec^{2} \theta\) with \(\frac{1}{\cos^{2} \theta}\) and \(\csc^{2} \theta\) with \(\frac{1}{\sin^{2} \theta}\), so it becomes \(\frac{\frac{1}{\cos^{2} \theta} - 1}{\frac{1}{\sin^{2} \theta} - 1}\).
Simplify the numerator and denominator separately by combining terms over a common denominator: numerator becomes \(\frac{1 - \cos^{2} \theta}{\cos^{2} \theta}\) and denominator becomes \(\frac{1 - \sin^{2} \theta}{\sin^{2} \theta}\).
Use the Pythagorean identity \(\sin^{2} \theta + \cos^{2} \theta = 1\) to rewrite \(1 - \cos^{2} \theta\) as \(\sin^{2} \theta\) and \(1 - \sin^{2} \theta\) as \(\cos^{2} \theta\).
Substitute these back into the expression to get \(\frac{\frac{\sin^{2} \theta}{\cos^{2} \theta}}{\frac{\cos^{2} \theta}{\sin^{2} \theta}}\), then simplify by multiplying numerator by the reciprocal of the denominator to eliminate quotients and express the entire expression in terms of sine and cosine only.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Pythagorean Identities
Pythagorean identities relate the squares of sine and cosine functions, such as sin²θ + cos²θ = 1. These identities help simplify expressions by converting sec²θ and csc²θ into terms involving sine and cosine, enabling easier manipulation and reduction of trigonometric expressions.
Secant and cosecant are reciprocal functions: secθ = 1/cosθ and cscθ = 1/sinθ. Expressing sec²θ and csc²θ in terms of sine and cosine allows rewriting the given expression without quotients, which is essential for simplification and meeting the problem's requirements.
Algebraic Simplification of Trigonometric Expressions
After rewriting trigonometric functions in terms of sine and cosine, algebraic techniques like factoring, combining like terms, and eliminating fractions are used to simplify the expression. This process ensures the final form contains no quotients and only functions of θ, as requested.