Paper 2 · Trigonometry ⏱ Tested in 1 exam question since 2023 Lesson 5 of 13

Trigonometry 4.4: Quadratic equations

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You’ll learn

  • Spot a quadratic-trig equation: mixed angles (cos 2x, sin x) or ratios (sec², tan)
  • Unify with an identity, substitute y = trig, factorise, then unit-circle each root
  • Discard impossible roots like cos = 2 before the unit-circle step
  • Handle half-angles with sin²(½x) = ½(1 − cos x), halving the domain for θ/2

Most recent exam questions

  • 2023 P2 Q2(c)

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