Expression Investigation
Pick or enter one of the following:
tan(x) + cot(x)
sec(x)^2 - tan(x)^2
sin(x)^4 - cos(x)^4
Explore:
- Can this be simplified?
- Can it be rewritten using only one trig function?
- Are there multiple paths to simplification?
- Do you get a simpler form, or does it become more complex?
Some inspiration may be found in the following applet.
What would you expect students to try first? How might CAS help or mislead?