Trig Identity Using in Deriving the Superposition of Two Sinusoidal Waves

a b a b
sin

2
2

Prove sin a sin b 2 cos

Basic Identities Used:

Pythagorean:

sin 2 u cos 2 u 1
Sum/Difference:

sin u v sin u cos v cos u sin v

cos u v cos u cos v msin u sin v

Half-Angle:

sin

u
1 cos u

2
2

cos

u
1 cos u

2
2

a b a b
sin

2
2

Pf: 2 cos

a b a b
sin

2 2 2 2

2 cos

a
b
a
b

2 cos cos sin

sin
2
2
2
2

sin

a
b
a b
cos

cos

sin

2
2
2 2

( from using cosine of a difference and sine of a sum identities )

a
a
b
b
b
a
b
b
a
a
a
b

2 sin cos cos 2 sin cos cos 2 sin cos sin 2 sin cos sin 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

(from multiplying binomials in the previous step)

a
a
b
a
a
b
b
b
a
b
b

2 sin cos sin 2 sin cos cos 2 sin cos sin 2 sin cos cos 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

(rearranging terms using the associative property of addition)

a
2


a
a
b
b
b
a
b
a
2 sin cos sin 2 cos 2 sin cos sin 2 cos 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

(factoring greatest common factors)

a
a
b
b

2 sin cos 1 sin cos 1

2
2
2
2

(using Pythagorean identity)

a
a
b
b

2 sin cos sin cos

2
2
2
2

b
1 cos a
1 cos a
1 cos
2

2
2
2

1 cos b

(using half-angle identities)

1 cos 2 a

1 cos 2 b

(using properties of radicals/exponents to multiply fractions under radicals)

sin 2 a

sin 2 b

(using Pythagorean identity rearranged : sin 2 u 1 cos 2 u )

sin a sin b

2
2

(using properties of radicals/exponents and taking square root of numerator and

denominator

sin a sin b
(using distributive property)

a b a b
sin
.
2
2

Therefore, sin a sin b 2 cos