PGCET (MCA) ENTRANCE

EXAMINATION
TRIGONOMETRY - 90
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
Difficulty Level: Advanced (Expected for MCA Entrance)

SECTION 1: TRIGONOMETRIC
FUNCTIONS & BASIC IDENTITIES
(Questions 1-15)
1. If sin θ = 3/5 and θ is in the second quadrant, find the value of cos θ +
tan θ.

2. Prove that: sin⁴θ + cos⁴θ = 1 - 2sin²θ cos²θ

3. If tan θ = -4/3 and θ is in the second quadrant, find sec θ + cot θ.

4. Simplify: (1 + tan²θ)/(1 + cot²θ) - cos²θ

5. If sin θ - cos θ = 1/2, find the value of sin θ cos θ.

6. Prove that: (sin θ + cosec θ)² + (cos θ + sec θ)² = tan²θ + cot²θ + 7

7. If 3sin θ + 4cos θ = 5, find the value of sin θ + 2cos θ.

8. Evaluate: sin²15° + sin²75° + sin²45° - 2sin45° sin15° sin75°

9. If sin θ + cos θ = √2, then prove that tan θ = 1 or cot θ = 1.

10. Find the value of: (sin⁶θ + cos⁶θ)/(sin⁴θ + cos⁴θ)

11. If tan θ = 5/12, find the value of (sin θ - cos θ)/(sin θ + cos θ).

12. Prove that: (cosec θ - sin θ)(sec θ - cos θ)(tan θ + cot θ) = 1

13. If a sin θ + b cos θ = c, find the value of a cos θ - b sin θ in terms of a,

b, and c.
14. Simplify: (tan θ + cot θ)² - (tan θ - cot θ)²

15. If sin θ cos θ = 1/2, find sin⁴θ + cos⁴θ.

SECTION 2: TRIGONOMETRIC
EQUATIONS (Questions 16-35)
16. Solve: sin(3x + 10°) = cos(2x - 5°) for the general solution.

17. Find all solutions of: 2sin²x - 3sin x + 1 = 0 in [0, 2π].

18. Solve: tan 2x = √3, where 0 ≤ x < 2π.

19. Find the general solution of: cos 2x - 3cos x + 2 = 0.

20. Solve: 3tan²x - √3 tan x - 3 = 0 for x ∈ [0, π].

21. Find all solutions of: sin x + cos x = √2 sin(x + π/4) - verify the
identity first.

22. Solve: sin 3x = sin x, and find the number of solutions in [0, π].

23. Find the general solution of: cos 3x - cos x = 0.

24. Solve: tan x + cot x = 2 for x ∈ [0, 2π].

25. Find all solutions of: 4sin x cos x - 2sin x - 2cos x + 1 = 0.

26. Solve: 2sin²x + sin x - 1 = 0 and express solutions in [0, 2π].

27. Find the general solution of: sin x = tan(x/2).

28. Solve: cos 2x + cos x = 0 for x ∈ [0, 2π].

29. Find all solutions of: tan(2x + π/3) = tan(x - π/6) in [0, π].

30. Solve: sin²x - 3sin x cos x + 2cos²x = 0.

31. Find the general solution of: sin x + sin 3x + sin 5x = 0.

32. Solve: cos x - cos 3x = 0 and count solutions in [0, 2π].

33. Find all solutions of: 2cos²x + sin x - 1 = 0 in [0, 2π].

34. Solve: tan 2x tan x = 1 for the principal values.

35. Find the general solution of: sec x + tan x = √3.

SECTION 3: INVERSE
TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS
(Questions 36-50)
36. Prove that: sin⁻¹(3/5) + cos⁻¹(3/5) = π/2

37. Find the value of: sin⁻¹(1/2) + cos⁻¹(-1/2) + tan⁻¹(√3)

38. Prove that: tan⁻¹(1/2) + tan⁻¹(1/3) = π/4

39. Evaluate: 2tan⁻¹(1/5) + tan⁻¹(1/8)

40. Find the value of: sin⁻¹(sin 5π/6)

41. Prove that: cot⁻¹(x) + tan⁻¹(x) = π/2 for x > 0

42. If tan⁻¹(x) + tan⁻¹(y) + tan⁻¹(z) = π, then prove that x + y + z = xyz.

43. Find the principal value of: cos⁻¹(-√3/2) + sin⁻¹(-1/2)

44. Prove that: sin⁻¹(2/√13) + cos⁻¹(3/√13) = π/2

45. Evaluate: tan⁻¹(1) + tan⁻¹(2) + tan⁻¹(3)

46. Find the value of: 4tan⁻¹(1/5) - tan⁻¹(1/239)

47. If sin⁻¹(x) = π/6, find cos⁻¹(x).

48. Prove that: tan⁻¹(√x) = sin⁻¹(√x/√(1+x))

49. Find the domain and range of: f(x) = sin⁻¹(x²)

50. Solve: tan⁻¹(2x) + tan⁻¹(3x) = π/4

SECTION 4: TRIGONOMETRIC
IDENTITIES & MULTIPLE ANGLES
(Questions 51-65)
51. Prove that: sin(A+B)sin(A-B) = sin²A - sin²B

52. If sin(A + B) = 4/5 and cos(A - B) = 12/13, find sin 2A and cos 2B.

53. Prove that: (cos A - cos B)/(sin A + sin B) = -tan((A+B)/2)

54. If tan A + tan B = p and cot A + cot B = q, find tan(A + B).

55. Prove that: sin 3A = 4sin A sin(60° - A)sin(60° + A)

56. Express sin 5θ in terms of sin θ and prove it.

57. If cos 2θ = cos θ - sin θ, find θ.

58. Prove that: (1 - cos 2A)/(1 + cos 2A) = tan²A

59. If sin A + sin B = p and cos A + cos B = q, find sin(A + B).

60. Prove that: tan 3θ = (3tan θ - tan³θ)/(1 - 3tan²θ)

61. Find the value of: cos 20° cos 40° cos 80°

62. Prove that: sin⁸θ - cos⁸θ = -(cos 2θ)(1 - 2sin²2θ)

63. If tan(A + B) = 2 and tan(A - B) = 1/2, find tan 2A.

64. Prove that: (sin 7A + sin 5A)/(cos 7A + cos 5A) = tan 6A

65. Express cos 5θ in terms of cos θ.

SECTION 5: PROPERTIES OF
TRIANGLES & HEIGHT-DISTANCE
(Questions 66-80)
66. In triangle ABC, prove that: a/sin A = b/sin B = c/sin C = 2R, where R
is the circumradius.

67. In triangle ABC, if A = 60°, B = 45°, and a = 2, find side b using sine
rule.

68. Prove the cosine rule: c² = a² + b² - 2ab cos C

69. In triangle ABC, if a = 7, b = 8, c = 9, find angle C.

70. Find the area of triangle ABC using: Area = (1/2)ab sin C, given a = 6,
b = 8, C = 30°.

71. In triangle ABC, prove that: tan(A/2) = r/(s-a), where r is inradius and
s is semi-perimeter.

72. A vertical pole of height 60 m casts a shadow of 20√3 m. Find the

angle of elevation of the sun.

73. From a point 100 m away from the base of a tower, the angle of
elevation to the top is 30°. Find the height of the tower.

74. Two buildings of heights 20 m and 40 m stand at a distance of 30 m

apart. Find the angle of elevation from the top of the shorter building to
the top of the taller building.
75. A ladder 13 m long rests against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is 5
m from the wall. Find the angle the ladder makes with the ground.

76. From the top of a cliff 500 m high, the angle of depression to a ship
at sea is 30°. Find the horizontal distance of the ship from the cliff.

77. In triangle ABC, prove that: a + b + c = 4R(sin(A/2) + sin(B/2) +

sin(C/2))

78. Find the circumradius of a triangle with sides a = 13, b = 14, c = 15.

79. In triangle ABC, if A + B = 120° and a:b = √3:1, find the triangle.

80. A person 2 m tall observes a building at angles of elevation 30° and

60° from two points 40 m apart on level ground. Find the height of the
building.

SECTION 6: ADVANCED & MIXED

TOPICS (Questions 81-90)
81. Prove that: (sin A + sin 3A + sin 5A)/(cos A + cos 3A + cos 5A) = tan
3A

82. If a sin θ + b cos θ = p and a cos θ - b sin θ = q, prove that a² + b² =

p² + q².

83. Find the maximum value of: f(θ) = 3sin θ + 4cos θ

84. Solve: sin⁻¹ x + sin⁻¹ y = 2π/3 and cos⁻¹ x - cos⁻¹ y = π/3

85. In triangle ABC, prove that: sin(A-B)/sin(A+B) = (a²-b²)/(a²+b²)

86. Find all solutions of: tan 2x - tan x = 0 in [0, 2π].

87. Prove that: sin(A+B)sin(A-B) + sin(B+C)sin(B-C) + sin(C+A)sin(C-A)

= 0 if A+B+C = π

88. If sin θ + sin 3θ + sin 5θ = 0, find all values of θ in [0, 2π].

89. In triangle ABC, if a² + b² + c² = 8R² where R is circumradius, find

the sum of the angles.

90. Prove that: (1 + sin 2θ)/(1 - sin 2θ) = (tan θ + 1)²/(tan θ - 1)²

ANSWER KEY & HINTS

Q# Answer/Solution Hint
1 -7/15
2 Use: sin⁴θ + cos⁴θ = (sin²θ + cos²θ)²
- 2sin²θ cos²θ
3 -1/4
4 sin²θ - 1
5 3/8
6 Expand and use sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
7 1 or 9/5
8 1
9 Use: sin θ + cos θ = √2 ⟹ 2sin θ cos
θ=0
10 1 - sin²θ cos²θ (or) 3/4 when sin²θ
cos²θ = 1/4
11 -7/17
12 Use product formula and simplify to
1
13 ±√(a² + b² - c²)
14 4tan θ cot θ = 4
15 1/2
16 x = 16° + 36°n
17 π/6, 5π/6
18 π/3, 4π/3
19 General: 2πn, 2πn ± π/3
20 π/6, 2π/3
21 All x (identity satisfied)
22 3 solutions
23 x = πn/2
24 π/4, 3π/4
25 π/6, 5π/6, 7π/6, 11π/6
26 π/2, 7π/6, 11π/6
27 2πn, 2πn + π
28 π/2, 2π/3, 4π/3
29 π/2
30 tan x = 1, tan x = 2 ⟹ x = π/4,
arctan(2)
31 x = 0, π/2, π
32 4 solutions
33 5π/6, 3π/2
34 No real solution (verify domain)
35 2πn + π/3
36 Both equal π/2
37 2π/3
38 Use tan⁻¹ addition formula
39 π/4
40 π - 5π/6 = π/6
41 Prove using ranges
42 Use tan(tan⁻¹ x + tan⁻¹ y + tan⁻¹ z) =
tan π = 0
43 5π/6
44 Verify using complementary angles
45 π/2
46 π/4 (Machin's formula)
47 π/3
48 Use definitions and simplify
49 Domain: [-1,1], Range: [-π/2, π/2]
50 x = 1/6
51 Use product-to-sum formulas
52 sin 2A = 56/65, cos 2B = -119/169
53 Use sum-to-product formulas
54 p/q
55 Use: sin 3A = 3sin A - 4sin³A
56 sin 5θ = 5sin θ - 20sin³θ + 16sin⁵θ
57 θ = 45° + 180°n
58 Use double angle formulas
59 2sin((A+B)/2)cos((A-B)/2) ×
2sin((A+B)/2)sin((A-B)/2) = pq/2
60 Use tan 3A formula
61 1/8
62 Factor and simplify
63 3/4
64 Use sum-to-product formulas
65 cos 5θ = 16cos⁵θ - 20cos³θ + 5cos θ
66 Standard proof with circumcircle
67 b = √2
68 Standard cosine rule proof
69 cos C = 1/7 ⟹ C ≈ 81.79°
70 12 sq. units
71 Use inradius formulas
72 60°
73 100/√3 m ≈ 57.73 m
74 tan⁻¹(2/3) ≈ 33.69°
75 θ ≈ 67.38°
76 500√3 m ≈ 866 m
77 Use half-angle substitution
78 65/8 = 8.125
79 Right triangle with A = 60°, B = 60°
(equilateral)
80 60 m (using angle of elevation
conditions)
81 Use numerator/denominator pattern
= tan 3A
82 Add equations after squaring
83 5
84 x = √3/2, y = 1/2
85 Use sine rule and manipulate
86 x = 0, π/3, π, 4π/3
87 Use A+B+C=π to simplify each term
88 θ = 0, 2π/3, 4π/3, 2π
89 Sum = 3π/2 or special case
 90 Expand both sides using double
angles

TIPS FOR PGCET MCA ENTRANCE

PREPARATION
1. Master Formula Applications: Know when and where to apply each
formula; don't just memorize.

2. Practice Equation Solving: Most questions involve solving trigonometric

equations—practice multiple approaches.

3. Inverse Functions: Understand domain and range restrictions; very

frequently tested.

4. Geometric Approach: For height-distance problems, always draw diagrams

to visualize.

5. Proof Technique: Most proofs require working from both sides or using
standard identities strategically.

6. Calculator Skills: Some questions require approximations; develop quick

mental math for standard angles.

7. Time Management: Aim to solve 3-4 questions per 5 minutes during actual
exam.

8. Review Previous Year Papers: PGCET follows patterns; practicing past

papers is essential.

Good luck with your PGCET MCA entrance examination! 📚✨