Compound Angle Formulae

The ‘Sum Compound Formulae’ are:

sin(A + B) = sin(A)cos(B) + cos(A)sin(B)

cos(A + B) = cos(A)cos(B) – sin(A)sin(B)

tan(A + B) =    tan(A) + tan(B)

                     1 – tan(A)tan(B)

The ‘Difference Compound Formulae’ are:

sin(A - B) = sin(A)cos(B) – cos(A)sin(B)

cos(A - B) = cos(A)cos(B) + sin(A)sin(B)

tan(A - B) =    tan(A) – tan(B)

                    1 + tan(A)tan(B)

In the above you can see that changing all the ‘Sum Compound Formulae’ + to – and – to + we
obtain the ‘Difference Compound Formulae’.

The Double Angle Formulae

Also if we make angle A equal to angle B we get for the very top equation:

sin(2A) = sin(A)cos(A)+cos(A)sin(A)

sin(2A) = sin(A)cos(A)+sin(A)cos(A)

sin(2A) = 2sin(A)cos(A)

Now do the same for cos(A+B) and tan(A+B)

cos(2A) =

tan(2A) =
 Proving the Compound Angle Formulae

We will ‘prove’ the first given Compound Angle Formulae:

sin(A+B) = sin(A)cos(B) + cos(A)sin(B)

Q
S
u

B^

Â
P
O T

Looking at triangle ORT, OPQ and QRS, we can substitute the soh cah toa ratios

RT = PQ × OQ + RS × QR
OR OQ OR QR OR

RT = PQ + RS
OR OR OR

RT = PQ + RS
OR OR

Now PQ = ST

RT = ST + RS
OR OR

Now ST + RS = RT therefore we can see the left hand side is equal to the right hand side:

RT = RT
OR OR
cos2A = cos²A - sin²A
 tan2A =     2tanA
              1 - tan²A

A Simple Application For The ‘Sum Compound Formulae’

Above we have an equilateral triangle with each side of length 2 units. If we drop a vertical line to
split the triangle as shown then the sides of each right angled triangle are 1, √3 and 2 units long
using Pythagoras Theorem, with angles 90, 60 and 30 degrees

Splitting a square each side length of 1 unit diagonally produces two right angled triangles of sides
1, 1 and √2 units, again with the use of Pythagoras Theorem, with angles 90, 45 and 45 degrees.

Using these two accurately known triangles we can accurately determine certain soh cah toa ratios
as given below:

sin(30) = 1/2 cos(30) = √3/2 tan(30) = 1/√3

sin(45) = cos(45) = tan(45) =

sin(60) = cos(60) = tan(60) =

Now we can go a step further and determine a few more exact soh cah toa ratios if they are ‘sum’
or ‘difference’ of these known angles, for example 75 = 45 + 30, 105 = 60 + 45 and 15 = 45 –30

Example

Determine the sine ratio accurately for 75 degrees.

sin(75) = sin(45 + 30)

sin(45 + 30) = sin(45)cos(30) + cos(45)sin(30)

Substituting the above accurate ratios we obtain:

sin(45 + 30) = 1 √3 1 1 = √3 + 1 ≈ 0.9659258263.....

× + ×
√2 2 √2 2 2√2

Now from your calculator show that sin(75) is in fact equal to √3 + 2

2√2
This ‘surd’ form can be used accurately with no rounding up or being limited by the significant
figures in your calculator, usually something like 10 to 12 figures at most.