Precalculus Examples

\cos (4 a)

$\cos (4 a)$

Step 1

Factor

2

$2$ out of

4 a

$4 a$ .

\cos (2 (2 a))

$\cos (2 (2 a))$

Step 2

Simplify each term.

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Step 2.1

Use the double-angle identity to transform

\cos (2 x)

$\cos (2 x)$ to

2 \cos^{2} (x) - 1

$2 \cos^{2} (x) - 1$ .

2 {(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)}^{2} - 1

$2 {(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)}^{2} - 1$

Step 2.2

Rewrite

{(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)}^{2}

${(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)}^{2}$ as

(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)

$(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)$ .

2 ((2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1

$2 ((2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1$

Step 2.3

Expand

(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)

$(2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)$ using the FOIL Method.

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Step 2.3.1

Apply the distributive property.

2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1

$2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1) - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1$

Step 2.3.2

Apply the distributive property.

2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1

$2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1)) - 1$

Step 2.3.3

Apply the distributive property.

2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cos^{2} (a) (2 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4

Simplify and combine like terms.

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Step 2.4.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 2.4.1.1

Rewrite using the commutative property of multiplication.

2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cos^{2} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cos^{2} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.2

Multiply

\cos^{2} (a)

$\cos^{2} (a)$ by

\cos^{2} (a)

$\cos^{2} (a)$ by adding the exponents.

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Step 2.4.1.2.1

Move

\cos^{2} (a)

$\cos^{2} (a)$ .

2 (2 \cdot 2 (\cos^{2} (a) \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cdot 2 (\cos^{2} (a) \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.2.2

Use the power rule

a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}

$a^{m} a^{n} = a^{m + n}$ to combine exponents.

2 (2 \cdot 2 {\cos (a)}^{2 + 2} + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cdot 2 {\cos (a)}^{2 + 2} + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.2.3

Add

2

$2$ and

2

$2$ .

2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (2 \cdot 2 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.3

Multiply

2

$2$ by

2

$2$ .

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 \cos^{2} (a) \cdot - 1 - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.4

Multiply

- 1

$- 1$ by

2

$2$ .

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1 (2 \cos^{2} (a)) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.5

Multiply

2

$2$ by

- 1

$- 1$ .

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 1 \cdot - 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.1.6

Multiply

- 1

$- 1$ by

- 1

$- 1$ .

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1$

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) - 2 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1$

Step 2.4.2

Subtract

2 \cos^{2} (a)

$2 \cos^{2} (a)$ from

- 2 \cos^{2} (a)

$- 2 \cos^{2} (a)$ .

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 4 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 4 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1$

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 4 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a) - 4 \cos^{2} (a) + 1) - 1$

Step 2.5

Apply the distributive property.

2 (4 \cos^{4} (a)) + 2 (- 4 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1

$2 (4 \cos^{4} (a)) + 2 (- 4 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1$

Step 2.6

Simplify.

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Step 2.6.1

Multiply

4

$4$ by

2

$2$ .

8 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 (- 4 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) + 2 (- 4 \cos^{2} (a)) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1$

Step 2.6.2

Multiply

- 4

$- 4$ by

2

$2$ .

8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 \cdot 1 - 1$

Step 2.6.3

Multiply

2

$2$ by

1

$1$ .

8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1$

8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1$

8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 2 - 1$

Step 3

Subtract

1

$1$ from

2

$2$ .

8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 1

$8 \cos^{4} (a) - 8 \cos^{2} (a) + 1$