I just spent over an hour on a problem...

Just to prove that two expressions AREN'T equivalent.

Waste of my time, or doing it wrong? You decide KHV.

csc x- cot x=/=1/(csc x + cot x)

 

What were the expressions?

 

It lagged while I was editing it, so it's there now.

 

I got as far as

1 / (sin x - tan x) =/= sin x + tan x

and then I gave up because I don't remember trig, haha.

 

And I just finished two more problems like that in half the time because I know they can be like that.
Screw you McGrawHill textbook company. Screw you all the way to the divorce that happened between the two country music stars whose original surnames were the same as your company name before they got married and now are back to being the same.

 

I'd try to solve this but I had my fill of pre-calc/trig today.

 

Nope, they're equal.
Instead of posting the solution, I'll give you a hint.
cscx=1/sinx

 

That took me longer than it should have to solve, but Kubo is right they are equal. I would have given a different hint, but if we all start throwing hints around then it gets boring. So I'll bite my tongue for the moment.

Why don't you post your work so we can see what may be going wrong?

 

Or you could write it on a piece of paper, scribble over it angrily and throw it at someone. Works for me.

 

It would work better if he threw it at his teacher's face.

 

Yes, and record it and post it here for us to laugh at :3