Question icon
12 grade maths others

How do you find the domain and range for sec θ?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
9 Months agoGrade
Answers icon

1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
ApprovedApproved Tutor Answer9 Months ago

To determine the domain and range of the secant function, sec θ, we first need to understand its relationship with the cosine function.

Domain of sec θ

The secant function is defined as:

  • sec θ = 1/cos θ

Since division by zero is undefined, we need to find where cos θ equals zero. The cosine function is zero at:

  • θ = (2n + 1)π/2, where n is any integer.

Thus, the domain of sec θ excludes these values:

  • Domain: θ ∈ ℝ, θ ≠ (2n + 1)π/2

Range of sec θ

The secant function outputs values based on the cosine function. Since sec θ is the reciprocal of cos θ, it can take on values that are either:

  • Greater than or equal to 1 (sec θ ≥ 1)
  • Less than or equal to -1 (sec θ ≤ -1)

Therefore, the range of sec θ is:

  • Range: (-∞, -1] ∪ [1, ∞)

Summary

In summary, the domain of sec θ excludes odd multiples of π/2, while its range consists of values less than or equal to -1 and greater than or equal to 1.