Problem 124
Easy Trigonometric Integrals

Evaluate the integral: I = integral sin3x sin5x dx

Evaluate the integral: $$ I = \int \sin3x\,\sin5x\,dx. $$

Explanation of Method

The product-to-sum identity $\sin P\sin Q=\tfrac12[\cos(P-Q)-\cos(P+Q)]$ turns the product of two sines into a difference of two single cosine terms, each of which integrates directly.

  1. Apply the product-to-sum identity.
  2. Split the integral into two terms.
  3. Integrate each term and combine.

Step 1 · Apply the product-to-sum identity

Using $\sin P\sin Q = \tfrac12[\cos(P-Q)-\cos(P+Q)]$ with $P=5x$, $Q=3x$:

$$ \sin3x\sin5x = \frac12\left[\cos(5x-3x) - \cos(5x+3x)\right] = \frac12\left[\cos2x-\cos8x\right]. $$

Step 2 · Rewrite the integral

$$ I = \frac12\int \cos2x\,dx - \frac12\int \cos8x\,dx. $$

Step 3 · Integrate each term

$$ \int \cos2x\,dx = \frac12\sin2x, \qquad \int \cos8x\,dx = \frac18\sin8x. $$

Step 4 · Combine the results

$$ I = \frac12\left(\frac12\sin2x\right) - \frac12\left(\frac18\sin8x\right) + C = \frac14\sin2x - \frac{1}{16}\sin8x + C. $$


Summary Table

Term Antiderivative
$\tfrac12\cos2x$$\tfrac14\sin2x$
$-\tfrac12\cos8x$$-\tfrac1{16}\sin8x$

Additional Notes

Result

The solution to the integral is:

$$ I = \frac14\sin2x - \frac{1}{16}\sin8x + C. $$