I need to solve for $x$ in
$$\sin(x) = 3\cos(x)$$
So I did the following:
$$\begin{align}
\sin(x) &= 3\cos(x) \\[4pt]
\sin^2(x) &= 9\cos^2(x) &\text{(squaring both sides)}\\[4pt]
0 &= 9\cos^2(x)-\sin^2(x) &\text{(subtracting $\sin^2(x)$)}
\end{align}$$
My question is: Am I allowed to use the identity
$$\cos(2x) = \cos^2(x) - \sin^2(x)$$
in the equation to make it
$$0 = 9\cos^2(x)-\sin^2(x)\quad\to\quad 0 = 9\cos(2x)$$
or is that the case that
$$9\cos(2x)\neq 9\cos^2(x)-\sin^2(x)$$
because the $9$ is multiplying the $\cos$ only, so that I'm not allowed to use this identity?
Answer
Hint: once squared, you can use the identity:
$$\sin^2(x)+\cos^2(x)=1$$
To obtain
$$\sin^2(x)=9\cos^2(x)=9\cdot(1-\sin^2(x)).$$
From here you get
$$\sin^2(x)=9/10$$
And you can finish the calculation...
There is no need to use the double-angle identity
No comments:
Post a Comment