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A Case With No Angle

Part of the Trig Equations and Inverses section of Coddy's Trigonometry journey. Lesson 40 of 52.

2sin⁡(x)2−5sin⁡(x)+2=02{\sin\left(x\right)}^{2}-5\sin\left(x\right)+2 = 0 factors as (2sin⁡(x)−1)(sin⁡(x)−2)=0\left(2\sin\left(x\right)-1\right)\left(\sin\left(x\right)-2\right) = 0. The first case gives sin x = 1/2: 30° and 150°. The second gives sin x = 2.

No angle has sine 2: a sine is the height of a point on a circle of radius 1, so it stays from −1 to 1. That case drops out, and the answers are 30° and 150°. Check each case's value before reaching for arcsin.

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Challenge

Solve cos⁡(x)2−3cos⁡(x)−4=0{\cos\left(x\right)}^{2}-3\cos\left(x\right)-4 = 0 for every x in [0°, 360°), then press Check.

Try it yourself

cos⁡2x−3cos⁡x−4=0\cos^{2} x-3\cos x-4 = 0

Get xx alone0∘≤x<360∘0^{\circ} \le x < 360^{\circ}

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