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tan(A + B) and tan(A - B)

Part of the Trig Identities section of Coddy's Trigonometry journey. Lesson 26 of 48.

Divide sin(A + B) by cos(A + B), then divide top and bottom by cos A cos B, and the tangent formulas come out in tangents alone:

tan⁡(A+B)=tan⁡(A)+tan⁡(B)1−tan⁡(A)tan⁡(B)\tan\left(A+B\right) = \frac{\tan\left(A\right)+\tan\left(B\right)}{1-\tan\left(A\right)\tan\left(B\right)}

tan⁡(A−B)=tan⁡(A)−tan⁡(B)1+tan⁡(A)tan⁡(B)\tan\left(A-B\right) = \frac{\tan\left(A\right)-\tan\left(B\right)}{1+\tan\left(A\right)\tan\left(B\right)}

They need tan A and tan B to exist (neither angle is 90° plus a whole number of half turns) and the bottom not to be 0. On top the sign follows the angle; below it is the opposite. For 75° as 45° + 30°, with tan 45° = 1 and tan⁡(30∘)=33\tan\left(30^{\circ}\right) = \frac{\sqrt{3}}{3}:

tan⁡(75∘)=1+331−33=3+33−3\tan\left(75^{\circ}\right) = \frac{1+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{3}}{1-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{3}} = \frac{3+\sqrt{3}}{3-\sqrt{3}}

A root below is cleared by multiplying top and bottom by its conjugate, here 3 + √3: the bottom becomes 9 - 3 = 6, the top (3+3)2=12+63{\left(3+\sqrt{3}\right)}^{2} = 12+6\sqrt{3}, and tan⁡(75∘)=2+3\tan\left(75^{\circ}\right) = 2+\sqrt{3}.

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Challenge

Find the exact value of tan⁡(45∘+60∘)\tan\left(45^{\circ}+60^{\circ}\right), which is tan 105°: use the formula, clear the root from the bottom, and simplify until the board reads a whole number and a root. Then press Check.

Try it yourself

tan⁡(45∘+60∘)\tan\left(45^{\circ}+60^{\circ}\right)

Rewrite as −2−3-2-\sqrt{3}

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