document.write( "Question 870286: Please help me solve this equation!
\n" ); document.write( "(a)Solve approximately the equations:
\n" ); document.write( "(i)2 sin x + cos x = 1.5
\n" ); document.write( "(ii)2 sin x + cos x = 0\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "(b)(i)3 cos x - 4 sin x + 1 = 0
\n" ); document.write( "(ii) 3 cos x = 4 sin x
\n" ); document.write( "PLEASE REPLY ASAP!
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #524915 by KMST(5328)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
I am learning something important from this problem (and from the wiki I found once I figured out how to ask the question).
\n" ); document.write( "Two of your problems (aii and bii) were easy to answer without much algebra and/or trigonometry.
\n" ); document.write( "The other two were clearly related, but required more algebra work.
\n" ); document.write( "There had to be a common strategy to solve all four problems,
\n" ); document.write( "and using trigonometric identities had to be the key,
\n" ); document.write( "but I could not see how to use trigonometric identities to get where I wanted to get.
\n" ); document.write( "A quick internet search led me to the common strategy to solve the problems.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "EACH PROBLEM AS A SEPARATE STRUGGLE:
\n" ); document.write( "(a)(ii)
\n" ); document.write( "\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=0\"<--->\"2sin%28x%29=-cos%28x%29\"<--->\"sin%28x%29%2Fcos%28x%29=-1%2F2\"<--->\"tan%28x%29=-1%2F2\"
\n" ); document.write( "From there we know that \"x=-0.43648\" (in radians, or \"-26.5651%5Eo\" in degrees) is an answer.
\n" ); document.write( "Of course we know that there are infinite answers, \"pi\" (in radians) apart from each other,
\n" ); document.write( "because \"y=tan%28x%29\" is a periodic function with a period of \"pi\" (with \"x\" expressed in radians).\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "We could say that all of our approximate answers can be expressed as
\n" ); document.write( "\"highlight%28x=k%2Api-0.43648%29\" (with \"highlight%28K=integer%29\" and \"x\" measured in radians).
\n" ); document.write( "The same strategy can be used to solve (b)(ii).
\n" ); document.write( "(I found \"highlight%28x=2.6779%2Bk%2Api%29\" as a general solution).
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "(a)(i)
\n" ); document.write( "\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=1.5\"<-->\"cos%28x%29=1.5-2sin%28x%29\"-->\"%28cos%28x%29%29%5E2=2.25-6sin%28x%29%2B%282sin%28x%29%29%5E2\"<-->\"1-%28sin%28x%29%29%5E2=2.25-6sin%28x%29%2B4%28sin%28x%29%29%5E2\"
\n" ); document.write( "Calling \"y=sin%28x%29\" we can re-write the equation above as
\n" ); document.write( "\"1-y%5E2=2.25-6y%2B4y%5E2\"<-->\"5y%5E2-6y%2B1.25=0\"
\n" ); document.write( "We solve for \"y\" using the quadratic formula:
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "The approximate solutions are
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=%286%2Bsqrt%2811%29%29%2F10=0.9316625\"
\n" ); document.write( "and \"y=%286-sqrt%2811%29%29%2F10=0.2683375\" .
\n" ); document.write( "With those values of \"y=sin%28x%29\" we set out to find \"x\" .
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "For \"y=sin%28x%29=0.9316625\" :
\n" ); document.write( "There are two values of \"x\" between 0 and \"2pi\" (or between \"0%5Eo\" and \"360%5Eo\" that yield \"y=sin%28x%29=0.9316625\" .
\n" ); document.write( "One is in quadrant I and the other in quadrant II.
\n" ); document.write( "With \"2sin%28x%29=2%2A0.9316625=1.863325%3E1.5\" ,
\n" ); document.write( "to get \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=1.5\" we need to have \"cos%28x%29%3C0\" ,
\n" ); document.write( "so we are looking foir a quadrant II solution.
\n" ); document.write( "\"highlight%28x=1.9426%29\" (in radians, or \"highlight%28111.3%5Eo%29\" in degress) is a solution.
\n" ); document.write( "Another possible value is \"x=1.1990\" (in radians, \"68.7%5Eo\") ),
\n" ); document.write( "but that is in quadrant I, with a positive \"cos%281.1990%29=0.03633\" , and
\n" ); document.write( "\"2sin%281.199%29%2Bcos%281.199%29=2%2A0.9316%2B0.03633=1.86332%2B0.03633=2.22665\"
\n" ); document.write( "does not satisfy \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=1.5\".
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "For \"y=sin%28x%29=0.2683375\" :
\n" ); document.write( "The solution \"highlight%28x=0.27167%29\" (in radians, or \"highlight%2815.57%5Eo%29\" in degrees), in quadrant I, with \"cos%28x%29%3E0\" looks promising,
\n" ); document.write( "as \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=2%2A0.2683375%2Bcos%28x%29=0.572675%2Bcos%28x%29\" can be \"1.5\".
\n" ); document.write( "In fact, it can be verified to satisfy \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=+1.5\" .\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=2%2A0.2683375%2Bcos%28x%29=0.572675%2Bcos%28x%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "On the other hand, \"x=2.9\" , in quadrant II, while it also yields \"sin%28x%29=0.268338\",
\n" ); document.write( "it yields \"cos%28x%29=-0.97%3C0\" and does not satisfy \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=1.5\".
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "The solutions highlighted above, are the solutions between 0 and \"2pi\",
\n" ); document.write( "and in general, all solutions can be expressed as
\n" ); document.write( "\"highlight%28x=0.27167%2B2k%2Api%29\" or \"highlight%28x=1.9426%2B2k%2Api%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "(with \"highlight%28K=integer%29\" and \"x\" measured in radians).
\n" ); document.write( "The same strategy can be used to solve (b)(i).
\n" ); document.write( "(The general solutions I found are
\n" ); document.write( "\"highlight%28x=0.8449%2B2k%2Api%29\" or \"highlight%28x=3.5837%2B2k%2Api%29\" ).
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "A COMMON STRATEGY:
\n" ); document.write( "The left side of the equation in (a)(ii) is
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "It is a \"linear combination of sine and cosine functions\".
\n" ); document.write( "That is a periodic function, like sine and cosine.
\n" ); document.write( "I can see that its period is \"2pi\" .
\n" ); document.write( "It must be possible to express it as a single trigonometric function,
\n" ); document.write( "maybe \"y=C%2Acos%28x-D%29\" ,with two constants \"C\" and \"D\" ,
\n" ); document.write( "where the cosine function is shifted right by \"D\" and dilated vertically by a factor \"D\" .
\n" ); document.write( "Now, how could I use trigonometric identities to transform
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=3%2Acos%28x%29-4%2Asin%28x%29\" and \"y=2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "into a function like \"y=C%2Acos%28x-D%29\" ?
\n" ); document.write( "It required a lot of thinking, and on the Sunday morning after such a Saturday night, I did not trust my brain that much.
\n" ); document.write( "I just googled \"linear combinations of sine and cosine functions\",
\n" ); document.write( "and helped myself to someone else's thinking.
\n" ); document.write( "Trigonometric identities tell us that
\n" ); document.write( "\"cos%28x-D%29=cos%28D%29%2Acos%28x%29%2Bsin%28D%29%2Asin%28x%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "so
\n" ); document.write( "So if a linear combination of sine and cosine functions,
\n" ); document.write( "\"y=A%2Acos%28x%29%2BB%2Asin%28x%29\" is equivalent to \"y=C%2Acos%28x-D%29\" ,
\n" ); document.write( "then \"Ccos%28D%29%2Acos%28x%29%2BCsin%28D%29%2Asin%28x%29=A%2Acos%28x%29%2BB%2Asin%28x%29\" for all values of \"x\" .
\n" ); document.write( "That means that
\n" ); document.write( "\"system%28A=Ccos%28D%29%2CB=CsinD%29\"--->\"system%28tan%28D%29=B%2FA%2CC%5E2=A%5E2%2BB%5E2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "Although that gives you two choices for C,
\n" ); document.write( "it is a formula-driven, apparently less cumbersome, common strategy to solve all four problems.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "Applying those formulas:
\n" ); document.write( "\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29\" has \"system%28A=1%2CB=2%29\"--->\"system%28tan%28D%29=2%2CC%5E2=5%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "The \"D\" angle in quadrant I that has \"tan%28D%29=2\"
\n" ); document.write( "measures approximately \"D=1.10715\" (in radians).
\n" ); document.write( "Using \"C=sqrt%285%29\" and \"D=1.10715\" we would conclude that
\n" ); document.write( "\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=sqrt%285%29%2Acos%28x-1.10715%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "We re-write the equations that \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29\" and solve:
\n" ); document.write( "(a)(i) \"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=1.5\"-->\"sqrt%285%29%2Acos%28x-1.10715%29=1.5\"-->\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=1.5%2Fsqrt%285%29\"-->\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=0.3sqrt%285%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=0.3sqrt%285%29\"-->\"system%28x-1.10715=0.83548%2B2k%2Api%2Cx-1.10715=-0.83548%2B2k%2Api%29\"-->\"system%28x=0.83548%2B1.10715%2B2k%2Api%2Cx-1.10715=-0.83548%2B1.10715%2B2k%2Api%29\"-->\"highlight%28system%28x=1.94263%2B2k%2Api%2Cx-1.10715=0.27167%2B2k%2Api%29%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "(a)(ii)\"2sin%28x%29%2Bcos%28x%29=0\"-->\"sqrt%285%29%2Acos%28x-1.10715%29=0\"-->\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=0\"-->\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=0\"
\n" ); document.write( "\"cos%28x-1.10715%29=0\"-->\"system%28x-1.10715=pi%2F2%2B2k%2Api%2Cx-1.10715=-pi%2F2%2B2k%2Api%29\"-->\"highlight%28x=1.10715%2Bk%2Api%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\"3cos%28x%29-4sin%28x%29\" has \"system%28A=3%2CB=-4%29\"--->\"system%28tan%28D%29=-4%2F3%2CC%5E2=3%5E2%2B4%5E2=9%2B16=25=5%5E2%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "The \"D\" angle in quadrant IV that has \"tan%28D%29=-4%2F3+is\"
\n" ); document.write( "measures approximately \"D=-0.92730\" (in radians).
\n" ); document.write( "Using \"C=5\" and \"D=-0.92730\" we would conclude that
\n" ); document.write( "\"3cos%28x%29-4sin%28x%29=5cos%28x%2B0.92730%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "We re-write the equations that \"3cos%28x%29-4sin%28x%29\" and solve:
\n" ); document.write( "(b)(i) \"3cos%28x%29-4sin%28x%29%2B1=0\"-->\"5cos%28x%2B0.92730%29%2B1=0\"-->\"5cos%28x%2B0.92730%29=-1\"-->\"cos%28x%2B0.92730%29=-1%2F5\"-->\"cos%28x%2B0.92730%29=-0.2\"
\n" ); document.write( "-->\"x%2B0.92730=2k%2Api+%2B-+1.77215\"-->\"x=-0.92730+%2B-+1.77215%2B2kpi\"
\n" ); document.write( "The two solutions are \"highlight%28x=0.8449%2B2kpi%29\" and
\n" ); document.write( "\"x=-26994%2B2kpi\", which can be written as \"x=2pi-26994%2B2kpi=highlight%283.5837%2B2kpi%29\" .
\n" ); document.write( "(b)(ii) \"3cos%28x%29=4sin%28x%29\"<-->\"3cos%28x%29-4sin%28x%29=0\"-->\"5cos%28x%2B0.92730%29=0\"-->\"cos%28x%2B0.92730%29=0\"
\n" ); document.write( "That means \"x%2B0.92730=2k%2Api+%2B-+pi%2F2\"-->\"x=pi%2F2-0.9273%2Bk%2Api%29\"-->\"highlight%28x=0.6435%2Bk%2Api%29\"
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );