SOLUTION: √3 sin 2x + 2 cos^2x = -1

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Question 1100483: √3 sin 2x + 2 cos^2x = -1
Answer by greenestamps(13203) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


sqrt%283%29%2Asin%282x%29+%2B+2+%28cosx%29%5E2+=+-1

Clearly we need to get trig functions of a single angle, so let's use the double angle identity for sin(2x):

sqrt%283%29%2A2%28sinx%29%28cosx%29+%2B+2+%28cosx%29%5E2+=+-1
sqrt%283%29%2A2%28sinx%29%28cosx%29+%2B+2+%28cosx%29%5E2+%2B+1+=+0

Our equation has a mixture of sinx and cosx to various powers; but it also has that "+1" that makes it impossible to work with the equation in this form.

But here is a place where you use the basic trig identity %28sinx%29%5E2%2B%28cosx%29%5E2+=+1 in an unusual way to make the problem easy to solve.


3%2A%28cosx%29%5E2+%2B+2%2Asqrt%283%29%28sinx%29%28cosx%29+%2B+%28sinx%29%5E2+=+0
%28sqrt%283%29%2Acosx+%2B+sinx%29%5E2+=+0
sqrt%283%29%2Acosx+%2B+sinx+=+0
sqrt%283%29%2Acosx+=+-sinx
sqrt%283%29+=+-sinx%2Fcosx+=+-tanx
tanx+=+-sqrt%283%29

We need a reference angle of pi/3 in the 2nd and 4th quadrants; the solutions between 0 and 2pi are 2pi/3 and 5pi/3.