SOLUTION: if A is a positive acute angle and sin A= radical 5/3 what is cos 2A? please help i am so confused

Algebra ->  Trigonometry-basics -> SOLUTION: if A is a positive acute angle and sin A= radical 5/3 what is cos 2A? please help i am so confused       Log On


   



Question 617164: if A is a positive acute angle and sin A= radical 5/3 what is cos 2A? please help i am so confused
Answer by jsmallt9(3758) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The radical symbol is used for all kinds of roots: square roots, cube roots, 4th roots, etc. So saying "radical 5" is not a correct way to describe whatever it is in your problem. (It is just incorrect to say "root 5".) Please tell us what kind of root it is. If it is a square root, then say "square root of 5" (or just "sqrt(5)".

And what is inside your radical? The 5? of the whole fraction, 5/3? Use parentheses to make things clear. For example sqrt(5)/3 if just the 5 is in the square root and sqrt(5/3) if the whole fraction should be inside the square root.

Please re-post your question in a clear enough way that we can figure out what the problem actually is.

P.S. Now that I know what the problem is...
What we are trying to do is figure out what cos(2A) is when all we have to start with is sin%28A%29+=+sqrt%285%29%2F3

There are three variations to the cos(2A) formula:
  • cos%5E2%28A%29-sin%5E2%28A%29
  • 2cos%5E2%28A%29-1
  • 1-2sin%5E2%28A%29
Fortunately, the last one only requires sin(A). So we will use that one: