SOLUTION: {{{cot^-1(1/sqrt(3))}}}

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Question 934975: cot%5E-1%281%2Fsqrt%283%29%29
Answer by Edwin McCravy(20064) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
cot%5E-1%281%2Fsqrt%283%29%29
That says:

"Find the angle whose cotangent is 1%2Fsqrt%283%29."
Draw an equilateral triangle with all three sides equal to 2.
Its angles are all 60°:

Cut it in half by drawing an altitude of length h, into two 
congruent right triangles. It cuts the bottom side in half, each 
half measures 1 each.



Eliminate the right half:



Calculate h by the Pythagorean theorem:



Write sqrt%283%29 instead of h:



Now return to the original problem:

"Find the angle whose cotangent is 1%2Fsqrt%283%29."
We know that COTANGENT=ADJACENT%2FOPPOSITE.  Since the

numerator of 1%2Fsqrt%283%29 is 1 and the denominator is sqrt%283%29,

we see that 60° is the angle whose cotangent is 1%2Fsqrt%283%29.

In radians that's %2260%B0%22%2Aexpr%28pi%2F%22180%B0%22%29%22%22=%22%22pi%2F3.

Edwin