Proof of the trig identities for half-angles

In summary, the conversation discusses the sin(A/2) property and uses a specific right-angled triangle with sides of 5cm, 4cm, and 3cm to demonstrate its application. However, there seems to be a discrepancy in the resulting angle A values when using the formula and direct trigonometry. The conversation also mentions the need for square roots to be included in the equation, either by squaring the left hand side or square-rooting the right hand side.
  • #1
chwala
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Homework Statement
see attached
Relevant Equations
Trigonometry
1649053062522.png


I was just checking this out the sin##\frac {A}{2}## property, in doing so i picked a Right-Angled triangle, say ##ABC##, with ##AB=5cm##, ##BC=4cm## and ##CA= 3cm##. From this i have,
##s=6cm## now substituting this into the formula,
##sin\frac {A}{2}##= ##\frac {1×3}{5×3}##=##\frac {3}{15}##=##0.2##
giving us angle ##A=23.06^0## which does not look correct to me because,

angle ##A=53.13^0## ...using trigonometry directly...##sin{A}##= ##\frac {4}{5} =0.8##... i suspect a mix up in the indicated property...or i may have made a mistake.
i will amend my latex later using phone...aaaaaaaaargh these guys are missing the square root sign! I had to check that from google.
 
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  • #2
The left hand sides should be squared or the right hand sides square-rooted
ie
$$\sin^2\left(\frac{A}{2}\right)=\frac{(s-b)(s-c)}{b c}$$
or
$$\sin\left(\frac{A}{2}\right)=\sqrt{\frac{(s-b)(s-c)}{b c}}$$
 
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1. What are the basic identities for half-angles?

The basic identities for half-angles are:
sin2(x/2) = (1-cos(x))/2
cos2(x/2) = (1+cos(x))/2
tan(x/2) = sin(x)/(1+cos(x))

2. How do you prove the identity sin2(x/2) = (1-cos(x))/2?

To prove this identity, we can use the double angle identity for sine: sin(2x) = 2sin(x)cos(x). We can then substitute x/2 for x to get sin(x) = 2sin(x/2)cos(x/2). We can then rearrange this to get sin2(x/2) = (1-cos(x))/2.

3. Can you use the half-angle identities to simplify trigonometric expressions?

Yes, the half-angle identities can be used to simplify trigonometric expressions. For example, if we have the expression sin(x/2)cos(x/2), we can use the double angle identity for cosine to get (1/2)sin(x). This can be useful in solving trigonometric equations or evaluating integrals.

4. Are there any special cases where the half-angle identities do not apply?

Yes, the half-angle identities do not apply when the angle x is equal to 0 or π. In these cases, the identities become undefined.

5. How can the half-angle identities be used to prove other trigonometric identities?

The half-angle identities can be used in conjunction with other trigonometric identities to prove more complex identities. For example, by using the half-angle identities and the Pythagorean identity, we can prove the double angle identities for sine and cosine.

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