Derivative of trigonometric function

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on finding the rate of change of the distance from the bottom of a 10 ft ladder to a wall, denoted as x, with respect to the angle θ when θ equals π/3. The law of sines is applied to establish the relationship between x and θ, leading to the equation sin(θ) = x/10. The user calculates x as 5√3 and the height y as 5 when θ is π/3. The next step involves differentiating the established equation to derive dx/dθ.

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  • Understanding of trigonometric functions and their derivatives
  • Familiarity with the law of sines
  • Knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem
  • Basic calculus concepts, specifically differentiation
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A ladder 10 ft long rests against a vertical wall. Let be the
angle between the top of the ladder and the wall and let be
the distance from the bottom of the ladder to the wall. If the
bottom of the ladder slides away from the wall, how fast does
x change with respect to $\theta$ when $\theta \pi/3$?

I'm confused about how to solve this problem.

Let y equal the height of the ladder.

Using the law of sines:

$\frac{10}{sin90} = \frac{x}{sin\frac{\pi}{3}}$

and

$ x= 5\sqrt{3}$

And using the pythagorean theorem:

$y = 5$ when $\theta = \pi/3$

But I'm unsure what to do now.
 
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You should find:

$$\sin(\theta)=\frac{x}{10}\tag{1}$$

Now, you are asked to find:

$$\left.\d{x}{\theta}\right|_{\theta=\frac{\pi}{3}}\tag{2}$$

So, what should you do to (1) to get a general formula for $$\d{x}{\theta}$$?
 

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