How Do You Convert Sin and Cos Values to Tan in Trigonometry?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around converting trigonometric values, specifically focusing on the expression involving sin and cos values to derive tan. The subject area is trigonometry, with particular emphasis on angle conversion and the properties of trigonometric functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore how to convert angles to fit within standard ranges, question the necessity of using trigonometric tables, and discuss the implications of coterminal angles on the problem. There are inquiries about the manual conversion process and the relationship between different trigonometric functions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights into angle conversions and referencing previous threads for context. Some guidance is offered regarding the treatment of coterminal angles and the reference angles for the given degrees, although no consensus has been reached on a specific method.

Contextual Notes

Participants note constraints such as the inability to use calculators and the requirement to keep angles within certain limits. There is also mention of the differing periods of tangent compared to sine and cosine.

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Homework Statement



(sin 20° / cos 380°) + tan 200°


Homework Equations



tan = sin / cos



The Attempt at a Solution



Ok so.. I know tan = sin / cos. How do I convert sin 20° / cos 380° into tan? What should I do with the numbers? Thanks
 
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Hi CrossFit415! :wink:

Trig tables only go up to 90° :cry:

… so they want you to convert all the angles to ≤ 90° ! :smile:
 
What, someone actually uses tables to find trig values?

CrossFit415, what, exactly are you asked to do? If just find the value of that, why change anything, why not just put the numbers into a calculator? (Being sure it is in degree mode, of course.

(Yes, I see that 380= 360+ 20 but I don't see that that helps.)
 
Yea but I can't use a calculator. I just wanted to know how to manually convert them. Thanks
 
I'm assuming that we could leave the answer as a multiple or power of a trig function.

OP: you were told in one of your other threads what to do with coterminal angles. From what HallsofIvy post, you can see that
\frac{\sin 20^{\circ}}{\cos 380^{\circ}} + \tan 200^{\circ}
= \frac{\sin 20^{\circ}}{\cos 20^{\circ}} + \tan 200^{\circ}

Also, what can you do with tan 200°? (Hint: it's not the same as what can be done with sine and cosine, because the period of tangent is different.)
 
What is the reference angle for 380 degrees? Think how that relates to the sin of 20 degrees and tan.

The value for tan should pop out at you!

Edit: Then think about what the reference angle for 200 degrees is.
 
Last edited:

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