How to rearrange this equation for o

peter456 · Jun 7, 2008

o = theta

how the hell do you rearrange for o?

(1/6)tan^2(o/2) + (1/2)tan^2(o/2) = t

Astronuc · Jun 7, 2008

Are both functions tan^2(o/2)?

If so, what is the associative rule when functions are the same, i.e. a f(x) + b f(x) ?

peter456 · Jun 8, 2008

Astronuc said:

Are both functions tan^2(o/2)?

If so, what is the associative rule when functions are the same, i.e. a f(x) + b f(x) ?

Sorry i made a mistake, it' really:

(1/6)tan^2(o/2) + (1/2)tan(o/2) = t

HallsofIvy · Jun 8, 2008

If you let x= tan(o/2) then the equation is (1/6)x²+ (1/2)x= t or, equivalently,
x²+ 3x- 6t= 0. Can you solve that for x (in terms of t)?

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