Solving for x and y in sin-1x=y and siny=x, and tan-1x=y and tany=x

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In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of inverse trig functions and how they are used to find the angle of a triangle that satisfies a given relation. It is explained that the inverse trig functions can be thought of as finding the angle theta such that sin(theta)=t, and that setting up a triangle with this property can help find the length of the remaining edges and ultimately the value of tan(theta). The conversation concludes with the clarification that this is the general technique for solving problems involving inverse trig functions.
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http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1383/68225760.png [/URL]
sin-1x=y & siny=x
tan-1x=y & tany=x

The answer is E but I don't know how my teacher got to that. Can someone explain this to me please?

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Do you understand the inverse trig functions? The inverse trig functions find the angle of the triangle that satisfies the given relation. That is sin-1(t) is the angle theta such that sin(theta)=t. If you view t as t/1, then can you set up a triangle that has this property? Can you then find the length of the remaining edges so that you can find tan(theta), i.e. tan(sin-1(t))?
 
  • #3
I'm still very confused
 
  • #4
Okay. Set θ=sin-1(t). This means that sin(θ)=t (i.e. sin(θ)=t/1). This means that in a right triangle with one angle that is θ, the side opposite θ has length t and the hypotenuse has length 1. You can find the side adjacent to θ by using the Pythagorean theorem. Then all you have to do is find tan(θ) since tan(θ)=tan(sin-1(t)).
 
  • #5
Okay, thank you so much you cleared that right up!
 
  • #6
No problem! That is the general technique when doing these type of trig problems that contain inverse trig functions.
 

FAQ: Solving for x and y in sin-1x=y and siny=x, and tan-1x=y and tany=x

What does "solving for x and y" mean in these equations?

Solving for x and y means finding the values of x and y that satisfy the given equation. In other words, we are trying to find the specific values of x and y that make the equation true.

What is the relationship between sin-1x=y and siny=x?

The equations sin-1x=y and siny=x are inverse functions. This means that when one equation is true, the other equation is also true. In other words, the two equations are essentially saying the same thing in a different way.

How do I solve for x and y in these equations?

To solve for x and y, we need to use algebraic techniques such as substitution or elimination. In the equations sin-1x=y and siny=x, we can substitute sin-1x for y in the second equation to get sin-1x=x. This can then be solved using trigonometric identities or a graphing calculator.

What is the difference between sin-1x and sinx?

Sin-1x is the inverse function of sine, while sinx is the original sine function. Sin-1x takes in a value for the output of sine and gives the corresponding input value, while sinx takes in an input value and gives the corresponding output value. In other words, sin-1x "undoes" the effect of sinx.

Why is it important to solve for x and y in these equations?

Solving for x and y allows us to find specific solutions to the equations and understand the relationship between the trigonometric functions involved. It also helps us to solve more complex problems that involve these equations, such as finding missing angles or sides in a right triangle.

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