Trigonometric Problem Solving Using Identities

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To solve for cos A given sin A = -4/5, use the identity sin² A + cos² A = 1, leading to cos² A = 1 - (-4/5)², which simplifies to cos A = 3/5. To find tan A, use the relationship tan A = sin A / cos A, resulting in tan A = (-4/5) / (3/5) = -4/3. For the equation -4cos((2x/3) - π) + 2 = 0, isolate cos((2x/3) - π) and solve for x. Lastly, for tan(4x/5) = -1, use the fact that tan θ = -1 at angles of (2n+1)π/4, where n is an integer, to find x. Understanding these identities and relationships is crucial for solving trigonometric problems effectively.
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First off, I'm not looking for answers, just trying to figure how I would solve certain problems.

If I had a problem such as:

sin A = -4/5
(-pie < A < -pie/2)
Using this, find cos A, tan A, cot A, sec A, csc A.

I know that I have to use identities, but how would I go about finding cos A? I can't find an identity that will allow me to find cos A using sin A -4/5. I guess I could use sin^2 -4/5 + cos^2 A = 1, but how would I solve that?

Also, I have absolutely no idea where to start with this problem:

-4cos((2x/3) - pie) + 2 = 0

Finally, which identity do I use for this problem:

tan(4x/5) = -1

Help much appreciated.
 
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Hmm:

Sin=Opposite/Hypotenuse=-4/5
Pythagoras: a2+b2=c2
Cos=Adjacent/Hypotenuse
 
To expand on NateTG's excellent suggestion:
Draw a right triangle with one angle at the origin of a coordinate system, one leg of length 4 (downward since we want "-4") and hypotenuse of length 4. Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the other leg. Once you know all three sides of the triangle, you can immediately calculate all the trig functions.

(NateTG? "Nate the great"?)
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

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