(c) The cosine rule for finding B is cosB=2aca2+c2−b2. This requires knowing c, which is not given. The cosine rule is not directly applicable with the SSA (two sides and a non-included angle) configuration.
More fundamentally, cos is injective on (0°,180°) (it is strictly decreasing), so the cosine rule can only ever yield one value for B. The ambiguity is an inherent property of the sine rule, because sin is symmetric about 90° on (0°,180°): sinθ=sin(180°−θ).
(a) Solve the equation sinθ=2sinθcosθ for θ∈[0°,360°).
(b) A student's working is shown below. Identify the error, state which solutions are lost, and explain why.
sinθ=2sinθcosθ
Dividing both sides by sinθ:
1=2cosθ
cosθ=21
θ=60° or θ=300°
(c) Find all solutions of tan2x=tanx for x∈[0,π), taking care not to lose solutions.
[Difficulty: hard. Tests the common error of dividing by a trigonometric expression that may equal zero, which systematically discards valid solutions.]
Solution:
(a)sinθ=2sinθcosθ
sinθ−2sinθcosθ=0
sinθ(1−2cosθ)=0
Case 1:sinθ=0⟹θ=0°,180°,360°
Case 2:1−2cosθ=0⟹cosθ=21⟹θ=60°,300°
All solutions: θ=0°,60°,180°,300°,360°.
(b) The error is dividing both sides by sinθ. This is only valid when sinθ=0. By dividing, the student implicitly assumes sinθ=0, which discards the solutions θ=0°,180°,360°. The correct approach is to factorise, not to divide.
(c)tan2x=tanx for x∈[0,π).
First, establish the domain. Both tanx and tan2x must be defined:
tanx undefined at x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆
tan2x undefined at 2x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆ and 2x=L◆B◆3π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆, i.e. x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆4◆RB◆ and x=L◆B◆3π◆RB◆◆LB◆4◆RB◆
So the domain excludes x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆4◆RB◆,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆,L◆B◆3π◆RB◆◆LB◆4◆RB◆.
Using the double angle formula tan2x=L◆B◆2tanx◆RB◆◆LB◆1−tan2x◆RB◆:
L◆B◆2tanx◆RB◆◆LB◆1−tan2x◆RB◆=tanx
Do NOT divide by tanx. Bring everything to one side:
L◆B◆2tanx−tanx(1−tan2x)◆RB◆◆LB◆1−tan2x◆RB◆=0
L◆B◆tanx+tan3x◆RB◆◆LB◆1−tan2x◆RB◆=0
L◆B◆tanx(1+tan2x)◆RB◆◆LB◆1−tan2x◆RB◆=0
Since 1+tan2x=sec2x≥1 for all x where tanx is defined, the numerator is zero when tanx=0:
tanx=0⟹x=0
(The solution x=π is excluded by the interval [0,π).)
(a) Solve cos(3x)=21 for x∈[0,2π). A common error produces only 2 or 4 solutions. Find all solutions.
(b) A student argues: "cos(3x)=21 means 3x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆ or 3x=L◆B◆5π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆, giving x=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆9◆RB◆ or x=L◆B◆5π◆RB◆◆LB◆9◆RB◆." Explain the error in this reasoning and state how many solutions the student is missing.
(c) The curve y=cos(3x) intersects the line y=21 at N distinct points in the interval [0,2π). Find N and the sum of all x-coordinates of the intersection points.
[Difficulty: hard. Tests understanding that multiplying the argument of a trigonometric function by a constant changes the period, requiring systematic enumeration of all solutions within the given interval.]
Solution:
(a)cos(3x)=21.
Let θ=3x. Since x∈[0,2π), we have θ∈[0,6π).
cosθ=21 gives θ=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆+2nπ or θ=L◆B◆5π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆+2nπ for n∈Z.
Systematically listing all θ∈[0,6π):
n
θ=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆+2nπ
θ=L◆B◆5π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆+2nπ
0
L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
L◆B◆5π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
1
L◆B◆7π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
L◆B◆11π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
2
L◆B◆13π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
L◆B◆17π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆
All six values are in [0,6π) since L◆B◆17π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆=532π<6π.
(b) The student correctly identifies the principal solutions for 3x but fails to account for the fact that the period of cos(3x) is L◆B◆2π◆RB◆◆LB◆3◆RB◆, not 2π. When x ranges over [0,2π), the argument 3x ranges over [0,6π), which spans three full periods of cosine. The student finds solutions from only the first period, missing the four solutions from the second and third periods. The student is missing 4 out of 6 solutions.
Tests synthesis of trigonometry with other topics. Requires combining concepts from multiple units.
IT-1: Related Rates with Trigonometric Functions (with Differentiation)
Question:
A ladder of length 5 metres is leaning against a vertical wall. The foot of the ladder is pulled away from the wall horizontally at a constant rate of 0.5 m/s.
(a) Find the rate at which the top of the ladder is sliding down the wall when the foot of the ladder is 3 metres from the wall.
(b) Find the angle θ between the ladder and the ground at the instant when the top of the ladder is sliding down at the same speed as the foot is being pulled away.
(c) Show that θ is always decreasing, and find the rate of change of θ in rad/s when θ=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆4◆RB◆.
[Difficulty: hard. Combines implicit differentiation with trigonometric relationships in a kinematics context.]
Solution:
(a) Let x be the distance from the foot of the ladder to the wall, and y be the height of the top of the ladder above the ground.
By Pythagoras' theorem: x2+y2=25.
Differentiating implicitly with respect to t:
2xdtdx+2ydtdy=0⟹xdtdx+ydtdy=0
Given dtdx=0.5. When x=3: y=25−9=4.
3(0.5)+4dtdy=0⟹dtdy=−83 m/s
The negative sign confirms the top is sliding down.
(b) We need dtdy=dtdx=0.5.
From xdtdx+ydtdy=0: dtdy=−yxdtdx.
−yx⋅0.5=0.5⟹yx=1⟹x=y
Since x2+y2=25 and x=y: 2x2=25, so x=L◆B◆5◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆.
IT-3: Inverse Trigonometric Composition and Domain Restrictions (with Functions)
Question:
The function f is defined by f(x)=cosx on the domain [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆].
(a) State the range of f and explain why f−1 exists on this domain.
(b) Let g(x)=arccosx (principal inverse cosine, domain [−1,1], range [0,π]). Find g(f(x)) and f(g(x)), stating the domain of each composition.
(c) A student claims f−1(f(π))=π. Explain why this is incorrect.
(d) The function h is defined by h(x)=arcsin(cosx) for x∈R. Express h(x) as a piecewise function and find all x for which h(x)=x.
[Difficulty: hard. Tests the interplay between trigonometric functions and their inverses, requiring careful attention to domain and range restrictions.]
Solution:
(a) On [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆], f′(x)=−sinx<0 for 0<x<L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆, so f is strictly decreasing and therefore injective.
f(0)=1 and f(L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆)=0, so the range is [0,1].
Since f is injective, f−1 exists. Its domain is [0,1] and its range is [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆].
(b)g(f(x))=arccos(cosx): defined when cosx∈[−1,1], which is always true. Domain: [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆].
For x∈[0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆]: since x∈[0,π] (the range of arccos), we have arccos(cosx)=x. So g(f(x))=x.
f(g(x))=cos(arccosx): defined when arccosx∈[0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆], i.e. x∈[0,1].
For x∈[0,1]: cos(arccosx)=x. So f(g(x))=x.
The domains differ: g∘f has domain [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆] while f∘g has domain [0,1].
(c)π is not in the domain of f (which is [0,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆]), so f(π) is undefined. The expression f−1(f(π)) is therefore meaningless.
Even if f were extended to R, then f(π)=−1, but −1 is not in the domain of f−1 (which is [0,1], the range of f on its original domain). So f−1(−1) would also be undefined.
(d)h(x)=arcsin(cosx). Using cosx=sin(L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆−x):
h(x)=arcsin(sin(L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆−x))
Since arcsin(sinθ)=θ only when θ∈[−L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆,L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆]:
When−L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆≤L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆−x≤L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆, i.e. 0≤x≤π: h(x)=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆−x.
Whenπ≤x≤2π: cosx=cos(2π−x) and 2π−x∈[0,π], so h(x)=L◆B◆π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆−(2π−x)=x−L◆B◆3π◆RB◆◆LB◆2◆RB◆.