How do you find tan (pi/3)tan(π3)?

1 Answer
Oct 24, 2014

Knowledge of special triangles is needed to solve this by hand.

pi/3π3 is 180^circ/3=60^circ1803=60

One of the special right triangles is 30^circ60^circ90^circ306090 where the sides have lengths with the following ratios.

30^circ => x30x
60^circ => xsqrt(3)60x3
90^circ => 2x902x

If we let x=1x=1 then the side lengths are 1, sqrt(3), and 21,3,and2 respectively.

tan (theta) = (opposite)/(adjacent) = y/xtan(θ)=oppositeadjacent=yx

tan(pi/3)=sqrt(3)/1=sqrt(3)tan(π3)=31=3