How to solve for tan(x/2) if tanx = (-5/12)?

1 Answer
Apr 22, 2015

The Half-angle formula for tan is
tan(x/2) = (sin(x))/(1+cos(x))

From the diagram for the possibilities for tan(x) = -5/12:
enter image source here

color(red)( tan(x/2))

color(red)(=(5/13)/(1+(-12/13)))

color(red)(= 5)

or

color(blue)(tan(x/2))

color(blue)(=(-5/13)/(1+12/13))

color(blue)(=-1/5)