If tan x=1, how do you find sin x/2 , cos x/2 , and tan x/2?

1 Answer
Apr 25, 2015

Not enough information is provided. If tanx =1tanx=1 then x is in either quadrant 1 or 3 with reference angle pi/4π4. So cos^2x = 1/2cos2x=12.

Without more information it is impossible to determine the signs of the trig functions of the half angle.

If x=pi/4x=π4 then for x/2x2 all trig values are positive.

If x= (-7pi)/4x=7π4 then x/2x2 has negative sine and cosine.

For some other possibilities for xx, the half angle has sine positive and cosine negative, for still others, it is opposite.