Simplify

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January 17th 2010, 12:34 AM
p75213

Simplify

I have been teaching myself calculus and in the process came across this equation:- 1/2*sin x/2*cos x/2. Can somebody show me how to simplify it? I am sure it involves the identity sin 2x=2*sin x*cos x.
January 17th 2010, 01:00 AM
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Quote:

Originally Posted by p75213

I have been teaching myself calculus and in the process came across this equation:- 1/2*sin x/2*cos x/2. Can somebody show me how to simplify it? I am sure it involves the identity sin 2x=2*sin x*cos x.

Are you asking to simplify

$\frac{1}{2}\sin{\frac{x}{2}}\cos{\frac{x}{2}}$ ?

Yes, you do use the identity $\sin{2\theta} = 2\sin{\theta}\cos{\theta}$ .

If you let $\theta = \frac{x}{2}$

we have $\frac{1}{2}\sin{\theta}\cos{\theta}$

$= \frac{1}{4}\cdot 2\sin{\theta}\cos{\theta}$

$= \frac{1}{4}\sin{2\theta}$

$= \frac{1}{4}\sin{\frac{2x}{2}}$

$= \frac{1}{4}\sin{x}$ .
January 17th 2010, 01:24 AM
p75213

Many Thanks for the quick response.

I won't tell you how long I stuffed around with this. Tricky little bugger - but not so difficult when somebody shows you how. Text books that just give you the answer without showing you how it was arrived at drive me nuts.
January 17th 2010, 05:03 PM
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Can you buy a solutions book that goes with your text book?
January 17th 2010, 07:09 PM
p75213

The solutions are given but sometimes the workings are very brief (important chunks missed out). In most cases I have been able to figure it out with the help of google. However it would be a time saver if everything was in the answer given without having to go searching on the internet.