# Help in Solving a Trigonometric Equation

• August 9th 2010, 11:34 PM
AeroScizor
Help in Solving a Trigonometric Equation
Here goes the equation:
x/tan23 - x/tan32 = 10

• August 9th 2010, 11:47 PM
Willy99
x=(10*tan32*tan23)/(tan23-tan32)
• August 9th 2010, 11:50 PM
AeroScizor
Cheers for you swift reply. Any chance you could do a brief explanation on how you reached your answer because I am a newbie at solving such equations?

P.S Did you make a mistake in the bracket(tan23-tan32) because I obtained a negative value for x? I thought it was supposed to be (tan32-tan23) or something?
• August 9th 2010, 11:58 PM
Prove It
Quote:

Originally Posted by AeroScizor
Here goes the equation:
x/tan23 - x/tan32 = 10

$\frac{x}{\tan{23}} - \frac{x}{\tan{32}} = 10$

$\frac{x\tan{32}}{\tan{23}\tan{32}} - \frac{x\tan{23}}{\tan{23}\tan{32}} = 10$

$\frac{x\tan{32} - x\tan{23}}{\tan{23}\tan{32}} = 10$

$x\tan{32}-x\tan{23} = 10\tan{23}\tan{32}$

$x(\tan{32}-\tan{23}) = 10\tan{23}\tan{32}$

$x = \frac{10\tan{23}\tan{32}}{\tan{32} - \tan{23}}$.
• August 10th 2010, 12:01 AM
AeroScizor
Thanks! That was a much more clearer explanation.