Chapter 4: Problem 40
Evaluate each expression, if possible. $$\cos \left(-720^{\circ}\right)+\tan 720^{\circ}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The value of \(\cos(-720°) + \tan(720°)\) is 1.
Step by step solution
01
Understanding Angles Beyond 360°
Angles larger than 360° correspond to one or more full circles plus an additional angle. So, a negative angle of -720° is equivalent to rotating clockwise by two full circles (since each circle is 360°).Similarly, a positive angle of 720° represents two full counter-clockwise circles. Thus,\(-720° = 0°\) and \(720° = 0°\).
02
Evaluating \( \cos(-720°) \)
Since \(-720°\) simplifies to \(0°\), we need to evaluate \(\cos(0°)\). The cosine of 0° is 1, so \(\cos(-720°) = 1.\)
03
Evaluating \( \tan(720°) \)
Similarly, simplify \(720°\) to \(0°\). The tangent of 0° is defined as 0, therefore \(\tan(720°) = 0.\)
04
Calculating the Expression
Add the results from steps 2 and 3: \(\cos(-720°) + \tan(720°) = 1 + 0 = 1.\)
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Angles Beyond 360°
When dealing with angles, it's important to understand what happens when they exceed 360°. A full rotation in a circle equals 360°. So, any angle greater than 360° can be seen as completing one or more full circles plus a leftover angle.
- For example, the angle 720° means two full rotations around a circle since 720° is double 360°.
- Similarly, a negative angle like -720° implies two complete rotations, but in a clockwise direction.
- For 720°, subtract 360° twice to get 0°, which means it sits at the same position as 0° on the circle.
- The same logic applies to -720°, where adding 360° twice will also yield 0°.
Cosine Function
The cosine function is one of the primary trigonometric functions. It relates an angle to the x-coordinate of a point on the unit circle. Specifically, cosine measures how far left or right the point is along the horizontal axis.
- The cosine of 0°, \( \cos(0°) = 1 \), represents the maximum value to the right, meaning the point is fully extended along the positive x-axis.
- The function is periodic, with a period of 360°, implying that \( \cos(\theta) = \cos(\theta + 360°k) \) for any integer \(k\).
Tangent Function
The tangent function is another key trigonometric function. It relates to the y-coordinate divided by the x-coordinate on the unit circle, essentially measuring the slope of the angle's terminal side.
- For a 0° angle, \(\tan(0°) = 0 \) due to it having no slope, corresponding to a flat line along the positive x-axis.
- Similar to the cosine, the tangent function is periodic. However, its period is shorter, repeating every 180°.