How do I solve #3 sin x+2 tan x=0# for #0<=x<=360# ?

1 Answer
Sep 28, 2015

#x=0#,
#x=180#,
#x=360#,
#x=arccos(-2/3)#,
#x=-arccos(-2/3)#

Explanation:

The first step is to determine the domain of the functions involved. With the restriction #0<=x<=360# (degrees, I assume) we have exclude the points where #tan(x)# is not defined.
By definition, #tan(x)=sin(x)/cos(x)#
Therefore, we have to exclude points where #cos(x)=0#, that is the domain is described as
#x != 90# and #x != 270#

With the above restrictions in mind we can transform the equation as follows:
#3sin(x)+2sin(x)/cos(x) = 0#

The immediate temptation to reduce the above equation by #sin(x)# should be accompanied by checking if it can be equal to zero to avoid losing solutions.
Indeed, #sin(x)=0# can occur within a domain defined above.
It happens when
#x=0#, #x=180# and #x=360#.
So the three values above are solutions.

After specifying these three solutions we can reduce the equation by #sin(x)# getting
#3+2/cos(x)=0#,
from which follows
#cos(x)=-2/3#,
solutions of this are
#x = arccos(-2/3)# and #x = -arccos(-2/3)#

CHECKING

The first three solutions (#0#, #180# and #360#) cause both #sin(x)# and #tan(x)# to be equal to #0#, therefore the left side will be equal to #0#.

The next two values (#arccos(-2/3)# and #-arccos(-2/3)# result in the following:

#3sin(arccos(-2/3))+2sin(arccos(-2/3))/cos(arccos(-2/3)) =#

#= sin(arccos(-2/3))*[3+2/(-2/3)] = #

#=sin(arccos(-2/3))*[3-3] = 0#

#3sin(-arccos(-2/3))+2sin(-arccos(-2/3))/cos(-arccos(-2/3)) =#

#= sin(-arccos(-2/3))*[3+2/(-2/3)] = #

#=sin(-arccos(-2/3))*[3-3] = 0#

All is checked.