What is the period of #f(t)=sin( ( 5 t) /4 )#?

1 Answer
Dec 21, 2015

#f(t)=sin((5t)/4)# has a period of #(8pi)/5#

Explanation:

#sin(theta)# has a period (i.e. a pattern that repeats every increment) of #2pi#

For #sin(theta/2)#, #theta# would need double the incremental distance to reach the repetition point.
i.e. #sin(theta/2)# would have a period of #2xx2pi#

and
#sin(theta/4)# would have a period of #4xx2pi = 8pi#

Similarly we can see that
#sin(5*theta)# would have a period of #(2pi)/5#

Combining these two observations (and replacing #theta# with #t#)
we have
#color(white)("XXX")sin((5t)/4)# has a period of #2pi*4/5 = (8pi)/5#