Given that A and B are acute angles and sin A = 1/2 , cos B = 1/3 , then find the interval in which A+B ?

1 Answer
Apr 18, 2018

#pi/2 < A+B < pi#

i.e. #A+Bin(pi/2,pi)#

Explanation:

As angles #A# and#B# are acute, we have #0 < A < pi/2# as well as #0 < B < pi/2# i.e. both lie in #Q1#

Now regarding #A+B#, observe that as #A# and #B# both lie in #Q1#, #A+B#. if both #A# and #B# are low enough, #A+B# may be be in #Q1# but if they are larger #A+B# may lie in #Q2#.

Note that if #A+B# is in #Q1#, #cos(A+B)# is positive, but if #A+B# is in #Q2#, #cos(A+B)# would be negative. Note that #sin(A+B)#, however would be positive in bot quadrants. Hence, let us workout #cos(A+B)#.

As #sinA=1/2# #cosA=sqrt(1-(1/2)^2)=sqrt(1-1/4)=sqrt(3/4)=sqrt3/2#

and as #cosB=1/3#, #sinB=sqrt(1-(1/3)^2)=sqrt(1-1/9)=sqrt(8/9)=sqrt8/3#

and #cos(A+B)=cosAcosB-sinAsinB#

= #sqrt3/2*1/3-1/2*sqrt8/3=(sqrt3-sqrt8)/6#

As #sqrt8>sqrt3#, #cos(A+B)# is negative

and hence #A+B# is i #Q2# and #pi/2 < A+B < pi#

i.e. #A+Bin(pi/2,pi)#