How do you use the double angle or half angle formulas to simplify cos22.5?

1 Answer
Oct 23, 2015

cos(22.5^@) =0.92388

Explanation:

Since 22.5^@ = 1/2xx45^@ we will want to use the half angle formula for cos

cos(theta/2) = +-sqrt((1+cos(theta))/2)
color(white)("XXX")(we will ignore the negative version since for this example our angle falls in Quadrant I where cos is positive)

cos(22.5^@) = sqrt((1+cos(45^@))/2)

color(white)("XXXXXX")=sqrt((1+1/sqrt(2))/2)

color(white)("XXXXXX")=sqrt(2+sqrt(2))/2

(using a calculator)
color(white)("XXXXXX")~=0.92388