What is the value of $operatorname{arctan} left(-frac{12}{5}right)$?












1












$begingroup$


I am trying to find the value of $sin(operatorname{arctan}(-12/5))$ manually (without a calculator). I know I need to solve the inner portion I need to find the angle at which $operatorname{tan}(theta) = -12/5$. But this is not one of the easy angles to simply look up the value.



I also know it is a $5, 12, 13$ right triangle, both because I recognize the numbers and because $x^2 +y^2 = r^2$ and $r = 13$. But I don't know how to find that angle and can't find a good example.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 27 at 23:04










  • $begingroup$
    This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
    $endgroup$
    – GEdgar
    Jan 28 at 1:35






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:56










  • $begingroup$
    @Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 28 at 2:12


















1












$begingroup$


I am trying to find the value of $sin(operatorname{arctan}(-12/5))$ manually (without a calculator). I know I need to solve the inner portion I need to find the angle at which $operatorname{tan}(theta) = -12/5$. But this is not one of the easy angles to simply look up the value.



I also know it is a $5, 12, 13$ right triangle, both because I recognize the numbers and because $x^2 +y^2 = r^2$ and $r = 13$. But I don't know how to find that angle and can't find a good example.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 27 at 23:04










  • $begingroup$
    This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
    $endgroup$
    – GEdgar
    Jan 28 at 1:35






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:56










  • $begingroup$
    @Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 28 at 2:12
















1












1








1





$begingroup$


I am trying to find the value of $sin(operatorname{arctan}(-12/5))$ manually (without a calculator). I know I need to solve the inner portion I need to find the angle at which $operatorname{tan}(theta) = -12/5$. But this is not one of the easy angles to simply look up the value.



I also know it is a $5, 12, 13$ right triangle, both because I recognize the numbers and because $x^2 +y^2 = r^2$ and $r = 13$. But I don't know how to find that angle and can't find a good example.










share|cite|improve this question











$endgroup$




I am trying to find the value of $sin(operatorname{arctan}(-12/5))$ manually (without a calculator). I know I need to solve the inner portion I need to find the angle at which $operatorname{tan}(theta) = -12/5$. But this is not one of the easy angles to simply look up the value.



I also know it is a $5, 12, 13$ right triangle, both because I recognize the numbers and because $x^2 +y^2 = r^2$ and $r = 13$. But I don't know how to find that angle and can't find a good example.







trigonometry






share|cite|improve this question















share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question








edited Jan 28 at 0:55









Zacky

7,89511062




7,89511062










asked Jan 27 at 22:59









NathanNathan

152




152








  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 27 at 23:04










  • $begingroup$
    This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
    $endgroup$
    – GEdgar
    Jan 28 at 1:35






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:56










  • $begingroup$
    @Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 28 at 2:12
















  • 1




    $begingroup$
    If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 27 at 23:04










  • $begingroup$
    This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
    $endgroup$
    – GEdgar
    Jan 28 at 1:35






  • 1




    $begingroup$
    Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:56










  • $begingroup$
    @Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
    $endgroup$
    – Blue
    Jan 28 at 2:12










1




1




$begingroup$
If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Jan 27 at 23:04




$begingroup$
If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the $5$-$12$-$13$ triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Jan 27 at 23:04












$begingroup$
This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
$endgroup$
– GEdgar
Jan 28 at 1:35




$begingroup$
This angle is not a rational multiple of $pi$.
$endgroup$
– GEdgar
Jan 28 at 1:35




1




1




$begingroup$
Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
$endgroup$
– Nathan
Jan 28 at 1:56




$begingroup$
Thank you @Blue That is the explanation of the answer below I was looking for. That makes perfect sense now.
$endgroup$
– Nathan
Jan 28 at 1:56












$begingroup$
@Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Jan 28 at 2:12






$begingroup$
@Nathan: Glad to help! I guess I won't need this analogy: A restaurant gives-out party favors for patrons on their birthdays. On Mondays, they have blue hats w/white lettering, and white balloons w/blue lettering; on Tuesdays, red hats w/green lettering, and green balloons w/red lettering; on Wednesdays, orange hats w/brown lettering, and brown balloons w/orange lettering; etc. At work, you see a colleague with one of the hats; she says, "Oh, my birthday was last week." You don't have to know which day was her birthday to deduce what type of balloon she got; the hat tells you all you need.
$endgroup$
– Blue
Jan 28 at 2:12












2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes


















1












$begingroup$

$x=operatorname{arctan}(-12/5)$ is an angle on the fourth quadrant that has $operatorname{tan} x=-12/5$. By your observation, you know that its sine is $-12/13$ (just draw the triangle on the fourth quadrant with hypotenuse $13$, adjacent (horizontal) side $5$ and opposite (vertical) side $12$).






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:58



















0












$begingroup$

Let $theta = arctan frac {-12}{5}$



$tan theta = frac {-12}{5} = frac {sin theta}{cos theta}$ which means there there is a right triangle with angle $theta$ and the opposite side = $rsin theta = -12$ ($-12$ meaning extends below the $x$ axis) and an adjacent side $r cos theta = 5$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}r$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse = $sqrt {(-12)^2 + 5^2} = 13$.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}{13}$.



....



In general:



$sin (arcsin frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
    $endgroup$
    – Claude Leibovici
    Jan 28 at 6:08











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2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes








2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









1












$begingroup$

$x=operatorname{arctan}(-12/5)$ is an angle on the fourth quadrant that has $operatorname{tan} x=-12/5$. By your observation, you know that its sine is $-12/13$ (just draw the triangle on the fourth quadrant with hypotenuse $13$, adjacent (horizontal) side $5$ and opposite (vertical) side $12$).






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:58
















1












$begingroup$

$x=operatorname{arctan}(-12/5)$ is an angle on the fourth quadrant that has $operatorname{tan} x=-12/5$. By your observation, you know that its sine is $-12/13$ (just draw the triangle on the fourth quadrant with hypotenuse $13$, adjacent (horizontal) side $5$ and opposite (vertical) side $12$).






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:58














1












1








1





$begingroup$

$x=operatorname{arctan}(-12/5)$ is an angle on the fourth quadrant that has $operatorname{tan} x=-12/5$. By your observation, you know that its sine is $-12/13$ (just draw the triangle on the fourth quadrant with hypotenuse $13$, adjacent (horizontal) side $5$ and opposite (vertical) side $12$).






share|cite|improve this answer











$endgroup$



$x=operatorname{arctan}(-12/5)$ is an angle on the fourth quadrant that has $operatorname{tan} x=-12/5$. By your observation, you know that its sine is $-12/13$ (just draw the triangle on the fourth quadrant with hypotenuse $13$, adjacent (horizontal) side $5$ and opposite (vertical) side $12$).







share|cite|improve this answer














share|cite|improve this answer



share|cite|improve this answer








edited Jan 28 at 0:52









Zacky

7,89511062




7,89511062










answered Jan 27 at 23:03









GReyesGReyes

2,30815




2,30815












  • $begingroup$
    You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:58


















  • $begingroup$
    You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
    $endgroup$
    – Nathan
    Jan 28 at 1:58
















$begingroup$
You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
$endgroup$
– Nathan
Jan 28 at 1:58




$begingroup$
You are totally right, but I didn't fully understand your answer until I read @Blue's comment above. Pasted here: If you're just going to be taking the sine of the angle, then you don't have to know the angle itself. Just use your knowledge of the 5-12-13 triangle to determine what the sine should be (with appropriate consideration for the sign). See, for instance, this question
$endgroup$
– Nathan
Jan 28 at 1:58











0












$begingroup$

Let $theta = arctan frac {-12}{5}$



$tan theta = frac {-12}{5} = frac {sin theta}{cos theta}$ which means there there is a right triangle with angle $theta$ and the opposite side = $rsin theta = -12$ ($-12$ meaning extends below the $x$ axis) and an adjacent side $r cos theta = 5$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}r$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse = $sqrt {(-12)^2 + 5^2} = 13$.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}{13}$.



....



In general:



$sin (arcsin frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
    $endgroup$
    – Claude Leibovici
    Jan 28 at 6:08
















0












$begingroup$

Let $theta = arctan frac {-12}{5}$



$tan theta = frac {-12}{5} = frac {sin theta}{cos theta}$ which means there there is a right triangle with angle $theta$ and the opposite side = $rsin theta = -12$ ($-12$ meaning extends below the $x$ axis) and an adjacent side $r cos theta = 5$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}r$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse = $sqrt {(-12)^2 + 5^2} = 13$.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}{13}$.



....



In general:



$sin (arcsin frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$













  • $begingroup$
    I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
    $endgroup$
    – Claude Leibovici
    Jan 28 at 6:08














0












0








0





$begingroup$

Let $theta = arctan frac {-12}{5}$



$tan theta = frac {-12}{5} = frac {sin theta}{cos theta}$ which means there there is a right triangle with angle $theta$ and the opposite side = $rsin theta = -12$ ($-12$ meaning extends below the $x$ axis) and an adjacent side $r cos theta = 5$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}r$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse = $sqrt {(-12)^2 + 5^2} = 13$.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}{13}$.



....



In general:



$sin (arcsin frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$






share|cite|improve this answer









$endgroup$



Let $theta = arctan frac {-12}{5}$



$tan theta = frac {-12}{5} = frac {sin theta}{cos theta}$ which means there there is a right triangle with angle $theta$ and the opposite side = $rsin theta = -12$ ($-12$ meaning extends below the $x$ axis) and an adjacent side $r cos theta = 5$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}r$ where $r$ is the hypotenuse = $sqrt {(-12)^2 + 5^2} = 13$.



So $sin theta = frac {-12}{13}$.



....



In general:



$sin (arcsin frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$







share|cite|improve this answer












share|cite|improve this answer



share|cite|improve this answer










answered Jan 27 at 23:25









fleabloodfleablood

73.4k22891




73.4k22891












  • $begingroup$
    I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
    $endgroup$
    – Claude Leibovici
    Jan 28 at 6:08


















  • $begingroup$
    I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
    $endgroup$
    – Claude Leibovici
    Jan 28 at 6:08
















$begingroup$
I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
$endgroup$
– Claude Leibovici
Jan 28 at 6:08




$begingroup$
I suppose that the last expression is $sin (arctan frac ab) = frac {a}{sqrt{a^2 + b^2}}$
$endgroup$
– Claude Leibovici
Jan 28 at 6:08


















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