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Ch. 5 - Trigonometric Identities
Chapter 6, Problem 5.52b

Use the given information to find tan(s + t). See Example 3.
sin s = 3/5 and sin t = -12/13, s in quadrant I and t in quadrant III

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Step 1: Identify the trigonometric identities needed. Use the tangent addition formula: \( \tan(s + t) = \frac{\tan s + \tan t}{1 - \tan s \tan t} \).
Step 2: Determine \( \cos s \) using the Pythagorean identity. Since \( \sin s = \frac{3}{5} \) and \( s \) is in quadrant I, use \( \cos^2 s + \sin^2 s = 1 \) to find \( \cos s = \frac{4}{5} \).
Step 3: Determine \( \cos t \) using the Pythagorean identity. Since \( \sin t = -\frac{12}{13} \) and \( t \) is in quadrant III, use \( \cos^2 t + \sin^2 t = 1 \) to find \( \cos t = -\frac{5}{13} \).
Step 4: Calculate \( \tan s \) and \( \tan t \). Use \( \tan s = \frac{\sin s}{\cos s} = \frac{3/5}{4/5} = \frac{3}{4} \) and \( \tan t = \frac{\sin t}{\cos t} = \frac{-12/13}{-5/13} = \frac{12}{5} \).
Step 5: Substitute \( \tan s \) and \( \tan t \) into the tangent addition formula: \( \tan(s + t) = \frac{\frac{3}{4} + \frac{12}{5}}{1 - \frac{3}{4} \cdot \frac{12}{5}} \). Simplify the expression to find \( \tan(s + t) \).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Trigonometric Functions

Trigonometric functions, such as sine, cosine, and tangent, relate the angles of a triangle to the ratios of its sides. For angles s and t, knowing the sine values allows us to derive the cosine values using the Pythagorean identity, which is essential for calculating the tangent, defined as the ratio of sine to cosine.
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Quadrants of the Unit Circle

The unit circle is divided into four quadrants, each with specific signs for sine, cosine, and tangent. In quadrant I, both sine and cosine are positive, while in quadrant III, sine is negative and cosine is also negative. Understanding the quadrant locations of angles s and t helps determine the signs of their respective trigonometric functions.
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Sum of Angles Formula

The tangent of the sum of two angles, tan(s + t), can be calculated using the formula tan(s + t) = (tan s + tan t) / (1 - tan s * tan t). This requires finding the tangent values for angles s and t, which can be derived from their sine and cosine values, allowing for the computation of the tangent of their sum.
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