Precalculus help

[Sonicdude41]

I have spent 45 minutes on this one problem, and I, for the life of me, cannot simplify it.

Here is the original problem:

From here, I changed sec^2(x) - 1 to tanx because one of the Pythagorean Identities, when you fiddle with it, makes this true, as shown below.

I then proceeded to change tan^2(x) to sin^2(x)/cos^2(x), since that is another identity that is true. The same also applies to secx, except it was changed to 1/cosx.

After that, I'm stuck. Any ideas?

 

[Bacon Boy]

Ugh, pre-cal.
I have a friend in there, but he's not on Facebook right now.
Do you know what X is, or are you trying to find it?
Can't be much help other than the little precal I know. (algebra 2 ^^)

 

[........]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

 

[Bacon Boy]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

High School teachers typically don't answer homework questions in class...

 

[Sonicdude41]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

High School teachers typically don't answer homework questions in class...

 

[muffun]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

High School teachers typically don't answer homework questions in class...

In my school they do. Usually the teacher reviews the homework at some point, and then gets on with the daily lesson, etc.

 

[........]

Well then my teacher must be odd, because he goes over homework questions every single day. And helps people on his off periods.

 

[kalinn]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

High School teachers typically don't answer homework questions in class...

Go in before school and ask.

 

[Bacon Boy]

And wouldn't x cancel out?

 

[........]

He's right. It would cancel out.

 

[muffun]

Bacon Boy has a point. Actually the x-1 would cancel out, not just x considering -1 is part of x.

 

[Sonicdude41]

You leave it like that, then ask the teacher for help... :S
I'm in Geometery Honors 9, so, that's all the advice I can give.

High School teachers typically don't answer homework questions in class...

Go in before school and ask.

Yeah, that's my plan, but I really am bothered by the fact that it's not complete. Yeah, she'll help me before school, but I feel... a bit rushed during that time.

 

[........]

But he already got rid of the -1, so it's just the x now.

 

[muffun]

But he already got rid of the -1, so it's just the x now.

Well I meant if he started from the beginning again. Canceling out x-1 would leave you with just sec2/sec.

 

[Bacon Boy]

But he already got rid of the -1, so it's just the x now.

Well I meant if he started from the beginning again. Canceling out x-1 would leave you with just sec2/sec.

I still want to know the purpose. It would help me solve this. If he got rid of the x now in his step, he could square con^2 and get con. Then the two cosines should cancel out.

Ugh, thinking about Math while doing English. D:

 

[Sonicdude41]

By the way, there is no solving for x. I'm supposed to simplify it so that it leaves one term.

For example:

 

[........]

You should ask the teacher. Or look up some math website that helps with these types of problems. There's bound to be SOMETHING out there. It's the Worldwide Web.

 

[Bacon Boy]

All x's cancel out and so do the two 1s... I think.

 

[Bacon Boy]

You should ask the teacher. Or look up some math website that helps with these types of problems. There's bound to be SOMETHING out there. It's the Worldwide Web.

You'd think.
But no. Usually, there isn't. Those "math help sites" where you "talk to someone" don't help.

Sorry for DP.

 

[........]

Those "talking online for help" things make me laugh. This sounds childish, but sometimes I call Geico and don't say anything. Then the person gets all mad and hangs up...anyway, asking the teach is probably your best bet if you still don't get it.