How do you know how to solve sec 45?

2 Answers
Jun 21, 2018

sec(45^@)=sqrt2/1=sqrt2sec(45)=21=2

Explanation:

sec(45^@)sec(45)

=1/cos(45^@)=1cos(45)

sin(45^@)=cos(45^@)sin(45)=cos(45)

we have an isosceles right triangle
where the ratio of its sides are 1:1:sqrt21:1:2

Cosine = adjacent/hypotenuse

1/cosine=hypotenuse/adjacent
thus:

sec(45^@)=sqrt2/1=sqrt2sec(45)=21=2

Jun 22, 2018

sec45=sqrt2sec45=2

Explanation:

We know that secxsecx is defined as 1/cosx1cosx, so we are essentially being asked to find

1/cos451cos45

On the unit circle, the coordinates for 45^@45 are (sqrt2/2,sqrt2/2)(22,22), where the xx-coordinate is the value for cosine.

This means

1/cos45=1/(sqrt2/2)1cos45=122

Which also means that

sec45=1/(sqrt2/2)sec45=122

which simplifies to

sec45=2/sqrt2sec45=22

The convention is to not have an irrational number in the denominator, so we can multiply the top and bottom by sqrt22. We get

sec45=(2sqrt2)/(sqrt2sqrt2)sec45=2222

sec45=(cancel2sqrt2)/(cancel2)

sec45=sqrt2

Hope this helps!