Math

Half-angle formulas.

Definition

Trigonometric identities that express the sine, cosine, or tangent of half an angle in terms of the full angle. They are derived from double-angle formulas and are useful for finding exact values of trig functions.

Examples

Real-world.

  • 1 Finding sin(15°) using the half-angle formula with 30°
  • 2 Calculating cos(π/8) from cos(π/4)
  • 3 Evaluating tan(22.5°) exactly
Key Fact

sin(θ/2) = ±√((1 − cosθ)/2), cos(θ/2) = ±√((1 + cosθ)/2)

Studied in

1 unit use this concept.