Cosine of 120 Degrees
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Theorem
- $\cos 120 \degrees = \cos \dfrac {2 \pi} 3 = -\dfrac 1 2$
where $\cos$ denotes cosine.
Proof
\(\ds \cos 120 \degrees\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \map \cos {90 \degrees + 30 \degrees}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds -\sin 30 \degrees\) | Cosine of Angle plus Right Angle | |||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds -\frac 1 2\) | Sine of $30 \degrees$ |
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 1968: Murray R. Spiegel: Mathematical Handbook of Formulas and Tables ... (previous) ... (next): $\S 5$: Trigonometric Functions: Exact Values for Trigonometric Functions of Various Angles