Find the exact value of sin(pi/24)

So like i need like the value like sqrt3/2 but for pi/24...

also if you could show me the steps so i could figure the rest out, that would be cool

I need the actual value like 1/2 or sqrt3/2.

The value is in the form of nested square roots as I gave above.

E.g. there also exists an expression for cos(2 pi/17) and sin(2 pi/17), see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptadecagon#Heptadecagon_construction

cos(2 pi/n) can be expressed in terms of square roots if n is a power of two times a product of distinct Fermat prime numbers. Fermat prime numbers are prime numbers of the form 2^(2^n) + 1

I'm confused. I can't seem to make the answer out of what you have.

I was wondering why you were using cosin the problem when the half angle formula for sin is +-sqrt((1-cosx)/2). I can get pi/12, but I can't figure out how to use that answer to get to pi/24

You just compute cos(x/2) (assumed to be positive) from cos(x) using this formula

cos(x/2) = sqrt{[cos(x) + 1]/2}

Take x = pi/6, then cos(pi/6) is known to be 1/2 sqrt(3). The formula gives you cos(pi/12). Then you take x : pi/12, you now now what the cosine is and you work out cos(pi/24). You do all of this symbolically, not numerically, so you get exact expressions.

Then you express sin(pi/24) as
sqrt[1-cos^(pi/24)]. You have the symbolic expression for cos(pi/24), so you'll get symbolic expression for
sin(pi/24)

sin (pi/6)= sin A = = 1/2

You want the sine of 1/4 of that angle.

There is a trig identity that says
sin (1/2)A = sqrt [(1/2)(1 - cos A)]
and another that says
cos(1/2)A = sqrt [(1/2)(1 + cos A)]

sin (pi/12) = sqrt [(1/2)(1- cosA)]
= sqrt [0.5(1 - (sqrt3)/2)]

You can apply trigonometric identities one more time to get sin (pi/24), but it gets extremely messy. You will need the value of cos pi/12, which is
sqrt [0.5(1 + (sqrt3)/2)]

Because the half ange formla of the sin involves the cosine, while the half angle formula for the cosine only involves cosine. The best strategy is thus to compute cos(pi/24) first and then express the sin in terms of the cos using

sin(pi/24) = sqrt[1-cos^2(pi/24)]

Ok, so say I use the half angle formula in sin. I get:

sin((pi/6)/2)= sqrt((1-sqrt3/2)/2).

So sin(pi/12)=sqrt(2-sqrt3)/2
I get to here by multiplying the whole equation by (2/2).

So from here, (whew) how to I get to pi/24

To find the exact value of sin(pi/24), we can use the half-angle formula for sine. The half-angle formula states that sin(x/2) = sqrt((1 - cos(x))/2), where x is the angle in radians.

1. Begin by finding the cosine of pi/12 (which is pi/24 * 2) using the half-angle formula for cosine. cos(pi/12) = sqrt((1 + cos(pi/6))/2).

2. Remember that cos(pi/6) = sqrt(3)/2. Plug this value into the formula to get cos(pi/12) = sqrt((1 + sqrt(3)/2)/2).

3. Simplify the expression by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator, which is sqrt(2) - sqrt(6). Multiply the numerator and denominator by sqrt(2) - sqrt(6) to get cos(pi/12) = [(1 + sqrt(3)/2)/(2)] * [(sqrt(2) - sqrt(6))/(sqrt(2) - sqrt(6)].

4. Simplify further by multiplying the terms in the numerator and denominator: cos(pi/12) = [(sqrt(2) + sqrt(6))/(2sqrt(2) - 2sqrt(6))] * [(sqrt(2) - sqrt(6))/(sqrt(2) - sqrt(6))].

5. Use the difference of squares to simplify: cos(pi/12) = [2 - sqrt(12)]/[-6] = (sqrt(12) - 2)/6.

6. Finally, to find sin(pi/24), we can use the half-angle formula for sine, sin(pi/24) = sqrt((1 - cos(pi/12))/2). Since we have already found the value of cos(pi/12), we can substitute it into the formula to get sin(pi/24) = sqrt((1 - (sqrt(12) - 2)/6)/2).

7. Simplify the expression: sin(pi/24) = sqrt((6 - (sqrt(12) - 2))/(6*2)) = sqrt((8 - sqrt(12))/12).

Therefore, the exact value of sin(pi/24) is sqrt((8 - sqrt(12))/12).

Use the formula cos(2x) = 2 cos^2(x) - 1

You can rewrite this as:

cos(x) = ±sqrt{[cos(2x) + 1]/2}

Or

cos(x/2) = ±sqrt{[cos(x) + 1]/2}

cos(pi/6) = 1/2 sqrt(3)

Therefore:

cos(pi/12) = sqrt[1/4 sqrt(3) + 1/2]

cos(pi/24) =
sqrt{[sqrt[1/4 sqrt(3) + 1/2] + 1]/2}

------------->

sin(pi/24) = sqrt[1- cos^2(pi/24)]