Mathematics

Mathematics

Problem

Given cos⁡2θ=−14\cos 2\theta = -\dfrac{1}{4} and θ\theta is obtuse, determine θ\theta (in degrees).
Intuitive explanation

The key is recognizing that cos⁡2θ\cos 2\theta gives you information about the double angle, so you'll need to work backwards to find θ\theta itself. Since θ\theta is obtuse (between 90° and 180°), that means 2θ2\theta falls in a specific range where you can pin down which quadrant it's in and thus which inverse cosine value to use. Use the relationship between cos⁡2θ\cos 2\theta and the angle 2θ2\theta to find the actual measure, then divide by 2.

Intuitive explanation

The key is recognizing that cos⁡2θ\cos 2\theta gives you information about the double angle, so you'll need to work backwards to find θ\theta itself. Since θ\theta is obtuse (between 90° and 180°), that means 2θ2\theta falls in a specific range where you can pin down which quadrant it's in and thus which inverse cosine value to use. Use the relationship between cos⁡2θ\cos 2\theta and the angle 2θ2\theta to find the actual measure, then divide by 2.

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