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NCERT Exemplar · Q8

Q.Find the value of the expression sin⁡(2tan⁡−113)+cos⁡(tan⁡−122)\sin\left(2\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{3}\right)+\cos\left(\tan^{-1}2\sqrt2\right).

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Appeared in past exams:AP EAPCET 2026· Set eng-2026-05-12-FN· 1mexact
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The key is to rewrite each inverse-trig term as an angle of a right triangle, then use double-angle identities. The expression simplifies to 1415\frac{14}{15}.

Concept & Intuition

When you see tan⁡−113\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{3}, think: "this is an angle whose tangent is 13\frac{1}{3}." Draw a right triangle where the opposite side is 11 and the adjacent side is 33. The hypotenuse then comes from Pythagoras. Once you have all three sides, you can read off sin⁡\sin and cos⁡\cos of that angle directly — no calculator needed.

The same idea works for tan⁡−122\tan^{-1}2\sqrt2. That's an angle whose tangent is 222\sqrt2. Again, build the triangle: opposite =22= 2\sqrt2, adjacent =1= 1, find the hypotenuse.

Then the problem becomes just plugging into sin⁡(2θ)\sin(2\theta) and cos⁡(ϕ)\cos(\phi) — both of which are straightforward with the triangle values.

Watch out

A common mistake

Students often try to apply the formula sin⁡(2tan⁡−1x)=2x1+x2\sin(2\tan^{-1}x) = \frac{2x}{1+x^2} without checking the quadrant. Here both angles are acute (positive arguments), so it's safe — but always verify the range of the inverse function.


Step-by-step solution

1. Handle sin⁡(2tan⁡−113)\sin\left(2\tan^{-1}\frac{1}{3}\right)

Let θ=tan⁡−113\theta = \tan^{-1}\frac{1}{3}. Then tan⁡θ=13\tan\theta = \frac{1}{3} and θ\theta is acute (0<θ<π20 < \theta < \frac{\pi}{2}).

Draw a right triangle with opposite =1= 1, adjacent =3= 3. Hypotenuse:

h=12+32=10h = \sqrt{1^2 + 3^2} = \sqrt{10}

So:

sin⁡θ=110,cos⁡θ=310\sin\theta = \frac{1}{\sqrt{10}}, \quad \cos\theta = \frac{3}{\sqrt{10}}

Now use the double-angle identity:

sin⁡(2θ)=2sin⁡θcos⁡θ=2⋅110⋅310=610=35\sin(2\theta) = 2\sin\theta\cos\theta = 2 \cdot \frac{1}{\sqrt{10}} \cdot \frac{3}{\sqrt{10}} = \frac{6}{10} = \frac{3}{5} …

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