Question 15 Marks
Prove that: $\tan 20^{\circ} \tan 30^{\circ} \tan 40^{\circ} \tan 80^{\circ}=1$
Answer
View full question & answer→LHS $=\tan 20^{\circ} \tan 30^{\circ} \tan 40^{\circ} \tan 80^{\circ}$
$=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\left(\tan 20^{\circ} \tan 40^{\circ} \tan 80^{\circ}\right)\left[\because \tan 30^{\circ}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\right]$
$=\frac{\left(\sin 20^{\circ} \sin 40^{\circ} \sin 80^{\circ}\right)}{\left(\cos 20^{\circ} \cos 40^{\circ} \cos 80^{\circ}\right) \sqrt{3}}$
$=\frac{\left(2 \sin 20^{\circ} \sin 40^{\circ}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(2 \cos 20^{\circ} \cos 40^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
Applying
$\Rightarrow 2 \sin A \sin B =\cos ( A - B )-\cos ( A + B )$
and $2 \cos A \cos B =\cos ( A + B )+\cos ( A - B ),$
we get $=\frac{\left[\cos \left(40^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)-\cos \left(20^{\circ}+40^{\circ}\right)\right] \sin 80^{\circ}}{\left[\cos \left(20^{\circ}+40^{\circ}\right)+\cos \left(40^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)\right] \cos 80^{\circ} \sqrt{3}}$
$=\frac{\left(\cos 20^{\circ}-\cos 60^{\circ}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 60^{\circ}+\cos 20^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
$=\frac{\left(\cos 20^{\circ}-\frac{1}{2}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\frac{1}{2}+\cos 20^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
$=\frac{2 \cos 20^{\circ} \sin 80^{\circ}-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+2 \cos 20^{\circ} \cos 80^{\circ}\right)}$
Now,
$\Rightarrow 2 \sin A \cos B =\sin ( A + B )+\sin ( A - B )$
$=\frac{\sin \left(80^{\circ}+20^{\circ}\right)+\sin \left(80^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left[\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos \left(20^{\circ}+80^{\circ}\right)+\cos \left(80^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)\right]}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\sin 60^{\circ}-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos 100^{\circ}+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\sin 60^{\circ}-\sin \left(180^{\circ}-100^{\circ}\right)}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos \left(180^{\circ}-80^{\circ}\right)+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}-\sin 100^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}-\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)}=1=\text { RHS }$
$=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\left(\tan 20^{\circ} \tan 40^{\circ} \tan 80^{\circ}\right)\left[\because \tan 30^{\circ}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\right]$
$=\frac{\left(\sin 20^{\circ} \sin 40^{\circ} \sin 80^{\circ}\right)}{\left(\cos 20^{\circ} \cos 40^{\circ} \cos 80^{\circ}\right) \sqrt{3}}$
$=\frac{\left(2 \sin 20^{\circ} \sin 40^{\circ}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(2 \cos 20^{\circ} \cos 40^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
Applying
$\Rightarrow 2 \sin A \sin B =\cos ( A - B )-\cos ( A + B )$
and $2 \cos A \cos B =\cos ( A + B )+\cos ( A - B ),$
we get $=\frac{\left[\cos \left(40^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)-\cos \left(20^{\circ}+40^{\circ}\right)\right] \sin 80^{\circ}}{\left[\cos \left(20^{\circ}+40^{\circ}\right)+\cos \left(40^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)\right] \cos 80^{\circ} \sqrt{3}}$
$=\frac{\left(\cos 20^{\circ}-\cos 60^{\circ}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 60^{\circ}+\cos 20^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
$=\frac{\left(\cos 20^{\circ}-\frac{1}{2}\right) \sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\frac{1}{2}+\cos 20^{\circ}\right) \cos 80^{\circ}}$
$=\frac{2 \cos 20^{\circ} \sin 80^{\circ}-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+2 \cos 20^{\circ} \cos 80^{\circ}\right)}$
Now,
$\Rightarrow 2 \sin A \cos B =\sin ( A + B )+\sin ( A - B )$
$=\frac{\sin \left(80^{\circ}+20^{\circ}\right)+\sin \left(80^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left[\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos \left(20^{\circ}+80^{\circ}\right)+\cos \left(80^{\circ}-20^{\circ}\right)\right]}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\sin 60^{\circ}-\sin 80^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos 100^{\circ}+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\sin 60^{\circ}-\sin \left(180^{\circ}-100^{\circ}\right)}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos \left(180^{\circ}-80^{\circ}\right)+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\sin 100^{\circ}+\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}-\sin 100^{\circ}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\cos 80^{\circ}-\cos 80^{\circ}+\cos 60^{\circ}\right)}$
$=\frac{\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}}{\sqrt{3}\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)}=1=\text { RHS }$