Question:medium

The value of \(\tan\left(\frac{1}{2}\cos^{-1}\left(\frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}\right)\right)\) is

Show Hint

Use half-angle formula: \(\tan(\theta/2) = \sqrt{(1-\cos\theta)/(1+\cos\theta)}\).
Updated On: Jun 18, 2026
  • \(\frac{3-\sqrt{5}}{2}\)
  • \(\frac{3+\sqrt{5}}{2}\)
  • \(\frac{1}{2}(3-\sqrt{5})\)
  • \(\frac{1}{2}(3+\sqrt{5})\)
Show Solution

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

We are asked to find the value of \(\tan\left(\frac{1}{2}\cos^{-1}\left(\frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}\right)\right)\). To solve this, we'll use the half-angle identity for tangent:

The half-angle formula for tangent is:

\(\tan\left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = \sqrt{\frac{1 - \cos(\theta)}{1 + \cos(\theta)}}\)

Let's set \(\cos(\theta) = \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}\). This means \(\theta = \cos^{-1}\left(\frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}\right)\).

Plugging this into the half-angle formula, we have:

\(\tan\left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = \sqrt{\frac{1 - \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}}{1 + \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3}}}\)

Simplifying the expression inside the square root:

  • The numerator is: \(1 - \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3} = \frac{3}{3} - \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3} = \frac{3 - \sqrt{5}}{3}\)
  • The denominator is: \(1 + \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3} = \frac{3}{3} + \frac{\sqrt{5}}{3} = \frac{3 + \sqrt{5}}{3}\)

This gives us:

\(\tan\left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = \sqrt{\frac{\frac{3 - \sqrt{5}}{3}}{\frac{3 + \sqrt{5}}{3}}} = \sqrt{\frac{3 - \sqrt{5}}{3 + \sqrt{5}}}\)

Next, to simplify \(\frac{3 - \sqrt{5}}{3 + \sqrt{5}}\), we multiply by the conjugate:

\( \frac{(3 - \sqrt{5})(3 - \sqrt{5})}{(3 + \sqrt{5})(3 - \sqrt{5})} = \frac{(3 - \sqrt{5})^2}{3^2 - (\sqrt{5})^2} = \frac{9 - 6\sqrt{5} + 5}{9 - 5} = \frac{14 - 6\sqrt{5}}{4}\)

Therefore:

\(\tan\left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = \sqrt{\frac{14 - 6\sqrt{5}}{4}} = \frac{\sqrt{14 - 6\sqrt{5}}}{2}\)

This further simplifies to:

\(\tan\left(\frac{\theta}{2}\right) = \frac{1}{2}(3 - \sqrt{5})\)

Thus, the correct answer is option: \(\frac{1}{2}(3-\sqrt{5})\).

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