# Different ways of solving a contest problem (Part 1)

The following problem appeared on the American High School Mathematics Examination (now called the AMC 12) in 1988:

If $3 \sin \theta = \cos \theta$, what is $\sin \theta \cos \theta$?

When I presented this problem to a group of students, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of creativity shown when solving this problem.

Here’s the first solution that I received: draw the appropriate triangles for the angle $\theta$:

$3 \sin \theta = \cos \theta$

$\tan \theta = \displaystyle \frac{1}{3}$

Therefore, the angle $\theta$ must lie in either the first or third quadrant, as shown. (Of course, $\theta$ could be coterminal with either displayed angle, but that wouldn’t affect the values of $\sin \theta$ or $\cos \theta$.)

In Quadrant I, $\sin \theta = \displaystyle \frac{1}{\sqrt{10}}$ and $\cos \theta = \displaystyle \frac{3}{\sqrt{10}}$. Therefore,

$\sin \theta \cos \theta = \displaystyle \frac{1}{\sqrt{10}} \times \frac{3}{\sqrt{10}} = \displaystyle \frac{3}{10}$.

In Quadrant III, $\sin \theta = \displaystyle -\frac{1}{\sqrt{10}}$ and $\cos \theta = -\displaystyle \frac{3}{\sqrt{10}}$. Therefore,

$\sin \theta \cos \theta = \displaystyle \left( - \frac{1}{\sqrt{10}} \right) \times \left( -\frac{3}{\sqrt{10}} \right) = \displaystyle \frac{3}{10}$.

Either way, we can be certain that $\sin \theta \cos \theta = \displaystyle \frac{3}{10}$.

1. #### howardat58

/  September 20, 2015

Here’s another:
3sin(t)=cos(t)
9sinsq(t)=cossq(t)=1-sinsq(t)
10sinsq(t)=1
sinsq(t)=1/10
and with 3sin(t)=cos(t)
sin(t)cos(t)=3sinsq(t)=3/10