University Of Johannesburg
Applied Mathematics 1A1E
Module Code: APM1EB1 || Year: 2025
Tutorial 7 Solutions
Question 1
Solution
Please note that Question 1 was covered in class. Kindly refer to
the solution provided in the class notes.
1
Question 2:
Prove that an angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle.
Solution
Consider a semi-circle with radius r and centre O ∈ R2 , where
O = (0, 0) is the origin and, clearly, 0 < r ∈ R. Define the points
A, B ∈ R2 by A := (−r, 0) and B := (r, 0). The following figure
illustrates the scenario.
Let C ∈ R2 be any point on the semi-circle and let ϕ be the in-
scribed angle, that is, ϕ is the interior angle of △ACB at vertex C.
The following figure illustrates the scenario.
We must show that ϕ = 90◦ . Notice that OC = r. Let ψ be the
−−→ −−→
angle between OB and OC and let the point D ∈ R2 be the pro-
jection of C onto OB. The following figure illustrates the scenario.
2
Notice that OD = r cos ψ and DC = r sin ψ, so C =
(r cos ψ, r sin ψ). We thus have
−→
AC = (r cos ψ + r)x̂ + r sin ψ ŷ (1)
−−→
BC = (r cos ψ − r)x̂ + r sin ψ ŷ, (2)
−→ −−→
so AC · BC = (r cos ψ + r)(r cos ψ − r) + (r sin ψ)2 (3)
2 2 2 2 2
= r cos ψ − r + r sin ψ (4)
2 2 2 2
= r (cos ψ + sin ψ) − r (5)
−→ −−→
⇒ AC · BC = 0 (6)
−→ −−→
which implies that the angle between AC and BC is 90◦ . In the
−−→ −−→ −−→
following figure, CE is the forward direction of BC and CD is the
−→
forward direction of AC, so the angle at C in ∠ECD is the angle
−→ −−→
between AC and BC. Furthermore, the angle at C in ∠ECD is
vertically opposite the angle at C in ∠ACB, so the angles are the
same.
Hence, ϕ = 90◦ , which proves the result
3
Question 3:
Show that cos(α − β) = cos α cos β + sin α sin β.
Solution
Let â, b̂ ∈ R2 be unit vectors, let β be the angle between â and x̂
and let α be the angle between b̂ and x̂, then α − β is the angle
between â and b̂, as illustrated, where, without loss of generality,
0◦ < β < α < 90◦ .
Notice, in coordinate form, that
â = (cos β, sin β) and (7)
b̂ = (cos α, sin α). (8)
By the definition of the scalar product,
â · b̂ =(cos β, sin β) · (cos α, sin α)
= cos β cos α + sin β sin α
= cos α cos β + sin α sin β.
= cos(α − β)
Therefore
cos(α − β) = cos α cos β + sin α sin β.
Question 4:
Find the shortest distance between (4, 6) and the line through (2, 2) and
(4, 3).
4
Solution
Let A := (4, 6), B := (2, 2) and let C := (4, 3). Notice that the
shortest distance between two points is the line segment between
the two points and the shortest distance between a point and a
line is the line segment between the point and the line which is
perpendicular to the line. Define the point D ∈ R2 to be the point
−−→ −−→
on the line which passes through B and C such that AD ⊥ CB,
−−→ −−→ −
−→
then AD is the desired quantity. Let ⃗a := BA, let ⃗b := BC, let ϕ be
the angle between ⃗a and ⃗b, let d := BD (that is, d is the component
of ⃗a in the ⃗b direction), and let h be the shortest distance between
A and the line which passes through B and C. The following figure
(not drawn accurately/to scale), will help to visualize the problem.
Let a := ∥⃗a∥ and let b := ∥⃗b∥, then we see that ⃗a · ⃗b = ab cos ϕ and,
if ⃗b ̸= ⃗0, then
d = ⃗a · b̂ = a cos ϕ.
√
Finally, we see that h = a2 − d2 . Notice that, in coordinate form,
√
⃗a = (2, 4) ⇒ a = 2 5
√
⃗b = (2, 1) ⇒ b = 5.
Hence, b̂ = √2 , √1 , so
5 5
d = a cos ϕ = ⃗a · b̂
2 1 4 4
⇒ d = (2, 4) · √ , √ =√ +√
5 5 5 5
8
⇒d= √
5
r
p 64 6
2 2
⇒ h = a − d = 20 − =√
5 5