\( \frac{\text { Example } 6}{\text { Solve } \cos 3 y \cos 2 y+\sin 3 y \sin 2 y=0 \text { for } 0 \leqslant y<2 \pi} \)
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The Deep Dive
Let's rewrite the equation using the cosine of the difference of angles formula: \[ \cos(3y - 2y) = \cos(\pi/2) \implies \cos(y) = 0. \] The values of \(y\) that satisfy \(\cos(y) = 0\) within the interval \(0 \leq y < 2\pi\) are \(y = \frac{\pi}{2}\) and \(y = \frac{3\pi}{2}\). Thus, the solutions are: \[ y = \frac{\pi}{2}, \frac{3\pi}{2}. \] Now, if you want to spice up your trigonometric adventures beyond just solving equations, remember that both \(\frac{\pi}{2}\) and \(\frac{3\pi}{2}\) correspond to positions on the unit circle: one points straight up, and the other points straight down! As you play with angles, don't forget to check for periodicity! For example, since cosine is periodic with a period of \(2\pi\), you could express solutions in general terms like \(y = \frac{\pi}{2} + k\pi\) where \(k\) is any integer, giving you a whole family of solutions to explore.