Question

If sin(x) = 5/13, and x is in quadrant 1, then tan(x/2) equals what?

Answer 1

$x$ is in quadrant I, so $0$, which means $0$, so $\dfrac x2$ belongs to the same quadrant.

Now,

$\tan^2\dfrac x2=\dfrac{\sin^2\frac x2}{\cos^2\frac x2}=\dfrac{\frac{1-\cos x}2}{\frac{1+\cos x}2}=\dfrac{1-\cos x}{1+\cos x}$

Since $\sin x=\dfrac5{13}$, it follows that

$\cos^2x=1-\sin^2x\implies \cos x=\pm\sqrt{1-\left(\dfrac5{13}\right)^2}=\pm\dfrac{12}{13}$

Since $x$ belongs to the first quadrant, you take the positive root ($\cos x>0$ for $x$ in quadrant I). Then

$\tan\dfrac x2=\pm\sqrt{\dfrac{1-\frac{12}{13}}{1+\frac{12}{13}}}$

$\tan x$ is also positive for $x$ in quadrant I, so you take the positive root again. You're left with

$\tan\dfrac x2=\dfrac15$