In 1897, a new lighting system was installed in the lighthouse. A set of descending weights rotated the tower’s lantern to produce a flashing light. The rotation could be modeled by the function f(x) = sin(π/5)x, where x is the time in seconds since the weights were released. The light briefly flashed on whenever f(x) = 1. How many times per minute did the light flash?

(Hint: Recall that the period of a sinusoidal function is 2π/b. After you find the period in seconds, find out how many times the light flashes in one minute.)

Question

In 1897, a new lighting system was installed in the lighthouse. A set of descending weights rotated the tower’s lantern to produce a flashing light. The rotation could be modeled by the function f(x) = sin(π/5)x, where x is the time in seconds since the weights were released. The light briefly flashed on whenever f(x) = 1. How many times per minute did the light flash? 

(Hint: Recall that the period of a sinusoidal function is 2π/b. After you find the period in seconds, find out how many times the light flashes in one minute.)