Sine, cosine and tangent
|
In trigonometry we learn about the sine, cosine and tangent of an
angle (θ).
We learn that if we project that angle in a right triangle, we can compute the values for
sine, cosine and tangent by dividing the lengths of the sides of the triangle by each other:
|
|
|
We also learn that if we consider the length of the hypothenuse of the triangle to be equal to the
radius r of a circle, and we rotate the radius counterclockwise through 360° or 2π
radians, and we plot the values for sine, cosine and tangent for all positions
of the rotation, we obtain the familar curves for sine, cosine and tangent:
|
|
Below you can play with sine, cosine and tangent.
Select an angle (in degrees) and the browser will draw the implied triangle and compute the
associated sine, cosine and tangent values.
|