
The following is a calculator to find out either the tangent value of an angle or the angle from the tangent value. In most practical cases, it is not necessary to compute a tangent value by hand, and a table, calculator, or some other reference will be provided.
Tangent line series#
There are many methods that can be used to determine the value for tangent such as referencing a table of tangents, using a calculator, and approximating using the Taylor Series of tangent. The range of the tangent function is -∞

Using the unit circle definitions allows us to extend the domain of trigonometric functions to all real numbers. The right triangle definition of trigonometric functions allows for angles between 0° and 90° (0 and in radians). A unit circle is a circle of radius 1 centered at the origin. Trigonometric functions can also be defined with a unit circle. If Jack does not move, the tree will land on him if it falls in his direction, since 19.56 > 17. Since we know the adjacent side and the angle, we can use to solve for the height of the tree. Given that the angle from Jack's feet to the top of the tree is 49°, what is the height of the tree, h? If the tree falls towards Jack, will it land on him? Jack is standing 17 meters from the base of a tree. Tangent is related to sine and cosine as: The other two most commonly used trigonometric functions are cosine and sine, and they are defined as follows: Hypotenuse: the longest side of the triangle opposite the right angle.Adjacent: the side next to θ that is not the hypotenuse.The sides of the right triangle are referenced as follows: Right triangle definitionįor a right triangle with one acute angle, θ, the tangent value of this angle is defined to be the ratio of the opposite side length to the adjacent side length. The right-angled triangle definition of trigonometric functions is most often how they are introduced, followed by their definitions in terms of the unit circle. There are two main ways in which trigonometric functions are typically discussed: in terms of right triangles and in terms of the unit circle. Tangent, written as tan(θ), is one of the six fundamental trigonometric functions. It is the line that looks most like the function f ( x) near x = 1.Home / trigonometry / trigonometric functions / tangent Tangent The green line is a a tangent line that passes through (1, 2). It passes through (1, 2) and (5, 18) with a slope of 4. The red line on the graph is the secant line. The lines and function are graphed below. The equation of the tangent line is y = 2. The equation of the tangent line is y = 0 x + b. We have already found that f (1) = 2 and the other function value is The derivative is found by applying the definition of the derivative at a point,


The equation of the secant line is y = 4 x – 2.įor part b, the tangent line must pass through (1, 2) with a slope given by f ′(1). To find the value of b, substitute one of the points for x and y: This gives us the secant line equation y = 4 x + b. For part b, we’ll find the slope of the line using the derivative of f ( x) at x = 1 or f ′(1).įor part a, the line must pass through the point (1, 2) and (5,18) since For part a, we’ll find the slope of the line using two points on the function. Solution For each of these parts, we’ll find the equation of a line using y = mx + b.
