Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The tangent function, denoted as tan(x), gives us the ratio between the length of the side opposite an angle in a right triangle and the length of its adjacent side.
Related terms
Sine Function: This trigonometric function relates the ratio between the length of the side opposite an angle in a right triangle and its hypotenuse.
Cosine Function: This trigonometric function relates the ratio between the length of an adjacent side and its hypotenuse in a right triangle.
Trigonometry Identities: These are equations involving trigonometric functions that help simplify expressions or solve equations involving angles.