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
Tan(x) is one of the trigonometric functions and it represents the ratio of sin(x) to cos(x). It tells us how steeply inclined an angle is in relation to its adjacent side in a right triangle.
Related terms
Sin(x): Another trigonometric function representing the ratio between the length of the side opposite an angle and hypotenuse in a right triangle.
Cos(x): A trigonometric function that shows the ratio between adjacent side length and hypotenuse in a right triangle.
Inverse Tangent Function (arctan): An operation that helps find an angle whose tangent equals a given value.