Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated August 2025
Definition
The cosine function (cos) is a mathematical function that relates an angle within a right triangle to the ratio between the length of the adjacent side and hypotenuse. It is commonly used in physics to determine component vectors.