Two figures in, a clear answer out. The tangent ratio calculator uses adjacent (b), opposite (a) and atan to produce tangent and angle, applying the standard relationship for this problem in the order the calculation actually needs it.
What Is the Tangent Ratio Calculator?
The tangent ratio calculator works through adjacent (b), opposite (a) and atan to give you tangent and angle.
It is aimed at the case where you know the method but not the arithmetic: schoolwork, a quick check on a worked example, or a figure that needs to be right first time.
How the Tangent Ratio Works
Each step is applied in order and depends only on the values before it, which makes it possible to follow the calculation rather than take it on trust.
If you are working through the same problem by hand afterwards, compare the intermediate values. That is where a mistake usually shows itself.
Checking Your Own Working
Round sensibly as you go and keep the full precision in the calculator. Rounding too early is the most common way of getting a right method to give a wrong answer.
Where a result should be a whole number, such as a count, check it against the constraint that produced it. A fraction of a person is a sign that something upstream needs revisiting.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with adjacent (b) set to 10, opposite (a) set to 5, atan set to 2, the calculator returns tangent of 0.5, and angle of 0.4636. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out tangent?
Enter adjacent (b), opposite (a) and atan. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports tangent and angle.
What does the tangent ratio actually calculate?
It takes adjacent (b), opposite (a) and atan and converts them into tangent and angle using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter adjacent (b)?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.
Is the answer exact?
It is as exact as the formula and the inputs allow. The method itself is the standard one for this problem, so the only sources of error are the figures you enter and the precision you ask for.