Cosine θ (cos θ)
In mathematics, cosine θ (cos θ) refers to a trigonometric function that is defined for any angle θ in a right triangle
In mathematics, cosine θ (cos θ) refers to a trigonometric function that is defined for any angle θ in a right triangle. The cosine of an angle is calculated by dividing the length of the adjacent side of the triangle by the length of the hypotenuse.
To understand this further, let’s consider a right triangle where one of the angles is θ. The adjacent side is the side that forms the angle θ, and the hypotenuse is the longest side of the triangle, which is the side opposite the right angle.
The cosine function is expressed mathematically as:
cos θ = adjacent side / hypotenuse
Or, in a more compact notation:
cos θ = a / h
Here, “a” represents the length of the adjacent side and “h” represents the length of the hypotenuse.
The value of cos θ can range from -1 to 1, inclusive. When θ is a right angle, cos θ is zero, as the adjacent side becomes zero.
Cosine is commonly used in various mathematical and scientific applications, such as determining the angles and sides of triangles, oscillatory motion, waveforms, and much more.
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