The Tangent Function: Definition And Applications In Trigonometry

tan(x)

sec^2(x)

The tangent function, denoted as tan(x), is a trigonometric function that relates the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side of a right triangle to an acute angle.

Mathematically, the tangent of an angle x is defined as the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side of a right triangle:

tan(x) = Opposite side / Adjacent side

Thus, for a given angle x, we can calculate the value of the tangent function by dividing the length of the opposite side of the triangle by the length of the adjacent side.

For example, if we have a right triangle with an angle x of 30 degrees and an adjacent side of length 3, and we want to find the length of the opposite side:

tan(30) = Opposite side / 3

We know that the tangent of 30 degrees is 0.5774, so we can rearrange the equation:

Opposite side = 3 x 0.5774 = 1.732

Therefore, the length of the opposite side is approximately 1.732 units.

The tangent function is a periodic function, which means that it repeats its values after every 180 degrees. The tangent function is discontinuous at certain angles, such as 90 degrees, where the adjacent side of the triangle is zero, and the function is undefined. In addition, the tangent function has vertical asymptotes at these angles, where the function approaches infinity.

In conclusion, the tangent function is a trigonometric function that relates the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side of a right triangle to an acute angle. We can calculate the value of the tangent function using the given equation and the given values of the opposite and adjacent sides of the triangle.

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