1. What is Arctan Calculation?

The arctan function (inverse tangent) calculates the angle whose tangent is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side in a right triangle. It's commonly used in trigonometry, physics, and engineering applications.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the arctan formula:

Where:

• \( y \) — Opposite side length (unitless)
• \( x \) — Adjacent side length (unitless)
• \( \theta \) — Resulting angle in degrees

Explanation: The calculator computes the inverse tangent of the ratio y/x and converts the result from radians to degrees.

3. Importance of Arctan Calculation

Details: Arctan calculations are essential for determining angles in right triangles, vector analysis, navigation systems, and various engineering applications where angle measurement is required.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both y and x values (unitless). The x value cannot be zero. The calculator will compute the angle in degrees.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the range of arctan function?
A: The arctan function returns values between -90° and +90° (-π/2 to +π/2 radians).

Q2: How does this differ from regular tan function?
A: While tan gives the ratio of opposite/adjacent for a given angle, arctan gives the angle for a given opposite/adjacent ratio.

Q3: What happens if x = 0?
A: Division by zero is undefined. The calculator requires x ≠ 0 for proper calculation.

Q4: Can I use negative values for x or y?
A: Yes, negative values are accepted and will result in negative angles or angles in different quadrants.

Q5: How accurate is this calculation?
A: The calculation uses PHP's built-in atan() function which provides high precision results.