1. What is the Arctan Function?

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. This calculator provides the result in degrees.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the arctan formula:

Where:

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

Explanation: The function calculates 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 in trigonometry, geometry, physics, engineering, and computer graphics for determining angles from coordinate ratios.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the y and x values (both unitless). X 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 to handle negative inputs?
A: Negative inputs are handled automatically. The calculator will return the appropriate angle in the correct quadrant.

Q3: What if x is zero?
A: Division by zero is undefined. The calculator requires x to be a non-zero value.

Q4: When is arctan calculation used?
A: Commonly used in navigation, computer graphics, robotics, and any application requiring angle determination from coordinate data.

Q5: How accurate is the calculation?
A: The calculation uses PHP's built-in atan() function which provides high precision results, rounded to 4 decimal places.