What's an "arctan"? Are there any good, not overly complicated, websites about this?

[Gauss44]

What's an "arctan"?

I've been searching the internet for an answer and the only answers I can find are super complicated.... Can you provide an MCAT level explanation or point me to a good website if you know of one?

(PS - I already scored a 12 on the real physical sciences section of the MCAT. Still don't know about "arctan.")

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[Cawolf]

I am assuming you mean the trig function arctangent, the inverse trig function of tangent.

In the simplest MCAT terms it is the "opposite of tangent" - it spits out an angle rather than a length.

Like tan (theta) = opposite/adjacent

and arctan (opposite/adjacent) = theta

I want to add that there is much more about it you could say, if someone is going to correct me.


Also I found http://www.purplemath.com/modules/invratio.htm to be a decent site when I was taking math.

 

[Gauss44]

I am assuming you mean the trig function arctangent, the inverse trig function of tangent.

In the simplest MCAT terms it is the "opposite of tangent" - it spits out an angle rather than a length.

Like tan (theta) = opposite/adjacent

and arctan (opposite/adjacent) = theta

I want to add that there is much more about it you could say, if someone is going to correct me.


Also I found http://www.purplemath.com/modules/invratio.htm to be a decent site when I was taking math.

Yes, so for the sake of the MCAT, I think remembering that arctangent=theta/(opposite/adjacent) should be enough. Let me know if you disagree.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Cawolf]

I disagree. You can't divide by the inside of a trig function.

arctan (opposite/adjacent) = theta

reads

Arctangent OF opposite divided by adjacent is equal to the angle theta.