Home
Contact
About
Subject index
Word index
Comment on page
Email page
Translate



Tangent

1.Geometry

A line which touches a circle or ellipse at just one point. Below, the blue line is a tangent to the circle c. Note the radius to the point of tangency is always perpendicular to the tangent line. For more on this see Tangent to a circle.

2. Trigonometry

One of the trigonometry functions. In a right triangle, the tangent of an angle is the opposite side over the adjacent side.

    
For more on this see Trigonometry tangent function.

Pages referring to 'tangent'

Calculus - trigonometric Functions
This page explores the derivatives of trigonometric functions in calculus. Interactive calculus applet.
Graph of the Tangent function - Trigonometry
Interactive demonstration of the graph of the tangent function in trigonometry
How to construct (draw) tangents to a circle through an external point
This page shows how to draw the two possible tangents to a given circle through an external point with compass and straightedge or ruler. This construction assumes you are already familiar with constructing the perpendicular bisector of a line segment.
How to construct a tangent to a circle at a point
Constructing the tangent to a circle at a given point on the circle with compass and straightedge or ruler. It works by using the fact that a tangent to a circle is perpendicular to the radius at the point of contact. It first creates a radius of the circle, then constructs the perpendicular bisector of the radius at the given point.
Introduction to the 6 trigonometry functions
Introduction to the 6 trigonometry functions - sine, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant, cotangent
Parts of a circle - Pictorial index
A pictorial index to the parts of a circle. A diagram with links to full definitions.
SOHCAHTOA - math word definition - Trigonometry
A memory aid for remembering the definitions of sin, cos, and tan
Tangent to a circle definition
Definition and properties of a tangent
Tangent to an ellipse
Definition and properties of the tangent line to an ellipse
The tangent function in right triangles - Trigonometry
Definition of the tangent function as applied to right triangles in trigonometry
The trigonometry arctan() function - inverse tangent - math word definition
Definition of the arctan function in trigonometry. The inverse of the tangent function. The angle whose tangent is a given number.
The trigonometry arctan() function - inverse tangent - math word definition
Definition of the arctan function in trigonometry. The inverse of the tangent function. The angle whose tangent is a given number.
(C) 2009 Copyright Math Open Reference. All rights reserved
COMMON CORE

Math Open Reference now has a Common Core alignment.

See which resources are available on this site for each element of the Common Core standards.

Check it out