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Tan

Syntax:

TAN(number)
  • number: This represents the angle (in radians) for which you want to calculate the tangent.

Description:

The TAN function in Excel returns the tangent of a given angle provided in radians. The tangent of an angle is the ratio of the sine of the angle to the cosine of the angle, mathematically represented as:

TAN(number) = sin(number) / cos(number)

Examples:

  1. =TAN(0) would return 0, because the tangent of 0 radians is 0.
  2. =TAN(PI()/4) would return 1, because the tangent of π/4 radians (45 degrees) is 1.
  3. =TAN(-PI()/4) would return -1, because the tangent of -π/4 radians (-45 degrees) is -1.
  4. =TAN(PI()/2) would return a very large value (or an error in some cases), as the tangent of π/2 radians (90 degrees) approaches infinity.
  5. =TAN(3*PI()/4) would return -1, because the tangent of 3π/4 radians (135 degrees) is -1.

Notes:

  • The TAN function requires the input angle to be in radians. If your angle is in degrees, convert it to radians by using the RADIANS function, e.g., TAN(RADIANS(angle_in_degrees)).
  • The result of the TAN function will become undefined (or very large) when the cosine of the given angle is 0, such as at π/2 + nπ (90 degrees, 270 degrees, etc.).
  • It is commonly used in trigonometry, physics, engineering, and geometry for ratio-based angle calculations.