Radian

From Knowino
Jump to: navigation, search

In mathematics, a radian is the angle subtended by an arc length equal to the radius of a circle. There are 2π radians in a full circle, as the arc length of the circumference of a circle is equal to 2π times the radius of the circle.

The radian is considered a dimensionless derived unit in the International System of Units.

Measuring angles in radians often allows the direct use of angles in mathematical formulae, particularly in trigonometric functions and their expansions.

Generally, identities arising in calculus and involving trigonometric functions are true only when the variables that are arguments to trigonometric functions are expressed in radians. Among those are the following:

 \lim_{x\to 0}\frac{\sin x}{x} = 1
\sin' x = \cos x \,
 \arcsin' x = \frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - x^2}}

[edit] Other units

[edit] Trigonometric functions

Information.svg Some content on this page may previously have appeared on Citizendium.
Personal tools
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Community
Toolbox