Key learning points

1. The tangent ratio involves the opposite, adjacent and the angle.
2. If you know the length of the opposite and the size of the angle, you can use the tangent ratio.
3. If you know the length of the adjacent and the size of the angle, you can use the tangent ratio.
4. If you know the length of the opposite and adjacent, you can use the tangent ratio.

Keywords

• Trigonometric functions - Trigonometric functions are commonly defined as ratios of two sides of a right-angled triangle containing the angle.

• Tangent function - The tangent of an angle (tan(θ°)) is the y-coordinate of point Q of the triangle which extends from the unit circle.

• Adjacent - The adjacent side of a right-angled triangle is the side which is next to both the right angle and the marked angle.

• Opposite - The opposite side of a right-angled triangle is the side which is opposite the marked angle.

Common misconception