HallsofIvy said:If Ry and Rx are the y and x components of a vector, then there is a right angle between them- the x and y axes are at right angles. So, yes, Arctan(Ry/Rx) is the angle the vector makes with the positive x axis. (Since tangent is periodic, arctan is multivalued. Arctan is the "principal" value between -90 and 90 degrees. Make sure that is what you want.)
Arc tan, also known as inverse tangent, is a mathematical function that is used to find the angle of a right triangle when given the lengths of its sides. It is the inverse of the tangent function and is represented by tan^-1 or arctan.
The formula for using arc tan to find an angle is: arctan (opposite/adjacent) = θ, where θ represents the angle in radians.
Yes, arc tan can only be used for right triangles as it is specifically designed to find the angle of a right triangle when given the lengths of its sides.
Angles found using arc tan are typically measured in radians. However, some calculators or software may also provide the option to display angles in degrees.
One special consideration when using arc tan to find an angle is to make sure that the correct sides of the triangle are used in the formula. The opposite and adjacent sides must be correctly identified in order to find the correct angle. Additionally, it is important to use a calculator or software that is set to the correct mode (radians or degrees) when using arc tan.