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# how do you use cos-1

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1118
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how do you use cos-1

Feb 13, 2015

#1
+5479
+26

While the cosine of a given angle is used to find the ratio of its opposite side / hypotenuse, the arccosine does the opposite: it finds the measure of an angle from the given ratio of its opposite side / hypotenuse.

For example,  $$\underset{\,\,\,\,^{{360^\circ}}}{{cos}}{\left({\mathtt{45}}^\circ\right)} = {\frac{{\sqrt{{\mathtt{2}}}}}{{\mathtt{2}}}}$$

So $$\underset{\,\,\,\,^{{360^\circ}}}{{cos}}^{\!\!\mathtt{-1}}{\left({\frac{{\sqrt{{\mathtt{2}}}}}{{\mathtt{2}}}}\right)} = {\mathtt{45}}$$

So if you had the lengths of the opposite side and the hypotenuse for a right triangle, you would use arccosine to find the measure of the angle.

Feb 13, 2015

#1
+5479
+26

While the cosine of a given angle is used to find the ratio of its opposite side / hypotenuse, the arccosine does the opposite: it finds the measure of an angle from the given ratio of its opposite side / hypotenuse.

For example,  $$\underset{\,\,\,\,^{{360^\circ}}}{{cos}}{\left({\mathtt{45}}^\circ\right)} = {\frac{{\sqrt{{\mathtt{2}}}}}{{\mathtt{2}}}}$$

So $$\underset{\,\,\,\,^{{360^\circ}}}{{cos}}^{\!\!\mathtt{-1}}{\left({\frac{{\sqrt{{\mathtt{2}}}}}{{\mathtt{2}}}}\right)} = {\mathtt{45}}$$

So if you had the lengths of the opposite side and the hypotenuse for a right triangle, you would use arccosine to find the measure of the angle.

kitty<3 Feb 13, 2015
#2
+112861
+5

Inverse cos is the same as arccos

On this calc you use acos

Feb 13, 2015