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Angle Calculation Formula:
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The angle between two points is calculated using the arctangent function (atan2) which determines the angle from the horizontal axis to the line connecting the two points. This is particularly useful in geometry, physics, and computer graphics.
The calculator uses the atan2 function:
Where:
Explanation: The atan2 function returns the angle in radians between the positive x-axis and the point (dx, dy), which is then converted to degrees and normalized to the 0-360° range.
Details: Angle calculation is essential in various applications including navigation systems, computer graphics, robotics, physics simulations, and engineering calculations where directional relationships between points need to be determined.
Tips: Enter the differences in coordinates (dy and dx) as unitless values. The calculator will return the angle in degrees measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis.
Q1: What is the difference between atan and atan2?
A: atan2 takes two arguments (dy, dx) and returns the correct quadrant for the angle, while atan takes one argument (dy/dx) and requires additional logic to determine the correct quadrant.
Q2: What angle range does atan2 return?
A: atan2 typically returns values between -π and π radians (-180° to 180°), which is then normalized to 0-360° for easier interpretation.
Q3: How is the angle measured?
A: The angle is measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis (0° points right, 90° points up, 180° points left, 270° points down).
Q4: What happens if both dx and dy are zero?
A: When both values are zero, the angle is undefined as there is no direction to calculate. The calculator requires at least one non-zero value.
Q5: Can this be used for 3D angle calculations?
A: No, this calculator is for 2D angle calculations. For 3D angles, additional calculations involving spherical coordinates are required.