Unit Circle Explorer

Drag the point around the circle to see how sin, cos, and tan change. The wave graph on the right traces the function as the angle sweeps.

Controls

45°

Live Values

θ45° (π/4)
sin θ0.7071
cos θ0.7071
tan θ1.0000
QuadrantQ1

The Math Behind It

Key Formulas

  • On the unit circle: x = cos θ, y = sin θ
  • Pythagorean identity: sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
  • Tangent: tan θ = sin θ / cos θ
  • Period: sin and cos repeat every 2π (360°)

Quadrant Signs

  • Q1 (0°-90°): All positive
  • Q2 (90°-180°): sin +, cos -, tan -
  • Q3 (180°-270°): tan +, sin -, cos -
  • Q4 (270°-360°): cos +, sin -, tan -

Special Angles

θradsincostan
0010
30°π/61/2√3/21/√3
45°π/4√2/2√2/21
60°π/3√3/21/2√3
90°π/210
120°2π/3√3/2-1/2-√3
180°π0-10
270°3π/2-10

Click any row to jump to that angle