Key Idea: Tangent (tan)

In a right triangle, the tangent of an angle is the ratio of the side opposite the angle to the side adjacent to the angle.

General Rule:

tan⁡(θ) = Opposite Side / Adjacent Side​

• Only applies to right triangles.

• Useful for finding missing sides or angles when combined with other trigonometric ratios.

Why this matters for the SAT:

Tangent is a core trigonometric ratio on the SAT.
It allows you to solve for unknown sides or angles in right triangle problems efficiently.