Math
Polar coordinates.
Definition
A coordinate system that locates points by their distance from the origin (r) and angle from the positive x-axis (θ), written as (r, θ). This is an alternative to the Cartesian (x, y) system.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 (5, π/3) means 5 units from the origin at a 60° angle
- 2 Converting (3, 4) to polar: r = 5, θ = arctan(4/3)
- 3 Describing circular motion is much simpler in polar form
Key Fact
x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ; r = √(x²+y²), θ = arctan(y/x)