θ (theta)
Definition
θ is the symbol used to represent an angle in polar coordinates. It measures the rotation from the positive x-axis to a point in the coordinate plane.
Analogy
Think of θ as a compass needle pointing in a specific direction. Just like how a compass needle tells you which way is north, θ tells you the direction of a point in polar coordinates.
Related terms
Polar Coordinates: A system that uses an angle (θ) and distance (r) to locate points in a plane.
Polar Curve: A curve defined by equations involving θ and r, where r represents the distance from the origin and θ represents the angle.
Polar Graphing: The process of plotting points on a graph using polar coordinates instead of Cartesian coordinates.
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