# trig problems in excel, cant get tan function working

#### ninjaman

Joined May 18, 2013
339
Hello,

I am trying to answer a book question in excel,
draw the following graph:

y = 2 tan(theta+60degrees) for 0 < theta < 360

I have tried converting to degrees and using the degree() function and I am not getting the result shown in the answers section.

I use the asterisk in between 2 * tan, not sure what I am doing wrong here.

Thanks

#### WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
26,524
What, exactly, is the function you've typed in to the cell?

The tan() function requires an argument in radians, not degrees. The degrees() function (I'm not aware of a degree() function) converts an argument in radians to degrees. You need to do the opposite and convert an argument in degrees to radians. Take a guess what that function is called.

#### ninjaman

Joined May 18, 2013
339

#### WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
26,524
Close. If the function to convert to degrees is called "degrees()" (not "degree()"), then the function to convert to radians wouldn't be called "radian()", it would be called _____?

#### WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
26,524
Oh, and one thing to watch out for is that the tan() function goes singular (i.e., to infinity) when it's argument is either 90° or 270°.

#### DGElder

Joined Apr 3, 2016
351
or convert degrees to radians by multiplying the degrees by PI()/180