Polar coordinates are a two-dimensional coordinate system in which a point in the plane is determined by its distance from a reference point and the angle relative to a reference direction.
Here’s how polar coordinates work:
- Reference Point (Pole): The fixed point in the system is called the pole, typically represented as the origin (0, 0) in Cartesian coordinates.
- Radial Distance (r): The distance from the pole to the point in question. It is always a non-negative value (r ≥ 0).
- Angle (θ): The angle measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis to the line connecting the point to the pole. The angle can be in degrees or radians and can be positive (counterclockwise direction) or negative (clockwise direction).
In polar coordinates, a point is represented as (r,θ), where:
- r is the radial distance.
- θ is the angle.