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).
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In polar coordinates, a point is represented as (r,θ), where:
- r is the radial distance.
- θ is the angle.