How to Use Radians in Python

Python, being a highly favored programming language, is known for its simplicity and vast range of applications, including how flexibly it handles mathematical units like Radians. Radians are a unit of measurement for angles, used widely in mathematics and physics.

They are important in Python especially when dealing with mathematics involving circles and angles. This tutorial will guide you on how to use radians in Python.

Step 1: Importing Required Modules

Before we start working with radians, we need to import a specific Python module known as NumPy. It’s a powerful Python library used for numerical computation. To import the NumPy module, use the following code:

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import numpy as np

Step 2: Converting Degrees to Radians

Once we’ve imported the necessary module, we can proceed to convert degrees into radians. This can be accomplished using the numpy.radians() function as shown below:

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degrees = 45
radians = np.radians(degrees)
print(radians)

This code converts 45 degrees to radians and outputs the result.

Output

0.7853981633974483

Step 3: Converting Radians to Degrees

Similarly, if we have an angle in radians and we wish to convert it back into degrees, we can use the numpy.degrees() function, as shown:

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radians = 0.7853981633974483
degrees = np.degrees(radians)
print(degrees)

This code converts radians back into degrees and displays the result.

Output

45.0

Step 4: Using Radians in Mathematical Computation

Radians come into play when dealing with trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, and tangent. In Python, these can be computed easily using NumPy functions like numpy.sin(), numpy.cos(), and numpy.tan().

These functions commonly take radians as arguments, as depicted in the following example:

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radians = np.radians(30)
sine = np.sin(radians)
print(sine)

Output

0.49999999999999994

Full Code

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import numpy as np
 
#Degrees to Radians Conversion
degrees = 45
radians = np.radians(degrees)
print(radians)
 
#Radians to Degrees Conversion
radians = 0.7853981633974483
degrees = np.degrees(radians)
print(degrees)
 
#Mathematical Computation Using Radians
radians = np.radians(30)
sine = np.sin(radians)
print(sine)
 
0.7853981633974483
45.0
0.49999999999999994

Conclusion

Handling radians in Python becomes straightforward once NumPy is well understood. The library’s rich set of functions allows for seamless conversion and computation involving radians.