Distance and Direction

You'll learnto locate a point by distance and direction instead of across and up.

Rectangular coordinates say how far over and how far up; polar coordinates say how far out and which way to face. The translation is one right triangle, and two conventions carry the rest: a negative r walks you backward through the pole, and every point answers to many names. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · RADIANS THROUGHOUT · DISTANCE IS |r| · v3

face θ, walk r · x = r cos θ · y = r sin θ

Before you start

What you're looking at

A polar grid: rings for distance, spokes for direction, a pole at the center.

The question

How far out, and which way to face?

Step 1 / 8