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POLAR COORDINATES, EQUATIONS, AND GRAPHS

 

In a previous unit we introduced the concept that the location of a complex number can be found by rotating that number’s vector through an angle on the complex plane. In a later unit, the trigonometric coordinate identities were introduced which state the following:




In this unit we combine these two concepts to introduce the graphing technique called “Polar Coordinates” and demonstrate how this graphing system allows us to investigate many different functions which could not be as easily analyzed in the traditional “rectangular coordinate plane”.

 

 Polar Coordinates for Navigation (02:00)
 
  Polar vs. Rectangular Coordinates -- Radar (02:49)
 Polar Graphs -- Circus and Rose Curves (02:22)
 Converting to and from Polar Coordinates -- Crab Fishing (03:31)
 
 
Table of Sines, Cosines, and Tangents (PDF)
 
Polar and Rectangular Coordinates (PDF)




Below are additional educational resources and activities for this unit.
 
Polar and Rectangular Forms of Equations
 
 
 
Polar and Cartesian Coordinates