The SEC function returns the secant of an angle.
This function can be useful in trigonometric calculations.
Syntax
SEC(angle)
Argument |
Description |
Permitted values |
|---|---|---|
angle |
Angle in radians for which the secant needs to be calculated |
Any real number or a reference to a cell containing a number |
Examples of use
Simple calculation
=SEC(0)
This formula will return 1, since cosine 0 equals 1, and therefore secant equals 1.
Angle in radians
=SEC(PI()/3)
This formula calculates the secant of an angle of 60 degrees (π/3 radians), which is equal to 2.
Negative angles
=SEC(-PI()/4)
This formula will return a value equal to √2, since the cosine of −45 degrees is equal to √2/2.
Angle equal to 90 degrees
=SEC(PI()/2)
This formula will return an incorrect value, since the cosine of 90 degrees is 0, and the secant cannot be calculated.
Notes
The SEC function may return incorrect values if the cosine of the angle is zero, since in this case the secant is undefined.