polar coordinate system
Americannoun
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A system of coordinates in which the location of a point is determined by its distance from a fixed point at the center of the coordinate space (called the pole) and by the measurement of the angle formed by a fixed line (the polar axis, corresponding to the x-axis in Cartesian coordinates) and a line from the pole through the given point. The polar coordinates of a point are given as (r, θ), where r is the distance of the point from the pole, and θ is the measure of the angle.
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Compare Cartesian coordinate system
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Eventually she leads us toward more abstract concepts such as the polar coordinate system, a graphical approach to defining a point using distance and angle, as well as irrational numbers and decimals that repeat infinitely.
From Scientific American • Jun. 20, 2023
The polar coordinate system is well suited for describing curves of this type.
From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016
The polar coordinate system provides an alternative method of mapping points to ordered pairs.
From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016
Figure 7.29 Three points plotted in the polar coordinate system.
From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016
In the polar coordinate system, each point also two values associated with it: r and θ.
From Textbooks • Mar. 30, 2016
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
