Enter the length of the opposite side and the adjacent side into the calculator to determine the ratio O/A. This calculator can also evaluate any of the variables given the others are known.

Opposite Over Adjacent Formula

The following formula is used to calculate the ratio of opposite side to adjacent side in a right triangle, often used in trigonometry.

O/A = tan(θ)

Variables:

  • O/A is the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle
  • tan(θ) is the tangent of the angle θ

To calculate the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side, you need to find the tangent of the angle. The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle.

What is Opposite Over Adjacent?

Opposite Over Adjacent is a mathematical term used primarily in trigonometry. It refers to the ratio of the length of the side of a right triangle that is opposite to an angle to the length of the side that is adjacent to the same angle. This ratio is used to calculate the tangent of the angle, which is a fundamental concept in trigonometry.

How to Calculate Opposite Over Adjacent?

The following steps outline how to calculate the Opposite Over Adjacent ratio.


  1. First, determine the length of the side opposite the angle (O).
  2. Next, determine the length of the side adjacent to the angle (A).
  3. Next, gather the formula from above = O/A = tan(θ).
  4. Finally, calculate the Opposite Over Adjacent ratio.
  5. After inserting the values and calculating the result, check your answer with a calculator.

Example Problem:

Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.

Length of the side opposite the angle (O) = 5

Length of the side adjacent to the angle (A) = 3