How to get the arccosine (in radians) of a number in JavaScript?

This tutorial will help you to find the arccosine in radians of a number in JavaScript.

Cosine is the ratio of the adjacent side and the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle. To get the cosine of a number, the Math.cos() function is used in JavaScript. The value returned will be between -1 and 1.

The inverse of cosine is called arccosine. An angle's trigonometric arccosine value can be calculated using the Math.acos() method. This returns a value between 0 and ? (pi).

The input to acos() must be between -1 and 1 inclusive. The function returns the arccosine value in radians. Mathematical representation: acos(n) = cos?ยน(n).

Syntax

Math.acos(number)

Parameters

  • number ? A number between -1 and 1 for which the arccosine value in radians is to be found.

Return Value

Returns the arccosine of the number in radians (between 0 and ?). If the number is outside the range [-1, 1], it returns NaN.

Example 1: Basic Usage

This example demonstrates Math.acos() with valid inputs between -1 and 1, and invalid inputs that return NaN.

<html>
<body>
   <h4>Finding the arccosine of a number using <i>Math.acos()</i></h4>
   <p id="validInputs"></p>
   <p id="invalidInputs"></p>
   <script>
      // Valid inputs (between -1 and 1)
      let a1 = Math.acos(0.75);
      let a2 = Math.acos(-0.9);
      let a3 = Math.acos(-1);
      let a4 = Math.acos(0);
      let a5 = Math.acos(0.5);
      let a6 = Math.acos(1);
      
      // Invalid inputs (outside range or non-numeric)
      let b1 = Math.acos(-2);
      let b2 = Math.acos(2);
      let b3 = Math.acos("Learn");
      
      document.getElementById("validInputs").innerHTML = 
         "Valid inputs (between -1 and 1):" + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(0.75) = " + a1 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(-0.9) = " + a2 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(-1) = " + a3 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(0) = " + a4 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(0.5) = " + a5 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(1) = " + a6;
         
      document.getElementById("invalidInputs").innerHTML = 
         "Invalid inputs (return NaN):" + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(-2) = " + b1 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(2) = " + b2 + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos('Learn') = " + b3;
   </script>
</body>
</html>

Example 2: Mathematical Operations

This example shows how Math.acos() works with mathematical expressions. The expressions are evaluated first, then the arccosine is calculated.

<html>
<body>
   <h4>Using Math.acos() with mathematical operations</h4>
   <p id="mathOperations"></p>
   <script>
      document.getElementById("mathOperations").innerHTML = 
         "Math.acos(1 + 2) = " + Math.acos(1 + 2) + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(0.1 + 0.2) = " + Math.acos(0.1 + 0.2) + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(2 - 1) = " + Math.acos(2 - 1) + "<br>" +
         "Math.acos(Math.PI/4) = " + Math.acos(Math.PI/4);
   </script>
</body>
</html>

Key Points

  • Input must be between -1 and 1 (inclusive)
  • Returns value between 0 and ? radians
  • Returns NaN for invalid inputs
  • Supported in all modern browsers

Conclusion

The Math.acos() method calculates the arccosine of a number in radians. It only accepts values between -1 and 1, returning NaN for invalid inputs. This method is essential for trigonometric calculations in JavaScript.

Updated on: 2026-03-15T23:18:59+05:30

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