COT
Math & Trig
Returns the cotangent of an angle (in radians). Cotangent is the reciprocal of tangent: 1/TAN(x).
Translations
EnglishCOT
FrenchCOT
SpanishCOT
GermanCOT
ItalianCOT
PortugueseCOT
DutchCOT
PolishCOT
RussianCOT
TurkishCOT
CzechCOT
HungarianCOT
SwedishCOT
DanishCOT
FinnishCOT
Syntax
COT(number)Arguments
numberAn angle in radians.
Examples
=COT(PI()/4)1
Cotangent of 45° is 1
=COT(RADIANS(30))1.7321
Cotangent of 30° (≈ √3)
Tips & Best Practices
- •Available since Excel 2013
- •Returns #DIV/0! when number is a multiple of π (where TAN = 0)
- •Use RADIANS() to convert degrees to radians first
Common Mistakes
- •Passing an angle that's an exact multiple of π (where tangent equals 0), which returns a #DIV/0! error since cotangent is mathematically undefined at those points
- •Passing an angle in degrees directly to COT without converting it first - COT expects radians, so COT(45) doesn't give the cotangent of 45 degrees, and RADIANS(45) needs to be used instead
- •Confusing COT with TAN by assuming they're simply opposite signs of the same thing - cotangent is the reciprocal of tangent (1/TAN(x)), not its negative
Related Functions
TANCalculates the tangent of an angle, the reciprocal relationship to what COT calculates (COT(x) = 1/TAN(x)).ACOTPerforms the inverse operation - takes a cotangent value and returns the corresponding angle in radians.RADIANSConverts a degree value into radians, the unit COT expects for its angle argument.Frequently Asked Questions
Why does COT return a #DIV/0! error?
The angle is a multiple of π (like 0, π, 2π), where tangent equals 0 - since cotangent is 1/TAN(x), dividing by that zero produces the error.
Is cotangent the same as negative tangent?
No, cotangent is the reciprocal of tangent, not its negative - COT(x) equals 1/TAN(x), a different relationship entirely.
Why do I need RADIANS before using COT?
COT expects its input in radians, not degrees. If your angle is in degrees, wrap it in RADIANS first, like COT(RADIANS(45)).
Need to translate a formula using COT?
Use our translator to convert your complete formula