Rankwise

Value of cos 30°

cos 30° = √3/2 ≈ 0.8660

√3/2Exact value
0.866025Decimal
π/630° in radians
sin 60°Same value (co-function)

How to derive it

  1. In an equilateral triangle of side 2, drop a perpendicular: it splits into two 30°–60°–90° triangles with sides 1, √3 and 2.
  2. cos = adjacent ÷ hypotenuse, so cos 30° = √3/2.

All trig ratios of 30°

RatioExactDecimal
sin 30°1/20.5000
cos 30°√3/20.8660
tan 30°1/√30.5774
cosec 30°1 ÷ sin 30°2.0000
sec 30°1 ÷ cos 30°1.1547
cot 30°1 ÷ tan 30°1.7321

Exact values of special angles

For whole-degree values from 0° to 90°, see the trigonometry table.

Questions students ask

What is the value of cos 30°?

√3/2, which is about 0.8660.

What is cos 30° in radians?

30° is π/6 radians, so cos(π/6) = √3/2.

Is cos 30° equal to sin 60°?

Yes. cos θ = sin(90° − θ), so cos 30° = sin 60°.

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