How to use the Excel ASIN function

Summary

The Excel ASIN function returns the inverse sine of a number.

Purpose

Return the inverse sine of a value in radians.

Return value

Angle in Radians

Syntax

=ASIN (number)

Arguments

number - The value to get the inverse sine of. The number must be between -1 and 1 inclusive.

Usage notes

The ASIN function, also called arc-sine, returns the inverse sine of a value. The input number must be between -1 and 1, inclusive. Geometrically, given the ratio of a triangle's opposite side over its hypotenuse, the function returns the angle of the triangle. For example, given a ratio of 0.5 the function returns the angle of 0.524 radians.

=ASIN(0.5) // Returns 0.524 radians

Convert Result to Degrees

To convert the result from radians to degrees, multiply the result by 180/PI() or use the DEGREES function. For example, to convert the result of ASIN(0.5) to degrees, you can use either formula below:

=ASIN(0.5)*180/PI() // Returns 30 degrees
=DEGREES(ASIN(0.5)) // Returns 30 degrees

Explanation

Graph of ASIN Function

The graph of ASIN visualizes the output of the function from -1 to 1. ASIN is the inverse of SIN. However, because SIN is a periodic function, the output of ASIN is limited to the range from -π/2 to π/2.

Notes

ASIN is the inverse of SIN
To convert the result from radians to degrees multiply by 180/PI() or use the DEGREES function.

Graph courtesy of wumbo.net

Related functions

Excel SIN Function

The Excel SIN function returns the sine of angle given in radians. To supply an angle to SIN in degrees, multiply the angle by PI()/180 or use the RADIANS function to convert to radians.