Syntax
SIN(number)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| number | Parameter of the SIN function. |
Examples
Sine of 90 degrees
Formula
=SIN(PI()/2)
Returns 1. The sine of π/2 radians (90°) is 1 — the peak of the sine wave.
Sine of 30 degrees
Formula
=SIN(RADIANS(30))
Returns 0.5. The sine of 30° is exactly 0.5 — a common reference angle in trigonometry.
Wave calculation
Formula
=5*SIN(2*PI()*A1/12)
If A1 is a month number (1-12), this produces a sinusoidal wave with amplitude 5 and period 12 — useful for modeling seasonal patterns.
Common Errors
#VALUE!
Non-numeric input returns #VALUE!. The argument must be a number (in radians).
Tips
Input is RADIANS
SIN expects radians, not degrees. SIN(90) does NOT give 1 — that's 90 radians. Use =SIN(RADIANS(90)) for degrees.
Seasonal modeling
Model seasonal data with =amplitude*SIN(2*PI()*(period_position-phase)/period_length). Adjust phase to shift the peak.
Key values to remember
SIN(0)=0, SIN(π/6)=0.5, SIN(π/4)≈0.707, SIN(π/3)≈0.866, SIN(π/2)=1. These are the standard reference angles.
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