ASIN Function (OpenOffice Calc)
The ASIN function in OpenOffice Calc returns the arcsine (inverse sine) of a value, in radians. Learn syntax, domain limits, examples, and best practices.
Compatibility
▾| Excel | ✔ |
| Gnumeric | ✔ |
| Google_sheets | ✔ |
| Libreoffice | ✔ |
| Numbers | ✔ |
| Onlyoffice | ✔ |
| Openoffice | ✔ |
| Wps | ✔ |
| Zoho | ✔ |
What the ASIN Function Does â–¾
- Returns the angle whose sine equals the input
- Output is in radians
- Input must be between −1 and 1
- Useful for geometry, slopes, rotations, and inverse trig calculations
- Works across sheets
ASIN is ideal when you need to recover an angle from a ratio.
Syntax â–¾
ASIN(number)
Arguments:
- number — A value between −1 and 1
ASIN returns an angle in radians.
Convert to degrees using:
Convert to degrees using:
ASIN(x) * 180 / PI()
Domain Rules â–¾
| Input | Valid? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| −1 ≤ x ≤ 1 | ✔ | Required |
| x < −1 or x > 1 | ✘ | Undefined |
| text | ✘ | Error |
Mathematically:
[ \text{asin}(x) \text{ is defined only for } -1 \le x \le 1 ]
Basic Examples â–¾
Arcsine of 0.5
=ASIN(0.5)
Result (radians): 0.523598776
Convert arcsine to degrees
=ASIN(0.5) * 180 / PI()
Result: 30
ASIN using a cell reference
=ASIN(A1)
Convert degrees to radians before applying SIN, then invert
=ASIN(SIN(RADIANS(30)))
Advanced Examples â–¾
Recover angle from opposite/hypotenuse ratio
=ASIN(Opposite / Hypotenuse)
Angle of elevation
=ASIN(Height / Distance)
ASIN across sheets
=ASIN(Sheet1.A1)
ASIN in array formulas
=ASIN(A1:A10)
Confirm with Ctrl+Shift+Enter.
Recover angle from normalized vector
=ASIN(Y / Length)
Convert arcsine result to degrees
=DEGREES(ASIN(A1))
Solve for angle in a right triangle
=ASIN(Opp / Hyp)
Use ASIN to compute latitude from spherical coordinates
=ASIN(Z / Radius)
Common Errors and Fixes â–¾
ASIN returns Err:502 (Invalid argument)
Occurs when:
- Input < −1 or > 1
- Input is text
- Input is empty
- A malformed reference is used
ASIN returns unexpected results
Possible causes:
- Forgetting that output is in radians
- Using degrees without converting
- Ratio values slightly outside range due to rounding
ASIN ignores values you expected it to include
ASIN ignores:
- Text numbers (
"123") - Empty cells
- Logical values
- Errors
ASIN includes values you expected it to ignore
ASIN includes:
- Dates
- Times
- Numeric results of formulas
Err:508 — Missing parenthesis
Usually caused by:
- Missing
) - Using commas instead of semicolons
Best Practices â–¾
- Always check that input is between −1 and 1
- Convert radians to degrees when needed
- Use ASIN for recovering angles from ratios
- Use named ranges for triangle sides and vector components
- Pair ASIN with SIN for reversible transformations
If you’re working with angles from ratios, ASIN is your go‑to — just remember the output is always in radians.