# About Math.cos

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/about-math-cos/73770>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [December 20, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/about-math-cos/73770 "2004-12-20T11:03:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LunarTears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@LunarTears](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/LunarTears)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/about-math-cos/73770/1 "2004-12-20T11:03:43Z")

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Can somebody PLEASE break every piece of Math.sin down for me?  
I saw it in the snow tutorial and have been vigorously trying to figure it out.  
What determines how hard a snow flake is swaying?  
What determines how fast it sways?  
Does it try to sway a certain distance within a certain time limit?  
help ☹

k = -Math.PI+Math.random()\*Math.PI;  
rad += (k/180)\*Math.PI;  
this.\_x -= Math.cos(rad);

why k/180?