Degree (°) Angle Conversion Calculator - Inch Calculator (2024)

What Is a Degree?

A degree is a unit used to measure angle.

The degree is an SI accepted unit for angle for use with the metric system. A degree is sometimes also referred to as a degree of arc, arc degree, or arcdegree. Degrees can be abbreviated as °, and are also sometimes abbreviated as deg. For example, 1 degree can be written as 1° or 1 deg.

Degrees can also be expressed using arcminutes and arcseconds as an alternative to using the decimal form.Arcminutes and arcseconds are expressed using the prime (′) and double-prime (″) characters, respectively, although a single-quote and double-quote are often used for convenience.

One arcminute is equal to 1/60th of a degree, and one arcsecond is equal to 1/60th of an arcminute.

Protractors are commonly used to measure angles in degrees.They are semi-circle or full-circle devices with degree markings allowing a user to measure an angle in degrees.Learn more about how to use a protractor or download a printable protractor.

Background and Origin

Although the true origin of the degree is not certain, it likely originated in Babylonian astronomy. Babylonian, and later Greek, astronomers observed that stars advance about 1/360th of their circular path in the sky every night. They also divided the ecliptic, or circle representing the path of the sun, into 360 parts.

Another common theory is that degrees originated out of the Persian calendar, which is made up of 360 days in the year. 360 is also very close to the 365 actual days in a year and 354 average number of days in the luni-solar year.

Regardless of the origin, the number 360 is an easy number to use mathematically, which makes it appealing to use. The appeal comes from the fact that the number 360 has 24 divisors.

Uses

Degrees are a very widely used unit of angular measure, and are used in managed fields. Though the degree is not an SI unit, it is accepted for use as a measure of angle.

How Much Is a Degree?

A degree is a measure of angle equal to 1/360th of a revolution, or circle.^[1] The number 360 has 24 divisors, making it a fairly easy number to work with.There are also 360 days in the Persian calendar year, and many theorize that early astronomers used 1 degree per day.

How to Convert Degrees

To convert degrees to another unit of angle, you need to multiply the value by a conversion factor.A conversion factor is a numerical value used to change the units of a measurement without changing the value.^[2]

You can find the conversion factors for degrees in the conversion table below.

Then, multiply the angle measurement by the conversion factor to find the equivalent value in the desired unit of measurement.

degrees × conversion factor = result

You can also use a calculator, such as one of the converters below, for the conversion.