2006-06-25 19:03:49 · 6 answers · asked by maclimus 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
In a full circle there are 360 degrees.
Each degree is split up into 60 parts, each part being 1/60 of a degree. These parts are called minutes.
Each minute is split up into 60 parts, each part being 1/60 of a minute. These parts are called seconds.
The size of an angle could be stated this way: 40 degrees, 20 minutes, 50 seconds.
How could you state the above as an angle using common decimal notation? The angle would be this many degrees, (* means times.):
40 + (20 * 1/60) + (50 * 1/60 * 1/60)
That is, we have 40 full degrees, 20 minutes - each 1/60 of a degree, and 50 seconds - each 1/60 of 1/60 of a degree.
Work that out and you will get a decimal number of degrees. It's 40.34722...
Going the other way is a bit more difficult. Suppose we start with 40.3472 degrees. Can we express that in units of degrees, minutes, and seconds?
Well, first of all there are definitely 40 degrees full degrees. That leaves 0.3472 degrees.
So, how many minutes is 0.3472 degrees? Well, how many times can 1/60 go into 0.3472? Here's the same question: What is 60 times 0.3472? It's 20.832. So, there are 20 complete minutes with 0.832 of a minute remaining.
How many seconds are in the last 0.832 minutes. Well, how many times can 1/60 go into 0.832, or what is 60 times 0.832? It's 49.92, or almost 50 seconds.
So, we've figured that 40.3472 degrees is almost exactly equal to 40 degrees, 20 minutes, 50 seconds.
(The only reason we fell a bit short of 50 seconds is that we really used a slightly smaller angle in this second half of the calculation explanation. In the original angle, 40.34722... degrees, the decimal repeats the last digit of 2 infinitely, so, the original angle is a bit bigger than 40.3472.)
2006-06-25 20:32:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
60 minutes = 1 degree. So you just divide the number of degrees by 60 and you get the minutes. Further divide it by 60 and you get the seconds.
2006-06-26 02:12:21 · answer #2 · answered by meow 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there are 60 minutes in one degree so divide the number of minutes by 60 to get degrees
2006-06-26 02:05:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Define degree.
Temperature? Angle?
2006-06-26 02:06:48 · answer #4 · answered by Dave 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
60 min=360degree
further solve it
2006-06-26 02:10:20 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
use a Ti calculator
2006-06-26 02:05:49 · answer #6 · answered by Sammy J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋