Revolutions to Degrees Converter

What Is a Revolution?

A revolution, or turn, is equal to 1 rotation around a circle, or 360°. Revolutions are commonly used to measure the speed of rotation, for example when measuring the revolutions per minute (RPM) of a vehicle's engine.

A revolution is sometimes also referred to as a turn, cycle, or complete rotation. Revolutions can be abbreviated as r, and are also sometimes abbreviated as rev or cyc. For example, 1 revolution can be written as 1 r, 1 rev, or 1 cyc.

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What 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.

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.

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