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 semicircle 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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