DMS and Degree Decimal Conversions
This section explains the fundamental concepts of converting between DMS Degrees,Minutes,Seconds and decimal degree formats, as well as transformations between degrees and radians.
Definition: DMS Degrees,Minutes,Seconds is a format where 1 degree equals 60 minutes, and 1 minute equals 60 seconds.
Example: Converting 74°42'15" to decimal form:
74° + 42/60° + 15/3600° = 74.7042°
Highlight: When converting from decimal degrees to DMS, multiply the decimal portion by 60 repeatedly to obtain minutes and seconds.
Vocabulary: Radians are the standard unit for angle measurement in calculus, representing the ratio of arc length to radius.