What is the difference between degrees and radians on the calculator and why do they affect the answers?

Kristin Montgomery

Kristin Montgomery

Answered question

2022-12-29

What is the difference between degrees and radians on the calculator and why do they affect the answers?

Answer & Explanation

Belinda Solomon

Belinda Solomon

Beginner2022-12-30Added 11 answers

Measurements in radians and degrees are totally dissimilar to one another. Consider this:
1o=57.2958 radians.
You can set a calculator that performs trig functions to measure angles in degrees or radians. If you have it set for degrees and calculate say sin30 it will give you the result of 12. If it is set for radians and you use sin30 it will give you the result 0.988040736. This is because 30 radians is equal to 1718.87o NOT 30o. You must first set the calculator to the proper unit of measurement to avoid having completely inaccurate results.
Carina Nash

Carina Nash

Beginner2022-12-31Added 1 answers

Angles can be measured using either degrees or radians.
Degrees:
degrees split a circle into 360 equal parts, so
10=1360th of a circle
Radians
One radian is the angle that a circle's radius and an arc of equal length subtend at its center.
to convert between the two we use
πc=1800
its value is 1c57.295770
Always check whether a trig problem is working in degrees or radians when dealing with it, and set your calculator's mode appropriately.
In calculus we always working in radians because the standard results are only valid for radian measure.
ddx(sinx)=cosx

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