Degrees to Decimal Calculator

What is Degrees to Decimal Conversion?

Degrees to decimal conversion is the process of converting an angle measured in degrees, minutes, and seconds into a single decimal number. This format is more useful for calculations in computer systems and scientific applications.

The decimal degree format is based on the fact that 1 degree is equal to 60 minutes and 1 minute is equal to 60 seconds. By converting these smaller units into fractions of a degree, we can express the entire angle as a single decimal number.

How to Convert Degrees to Decimal

To convert degrees, minutes, and seconds to decimal degrees, follow these steps:

1. Write down the degrees value as the whole number part of your result.
2. Convert the minutes to degrees by dividing by 60.
3. Convert the seconds to degrees by dividing by 3600 (since there are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in a degree).
4. Add all three values together to get the decimal degree.

For example, to convert 34° 15' 30" to decimal degrees:

• Degrees: 34
• Minutes to degrees: 15 ÷ 60 = 0.25
• Seconds to degrees: 30 ÷ 3600 ≈ 0.008333
• Total: 34 + 0.25 + 0.008333 ≈ 34.258333

Formula

The formula for converting degrees, minutes, and seconds to decimal degrees is:

Where:

• Degrees = the whole number of degrees
• Minutes = the whole number of minutes
• Seconds = the whole number of seconds

Example Calculation

Let's convert 45° 30' 15" to decimal degrees using the formula:

So, 45° 30' 15" is approximately 45.504167° in decimal degrees.