Figure

Math and relationships

Angle formats

Enter and convert decimal degrees and degrees, minutes, and seconds.

Decimal degrees and degrees, minutes and seconds describe the same angle differently. There are 60 minutes in a degree and 60 seconds in a minute. The examples use Figure’s degrees.minutes.seconds entry convention rather than treating that entry as decimal degrees.

DMS to decimal degrees

In Settings, choose Angle format → Decimal degrees. Enter degrees.minutes.seconds, then =.

Start a new calculation

  1. Press Clear entry, then Clear entry.

Set the preference

Angle format
Decimal degrees
Angle decimal places
Variable

Calculate

  1. Degrees.minutes.seconds

    Press 23.42.39, then Equals.
  1. Example result23.71083°

Decimal degrees to DMS

Choose DMS in Settings. Enter decimal degrees, then use Settings → Use Current Number as Angle.

Start a new calculation

  1. Press Clear entry, then Clear entry.

Set the preference

Angle format
Degrees, minutes, seconds

Calculate

  1. Decimal degrees

    Press 44.29, then Use current number as angle.
  1. Example resultDMS 44.17.24

Normalize an overflowing minute entry

Enter degrees.minutes.seconds. Adding zero carries excess minutes into degrees.

Start a new calculation

  1. Press Clear entry, then Clear entry.

Set the preference

Angle format
Degrees, minutes, seconds

Calculate

  1. Degrees.minutes.seconds

    Press 30.89.0, then Add.

  2. Enter 0

    Press 0, then Equals.
  1. Example resultDMS 31.29.00

Keep the guide beside your calculation.

These examples are built into Figure. Open Help while you calculate, then return to the same guide and reading position.

See Help in Figure →