Degrees and Radians
Volume 2, Three Skills for Algebra
1 Lengths of Circular Arcs
The length $s$ of a circular arc is proportional to the angle $\theta$
its spans. \]
Geometrically this proportionality means if the angle $\theta$ is double
or tripled, so is the arclength $s.$ Mathematically, this relationship is
described by the relation
\[s=k\theta\]
where $k$ is called the constant of proportionality. Graphing $s$ versus
$\theta$ where $ 0^\circ \le \theta \le 360^\circ,$ gives a get a
straight line segment with slope $m=k.$
The assumption that the circumference of the circle is $2\pi r$ implies
$2\pi r = k\cdot 360^\circ$ where $r$ is the radius. This in turn implies
\[k =\frac{2\pi r}{360^\circ} = \frac{\pi r}{180^\circ}
\def\degree{\hbox{ degree}} \def\radian{\hbox{ radian}}
\def\revolution{\hbox{ revolution}} \]
The unit of angle measurement is the degree $1^\circ =1 \degree.$
2 Angles and Arclength
The foregoing implies that
\[s=k\theta =\frac{\pi r}{180^\circ} \cdot \theta
=\frac{\pi}{180^\circ}r\theta\]
This in turn implies
\[\frac sr = \frac{\pi}{180^\circ}\theta\]
or equivalently that
\[\theta=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\frac sr.\]
Thus the real number $\frac sr$ is proportional to the angle $\theta,$
and vice-versa. Thus the ratio $\frac sr$ determines the angle $\theta,$
and vice-versa. So specifying one, specifies the other.
Radians and Radian Measure
The real number $\frac sr$ equals the number of times the radius $r$ goes
into the arc length $s.$ This ratio, the real number $a=\frac sr$ is
called the radian measure of the angle $\theta.$ Now let the new unit,
namely the radian:
\[ 1 \radian=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}={57.2957795}\degree s\]
Then the angle
\[\theta=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\frac sr\]
is also given by the expression $\theta = a \radian$ where as before
$a=\frac sr$ is its radian measure. From
\[1 \radian=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\]
observe that
\[1^\circ= 1.0 \degree =\frac{\pi}{180}\radian\]
Note that the unit
\[ 1 \revolution = 360^\circ = 360 {\degree}s = 2 \pi \radian \]
The foregoing implies that
\[s=k\theta =\frac{\pi r}{180^\circ} \cdot \theta
=\frac{\pi}{180^\circ}r\theta\]
This in turn implies
\[\frac sr = \frac{\pi}{180^\circ}\theta\]
or equivalently that
\[\theta=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\frac sr\]
Thus the real number $\frac sr$ is proportional to the angle $\theta,$
and vice-versa. Thus the ratio $\frac sr$ determines the angle $\theta,$
and vice-versa. So specifying one, specifies the other. Whence one may
used in place of another. A like situation occurs in the choice of
measure for length.
The number of unit centimeters in a length, one measure of the length,
is proportional to the number of units of meters in the length, another
measure of the length. So measurements of equal value may be given in
terms of either unit, centimeters or meters. Likewise, money may be
counted in pennies and larger units: dollars, pounds, euros, yen and
yuan.
Radians and Radian Measure
The real number $\frac sr$ equals the number of times the radius $r$ goes
into the arc length $s.$ This ratio, the real number $a=\frac sr$ is
called the radian measure of the angle $\theta.$ Now let the new unit,
namely the radian:
\[ 1 \radian=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}=57.2957795^\circ\]
Then the angle $\theta=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\frac sr$ is also given by
the expression $\theta = a \radian$ where as before $a=\frac sr$ is its
radian measure. From \[1 \radian=\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}\] observe that
\[1^\circ= 1.0 \degree =\frac{\pi}{180}\radian\] Note that the unit
\[ 1 \revolution = 360^\circ = 360 {\degree}s = 2 \pi \radian \]
4. Numerical Values of Angles
There is a convention which identify radians, degrees and revolutions
with real numbers. The conventions are as follows: \begin{eqnarray*} 1
\radian & = & 1.0 \\ 1 \revolution & =& 2\pi \radian \\ 1
\degree &=&\frac{\pi}{180}\radian \end{eqnarray*} The latter
implies
\[1^\circ=1 \degree=\frac{\pi}{180} \approx 0.0174532925 \]
Note that for the sake of precision in algebraic reasoning, the ratio
$\frac{\pi}{180^\circ}$ and its reciprocal $\frac{180^\circ}{\pi}$ should
carried through calculations and only replaced by their approximations
when actual computations are required. The earlier replacement is
imprecise and doing it may cause opportunities for cancellation of the
terms $\pi$ and $180^\circ$ to be missed.
Angle Measurement Revisited
The following diagram shows two concentric circles, and two arcs of
lengths $s_1$ and $s_2,$ respectively, one on each.

Outer arc length s2 is proportion to inner arc length
s1.
To measure the angle of the outer arc, divide the perimeter of the
outer circle into 360 equal-length arcs. Then count how many of these arcs
are covered by the outer arc. The length of the outer arc is proportional
to this first count.
To measure the angle of the inner arc in degrees, divide he perimeter of
the inner circle into 360 equal-length arcs. Then count how many of these
inner circle arcs are covered by the inner arc. The length of the inner arc
is proportional to the second count.
Both counts give the length of the outer and inner arcs in terms of one
three hundred and sixtieth, that is $\frac1{360}$-th of the respective
perimeters of each their circles In the above diagram, the two arcs, more
precisely, arc lengths, s1 and s2 cover the same
proportion of the circles of their respective circles. Therefore the two
counts must be equal. One or both circles may represent circles could be
the perimeter of a protractor.
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