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Chapter 1: Problem 11

What are degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds used for? What are the relationships among these units of measure?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds are units used in measuring angles in geometry and geographical coordinates. A full rotation is 360 degrees, each degree is composed of 60 arcminutes, and each arcminute is made of 60 arcseconds.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Degrees

Degrees are used in measuring angles and determining geographical coordinates. One full revolution or rotation is equivalent to 360°.
02

Understanding Arcminutes

A degree is divided into 60 smaller units known as 'arcminutes' (denoted as '). To convert degrees to arcminutes, we multiply by 60.
03

Understanding Arcseconds

Each arcminute is further divided into 60 'arcseconds' (denoted as \"). Thus, there are 3,600 arcseconds in a degree (60 arcminutes * 60 arcseconds).
04

Relationship among Degrees, Arcminutes, and Arcseconds

The conversion between these units are as follows: One Degree = 60 Arcminutes, One Arcminute = 60 Arcseconds, hence, One Degree = 3600 Arcseconds.

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