Degree

Definition

A degree is a unit of measurement for angles. It divides one full rotation into 360 equal parts.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. A circle has 360 degrees.
2. The sum of the angles in a triangle is always 180 degrees.
3. Angles can be classified as acute (less than 90 degrees), right (exactly 90 degrees), obtuse (greater than 90 but less than 180 degrees), and straight (exactly 180 degrees).
4. When working with polynomial functions, the degree of a polynomial is the highest power of its variable.
5. In trigonometry, angles measured in degrees can be converted to radians using the conversion factor $\pi / 180$.

Review Questions

• What is the degree measure of a right angle?
• If an angle measures 135 degrees, how would you classify it?
• How do you convert an angle from degrees to radians?

Related terms

Radian: A unit of angular measure where one radian is the angle created by taking the radius and wrapping it along the edge of the circle.

Polynomial Degree: The highest power of the variable in a polynomial expression.

Unit Circle: A circle with a radius of one centered at the origin of a coordinate plane, often used to define sine and cosine functions.