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Ch. 3 - Radian Measure and The Unit Circle
Lial - Trigonometry 12th Edition
Lial12th EditionTrigonometryISBN: 9780136552161Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 49

Convert each degree measure to radians. If applicable, round to the nearest thousandth. See Example 1(c).


139° 10'

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that to convert degrees to radians, you use the formula: \(\text{radians} = \text{degrees} \times \frac{\pi}{180}\).
First, convert the given angle from degrees and minutes to decimal degrees. Since 1 minute is \(\frac{1}{60}\) of a degree, convert 10' to degrees by calculating \(10 \times \frac{1}{60}\).
Add this decimal value to the degrees part: \(139 + \frac{10}{60}\) to get the total degrees in decimal form.
Now, multiply the decimal degrees by \(\frac{\pi}{180}\) to convert the angle to radians: \(\left(139 + \frac{10}{60}\right) \times \frac{\pi}{180}\).
If required, use a calculator to approximate the value of \(\pi\) and perform the multiplication, then round the result to the nearest thousandth.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Degree to Radian Conversion

Degrees and radians are two units for measuring angles. To convert degrees to radians, multiply the degree measure by π/180. This conversion is essential because radians are the standard unit in many trigonometric calculations.
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Converting Minutes to Decimal Degrees

Angle measurements often include minutes (') where 1 degree equals 60 minutes. To convert minutes to decimal degrees, divide the minutes by 60 and add this to the degree value. This step ensures the angle is expressed as a decimal degree before converting to radians.
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Rounding to the Nearest Thousandth

After converting to radians, the result may be an irrational number. Rounding to the nearest thousandth means keeping three decimal places, which balances precision and simplicity for practical use in calculations or reporting.
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