Problem 67 - Precalculus : Building Concepts and Connections

Question

Convert each angle from radians to degrees. $$-\frac{2 \pi}{5}$$

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

-72 degrees

Step 1: Recall the conversion formula

To convert a radian measure to degrees, use the equivalent relationship between the two units: \(\pi\) radians equals 180 degrees. Therefore, the conversion formula is \(x\) degrees = \(x\) radians * \(\frac{180}{\pi}\).

Step 2: Substitute the given radian value into the conversion formula

Substitute \(-\frac{2 \pi}{5}\) for \(x\) in the conversion formula to get the degree measure. Therefore, \(\frac{-2 \pi}{5} * \frac{180}{\pi}\).

Step 3: Simplify the expression

The \(\pi\) in the numerator and the denominator cancel out, leading to \(-72\) degrees as the final result.

Key Concepts

Radian Measure

Understanding radian measure is essential to navigating the world of angles and trigonometry. A radian is a unit of angular measure used in mathematics to express angles. It is based on the radius of a circle; one radian is the angle made at the center of a circle by an arc whose length is equal to the radius of the circle.

Radians provide a more natural approach to angle measure in mathematics due to their close relationship with the circle. To put it in perspective, a full circle, which is 360 degrees, is equivalent to \(2\pi\) radians. This means that if you move along the circumference of a circle a distance equal to its radius, you've swept out an angle of one radian.

Degree Measure

Degree measure, on the other hand, is the more commonly known unit of angular measure and is often used in everyday applications such as geography, navigation, and simple geometry. One degree is defined as \(\frac{1}{360}\) of a full turn. This means that a full circle is divided into 360 equal parts, each part being one degree.

The familiar system of degrees, minutes, and seconds comes from the historical use of base-60 counting, and it's intuitive for people to work with because it offers a finer subdivision of the circle which can be more practical in many real-world situations. Though radians and degrees measure the same thing — angles — they use different scales, much like measuring distance in inches versus centimeters.

Conversion Formula

When it comes to converting between radians and degrees, the conversion formula is straightforward, but its underlying concept is crucial for students to grasp. This formula is rooted in the relationship that \(\pi\) radians is equal to 180 degrees. Thus, to convert radians to degrees, you multiply the radian value by \(\frac{180}{\pi}\). Conversely, to convert degrees to radians, you multiply the degree value by \(\frac{\pi}{180}\).

To demonstrate with the example from the exercise, we use the conversion formula to turn radians into degrees: Solve \( x \) degrees = \( x \) radians \(\times\) \(\frac{180}{\pi}\). Substituting the given value of \( -\frac{2 \pi}{5} \) radians into the formula, you'll see that the \(\pi\) terms cancel out, simplifying the arithmetic and yielding a solution of \( -72 \) degrees.

• Identify the radian value to be converted.
• Apply the conversion formula \( x \) degrees = \( x \) radians \(\times\) \(\frac{180}{\pi}\).
• Simplify the resulting expression to find the degree measurement.