Radians to Degrees Calculator

Direct answer

Multiply the entered radians value by 57.2957795131 to express it in degrees (°). This converts radian (rad) to degree (°) within the documented angle family.

Variables and formula

• Radians (rad): the source value measured in radian.
• Degrees (°): the same quantity expressed in degree.
• Conversion factor: 57.2957795131 degrees per radian.

Degrees = Radians × 57.2957795131

The generator emits numeric factors with at most 15 significant digits. Calculator results keep up to 10 significant digits for display; this formatting does not increase the precision of the measurement.

Unit definitions and named variants

Source unit: radian (rad). The radian is the coherent SI unit for plane angle. One radian is the angle subtended by an arc equal in length to the radius; equivalently, a right angle is π/2 rad and 1 rad = 180/π degrees. Named variant used: Coherent SI unit of plane angle; rad can also name the obsolete absorbed-dose unit in unrelated contexts. Reference: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures: The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, version 4.01.

Target unit: degree (°). The degree is a long-standing non-SI plane-angle unit with the exact relation 1° = π/180 rad; a full turn is 360°. Named variant used: Degree of plane or phase angle; not degree Celsius or degree Fahrenheit. Reference: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures: The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, version 4.01; National Institute of Standards and Technology: NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically.

The rad-to-° direction remains inside the angle quantity; it changes the unit label and numerical scale, not the kind of quantity being measured.

Relationship and precision

This route uses at least one deliberately preserved rounded factor. Treat the displayed factor as an approximation at the precision documented below.

• rad relationship: The exact degree factor is 180/π ≈ 57.29577951308232. The preserved baseFactor 57.2957795131 is rounded and is about 1.77×10⁻¹¹ degree higher per radian.
• ° relationship: The base factor is exactly 1 by the family base-unit choice. Conversion to radians involves π and therefore has no finite decimal expansion.

To audit the factor through the family base unit, divide the raw dataset factors 57.2957795131 by 1. The generator emits that quotient once at 15 significant digits as the canonical direct factor 57.2957795131; runtime calculations do not divide the already-emitted base factors again.

Reproducible example

For 10 radians, 10 × 57.2957795131 = 572.957795131 degrees. Repeating the same multiplication with the stated factor reproduces the displayed conversion before interface rounding.

Directional scale check

Because one radian contains 57.2957795131 degrees, the target number is larger than the source number for every positive input. Zero maps to zero, while negative inputs are preserved as signed values under the stated direction convention.

Interpretation

Read the result as degrees, not radians. A value entered as rad leaves the calculator labelled °; this directional distinction matters even when the two units describe the same angle quantity.

Assumptions and limitations

• Negative radians are supported and represent the opposite rotational direction under the user’s convention.
• Radian and degree are explicitly distinct: one right angle is π/2 rad and 90°, so 1 rad = 180/π degrees and 1° = π/180 rad.
• Signed values are supported, but positive/negative rotational direction depends on the user’s coordinate convention.

Common mistakes

• The angle unit radian is distinct from the obsolete radiation absorbed-dose unit named rad.
• The degree symbol alone denotes angle here; °C and °F are temperature units.

Continue within the Angle family

See the Angle conversion hub for its five-unit reference table and all 20 directed routes.

• Reverse the direction: Degrees to Radians
• Compare another angle route: Radians to Gradians
• Compare another angle route: Radians to Turns
• Compare another angle route: Radians to Arcminutes
• Compare another angle route: Degrees to Gradians

Assumptions

• The entered value uses radians exactly as labelled.
• Negative radians are supported and represent the opposite rotational direction under the user's convention.
• Rounding and measurement uncertainty remain the user's responsibility.

Sources and methodology

CalcMotive publishes the formula and assumptions so you can decide whether the estimate fits your use case. See our methodology standards.

• The International System of Units (SI), 9th edition, version 4.01; Bureau International des Poids et Mesures; accessed Aug 7, 2026
• NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically; National Institute of Standards and Technology; accessed Aug 7, 2026