| You would not hear even a fourth standard child | | | | are only 360 and not more. Perhaps one of the |
| asking " how many degrees in a circle?" It is a widely | | | | reasons is that 360 degrees matched nicely with the |
| known simple fact that circles have 360 degrees. Yet | | | | Babylonian system of base-60 numbers and it can be |
| most of the people do not have any idea where they | | | | divided by several numbers like 2, 6, 20, 25, 20, 30, 60, |
| come from or why there are 360 degrees in the circle. | | | | 90, and 120 etc. |
| One just remembers the number and this creates | | | | Earth's orbit system has contributed substantially to the |
| enormous confusion while studying advanced | | | | rise of 360 degrees in a circle theory. Had it been |
| mathematics or physics with radians, angles, and | | | | different, the degrees could have been different as |
| degrees. | | | | well. For instance; in Mars the circle would have around |
| Experts often contend that radians make it easier, but | | | | 680 degrees basing on its orbital pattern. |
| do not explain the reason. Ancient civilizations used | | | | Degrees are also used to measure angles. When one |
| astronomy for marking the seasons as well as to | | | | tilt's his head, it is the degree that determines the |
| appease the God. Yet existence of 360 degrees in a | | | | extent of the tilt. On the other hand, the radians |
| circle is as unique as 365 days in a year. Both have | | | | measures angles on the basis of degrees. Radius of |
| reasons and one has to appreciate them. | | | | the circle is used to give normalized angle. Radians are |
| It is the constellations that make a circle every day. | | | | distance traveled divided by radius. Circles usually have |
| When one looks at the same time every day during | | | | 2pi radians and thus a radian would be 360/2*pi that |
| the midnight to the constellations, they will end up | | | | would be equivalent to 57.3 degrees. |
| making a circle around the year. Since humans noticed | | | | Like Babylonians the earlier Greeks based their |
| that the constellations move full circle every year, they | | | | trigonometry on chords of the circle. Chords equal to |
| also found that the constellations are off by a tiny bit | | | | the radius made the natural base quantity. Six such |
| or a degree every day. Since the year usually has | | | | chords completed the full circle. Multiplying each natural |
| 360days, the circle too has 360 degrees. | | | | base quantity of 60 calculates to 360 degrees. |
| But in reality a year has 365 days, however degrees | | | | That is why the circles have 360 degrees. |