hp calculators

HP 9s Converting Angles and Times

Angle Measurements

Time Measurements

Practice Solving Problems Involving Angles and Times

HP 9s Converting Angles and Times

Angle measurements

The amount of turning between two rays with a common origin, or the measure of change of direction, is what we call an
angle. Angles cannot be measured in meters or yards. As measures of the amount of turning, we use degrees, radians
and grads.

A degree is one 360th of a complete turn and its symbol is º. Just like a meter which has
multiples and submultiples (e.g. kilometer, millimeter, etc), degrees are broken down into
minutes and seconds. The minute (‘) is one sixtieth of a degree, and the second (‘‘) is one
sixtieth of a minute. The radian is defined as the angle subtended by an arc of a circle of length
equal to its radius (see figure 1). Its symbol is C (but this symbol is not widely used). Note that
the counterclockwise direction of turning is taken to be positive. Grads are a measure of angle
equal to one hundredth of a right angle. Grads are also known as gradians and grades. Angle
units can be easily converted since:

2π radians = 360 degrees = 400 gra ds

It is important to understand that there are two ways of expressing an angle in degrees: using decimal degrees and
using degrees, minutes and seconds. In decimal degrees, an angle is simply given as 33.5 degrees, that is to say, 33
degrees and a half. In the degrees, minutes, seconds (or DMS) format, the same angle is 33 degrees, 30 minutes.

The HP 9s can work with angles in either measurement system and provides the DRG→ function (~x) to convert
between them. It also provides G and ~g which are useful in converting between the two formats of angles in
degrees.

Time measurements

As units of time, a minute is equal to 60 seconds and a second (abbreviated as s) is the fundamental unit of time in the
SI system. Since an hour has 60 minutes, a useful application of the conversion between decimal degrees and DMS
angles is that the exact same conversion can also work for time. A measurement of 10.5 hours can be converted into 10
hours and 30 minutes by the same process by which an angle of 10.5 degrees can be converted into 10 degrees, 30
minutes (i.e. using the same function, ~g).

Practice solving problems involving angles and times

Example 1: Convert an angle of 25 degrees into radians.

Solution: Like many other calculators, the HP 9s operates in an angle mode that the user should specify before
doing certain calculations such as trigonometric functions and coordinate conversions. Such mode can be
selected by pressing the X key. Press X as many times as needed until the desired angle unit
annunciator is lit. In this case, let’s select DEG mode. Key in the angle value: 2.5 (the angle unit
can be set before, while, or after keying in the quantity). To express this angle in radians, simply press
~x. The angle mode is now RAD and the number in the display is converted into radians.

Answer: 0.436332313 radians.

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HP 9s Converting Angles and Times

Example 2: Convert 25º into grads.

Solution: Since the display already shows 25º (expressed in radians) from the previous example, just press
~x once again! As simple as that. The angle mode is GRAD, and the angle in radians displayed
when the DRG-> key was pressed is converted into grads.

Answer: 27.77777778 grads.

2π
Example 3: Convert an angle of radians into decimal degrees.
3
Solution: The current mode is assumed to be GRAD. Let’s key in 2π 3 radians:

2*~a/3XX

To convert this angle into degrees press:

~x~x

Answer: 120º

Example 4: Add 120º to 4.1r and express the result in both decimal degrees and in the DMS format.

Solution: To add angles on the HP 9s, they must be expressed in the same angle unit . 120º is already shown in the
display, so let’s add 4.1 radians converted into degress:

+4.1X~x~x\

It returns the sum expressed in decimal degrees. To express this number in the DMS format, press
~g.

Answer: 354.912696 or 354º 54’ 45’’

Example 5: Convert an angle of 2.3714 degrees into DMS.

Solution: Simply press:

2.3714 2nd ->º’ ‘’

In this case, the angle unit does not need to be set to degrees first, because ~g already assumes
the argument is expressed in degrees.

Answer: 2º 22’ 17 ’’04. Note that seconds are expressed in decimal format (i.e. 17.04 .seconds)

Example 6: Convert an angle of 0.43 radians into DMS.

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HP 9s Converting Angles and Times

Solution: Let’s key in 0.43 radians:

.43X

Now the display reads 0.43 and RAD is lit. Let’s try pressing ~g directly: RAD is still the angle mode
and the display reads 0º25’48’’. This is not 0.43 radians expressed in DMS (i.e. in degrees, minutes and
seconds), but 0.43 decimal degrees expressed in DMS format, because the G and the ~g
functions are not affected by the current angle mode – they always work in degrees. So, we have to
convert 0.43 into degrees first, and then this value can be expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds:

.43~x~x~g

Answer: 24º 38’ 13’’8

Example 7: Convert an angle of 118º 27’ 59’’ into decimal degrees.

Solution: How can we enter the angle 118º 27’ 59’’ ? Simply keying in the given number, just remember that to enter
the º and ‘ symbols, you must press the G key:

118G27G59G

After the second G is pressed, the partial result 118.45 (= 118º 27’) is displayed.

Answer: 118.4663889º. The angular mode is irrelevant in this example, because the G key always assumes that
its argument is in degrees.

Example 8: Add 5 hours 33 minutes to 3 hours 58 minutes.

Solution: Remember that time measurements can be calculated using angle functions. This calculation is equivalent
to: (5º33'+3º58' ) →º ‘ ‘’

5G33G+3G58G\~g

Answer: 9 hours and 31 minutes.

Note. It is important to bear in mind the fact that the current angular unit is always indicated by the angular unit
annunciator. Even though ~g returns numbers such as 30º 30’ 0’’, the trigonometric functions will keep working in
the current angle mode. For example, if the angular mode is set to RAD and the display reads 30º 30’ 0’’, pressing C
will return –0.793127239, that is: the sine of 30.5 radians.

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