Degree symbol
Degree symbol
The degree symbol (°), Unicode U+00B0, is used to indicate a temperature reading on the Celsius or Fahrenheit scales or to indicate the angle of a geometric shape.
What does Degree symbol mean?
The degree symbol (°) is a typographical symbol used to indicate a Measure of temperature or an angle. In the context of temperature, it represents degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit, while in the context of angles, it represents degrees of arc.
The degree symbol is derived from the Latin word “gradus,” which means “step” or “degree.” In the early days of astronomy, angles were measured by dividing the circumference of a circle into 360 equal parts, each representing one degree. The degree symbol was originally used AS an abbreviation for “gradus,” and it has since become a standard way to represent degrees in both temperature and angle measurements.
Applications
The degree symbol has numerous applications in technology today. It is used in:
Temperature Measurement: The degree symbol is used to indicate the temperature of a substance. For Example, a temperature of 20°C indicates 20 degrees Celsius, while a temperature of 100°F indicates 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Angle Measurement: The degree symbol is used to indicate the measure of an angle. For example, an angle of 60° indicates an angle of 60 degrees.
Mathematics: The degree symbol is used in various mathematical calculations, such as trigonometry and geometry. For instance, the sine of a 30° angle is 0.5.
Engineering: The degree symbol is used in engineering applications, such as determining the angle of a slope or the curvature of a road.
History
The origin of the degree symbol can be traced back to ancient Greece. Greek astronomers divided the circumference of a circle into 360 equal parts, each representing one degree. This system of angle measurement was later adopted by the Romans, who used the term “gradus” to describe a degree.
The modern-day degree symbol was first introduced in the 16th century by the French mathematician Francois Viete. Viete used the symbol as an abbreviation for “gradus,” and it quickly gained popularity among other mathematicians and scientists.
Over the centuries, the degree symbol has become a ubiquitous symbol in both scientific and non-scientific contexts. It is used in a wide range of applications, from temperature measurement to angle measurement to mathematical calculations.