How to Convert Radians to Degrees in Excel

Radians and degrees are units of angle. One turn around a circle (360°) is equal to 2π radians.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to convert radians to degrees in Excel using a function and a formula.

Convert Using the DEGREES Function

The DEGREES function takes an angle (in radians) and converts it into degrees. The syntax of the DEGREES function is as follows:

=DEGREES(angle_radians)

Let’s see examples of how the function works. In a blank cell write the following formula:

=DEGREES(0.35)

Example of 20 radians to degrees

The result is 20.05352. This means that 0.35 radians are equal to around 20 degrees.

You can also use a cell name inside the DEGREES function.

=DEGREES(A2)

Below are more examples of the function:

Radians to degrees examples with DEGREES function

Convert Using the PI Formula

Instead of using the DEGREES function, you can directly use the formula for converting radians into degrees. The formula goes like this:

= angle_radians * 180 / PI()

Let me explain the formula. To convert radians to degrees, you need to multiply the angle in radians by 180 and divide it by pi, which is a mathematical constant (π = 3.14159265359…). The pi number can be used in Excel through the PI() function.

Let’s apply this formula to a single angle:

=0.35 * 180 /PI()

Example of 20 radians to degrees with the formula

When we convert 0.35 into degrees, the result is 20.05352, which is consistent with the output we got when we used the DEGREES function.

You can also apply this formula to multiple cells. Firstly, write the formula for an initial cell:

Write rad to deg formula for a cell

Then, click on the small rectangle in the lower right corner of the cell, and drag it downward.

Apply formula to multiple cells

This way, the formula will be applied to multiple cells with the help of auto-fill:

Rad to deg formula applied to multiple cells

And now, we learned how to convert radians to degrees using the DEGREES function and a mathematical formula. Nicely done!

Feel free to check on these articles as well to learn more about how to convert other kinds of numbers in Excel.

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