How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms

 Posted on April 19, 2023  |  2 minutes  |  368 words  |  Trudie Dory

Have you found yourself trying to locate your location on a map on Google Earth, but found the location points to be in decimal form? So you can find your location(found from a paper map) on a digital map, you'll need to convert it. This...

Method 1 of 2:

Degrees, Minutes, (no seconds) to Decimal Form

  • Picture 1 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms Obtain the number of minutes on top of 0 the object is. If the item is located at 35 degrees AND 2 minutes write down 35* 2' .
  • Be sure to write down a decimal point (.) to the right of the degrees portion you wrote on the one side of the paper.
  • Picture 2 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms

    Divide that number of minutes you obtained by 60.

  • Picture 3 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms Take the answer you obtained above (after dividing by 60) and write this portion of the answer to the right of the decimal point, to obtain your final answer.
  • Be sure to mention your units, which, as the answer to this problem signifies, should be degrees, and, if this problem is a vector unit, display the direction in which the item is found at.

    • Method 2 of 2:

    Degree, Minutes, Seconds to Degree and Decimal (Only) Form

  • Picture 4 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms

    Write down your units for the degree portion of your answer, followed by a decimal point. Include your units. If the item is located at 33 degrees 15 minutes 2 seconds, you'll need to write down 33 degrees.

  • Picture 5 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms

    Write down to the right of the degrees form, the number of minutes obtained. The problem stated in the step above, is 15 minutes. So, so far this decimal answer should represent "33 degrees 15.(something) units". (See above, when the top just had minutes without seconds stated.)

  • Picture 6 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms

    Obtain and divide the number of seconds the object is located at by sixty.In the example a few steps above, the object was located at 2 seconds, so divide this number by 60.take the number of seconds you obtained in the problem(2) by 60.

  • Picture 7 of How to Convert Latitude and Longitude Units from Degrees to Decimal Forms Write down your answer to the right of the minutes portion you earlier write down.
  • Be sure to include your units, which for this problem, should then be degrees. If this unit is a vector quantity, include the direction.
    • Lesley Montoya Lesley Montoya

    Update 24 March 2020

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