if the length of an arc of a circle is 44 inches and the radius is 12 inches, then what is the degree measure of the central angle to the nearest tenth of a degree

1 answer

To find the degree measure of the central angle corresponding to an arc length, we can use the formula for the length of an arc:

\[ L = r \theta \]

where:

  • \(L\) is the length of the arc,
  • \(r\) is the radius of the circle, and
  • \(\theta\) is the central angle in radians.

We can rearrange this formula to solve for \(\theta\):

\[ \theta = \frac{L}{r} \]

Given:

  • \(L = 44\) inches,
  • \(r = 12\) inches.

Substituting the given values:

\[ \theta = \frac{44}{12} = \frac{11}{3} \text{ radians} \]

To convert radians to degrees, we use the conversion factor \( \frac{180^\circ}{\pi} \):

\[ \theta_{degrees} = \theta \times \frac{180^\circ}{\pi} \]

Substituting \(\theta = \frac{11}{3}\):

\[ \theta_{degrees} = \frac{11}{3} \times \frac{180^\circ}{\pi} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ \theta_{degrees} \approx \frac{11 \times 180}{3 \times 3.14159} \approx \frac{1980}{9.42477} \approx 210.3^\circ \]

Therefore, the degree measure of the central angle, rounded to the nearest tenth of a degree, is \(210.3^\circ\).