At 160°, this is an obtuse angle, opened up past a square corner but not yet flat. Its supplement is 20°, so a 160° angle and a 20° angle side by side make a straight line.
160° is 4/9 of a full circle, or 8π/9 radians. If you face north and turn 160° clockwise, you end up facing between SSE and S (closest to south-southeast (SSE)).
160° angle facts
| Angle type | Obtuse angle (between 90° and 180°) |
|---|---|
| Supplement (adds to 180°) | 20° |
| Explement (adds to 360°) | 200° |
| Radians | 8π/9 ≈ 2.792527 |
| Gradians | 177.7778 grad |
| Fraction of a turn | 4/9 (44.44%) |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds | 160° 0′ 0″ |
| Compass bearing | between SSE and S (closest to south-southeast (SSE)) |
Trigonometric values of 160°
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| sin 160° | 0.34202 |
| cos 160° | −0.939693 |
| tan 160° | −0.36397 |
160° on a protractor
How to draw a 160° angle with a protractor
- Draw a straight line with a ruler. This is the first arm; mark the vertex at one end.
- Place the center mark of the protractor exactly on the vertex and line up the 0° baseline with your line.
- Find 160° on the row of numbers that reads 0° on your line (protractors have two rows running in opposite directions) and make a small dot at the edge.
- Remove the protractor and draw a line from the vertex through the dot. Mark the angle with an arc and label it 160°.
Drawing it a 160° angle without a protractor (rise and run method)
- 160° = 180° − 20°. Draw a straight line, pick a vertex on it, and build a 20° angle on one side as follows; the angle on the other side of the new line is 160°.
- Draw a straight baseline and measure exactly 10 inches along it from the vertex.
- At the 10-inch mark, draw a short line straight up at 90° (use a carpenter's square or the corner of a sheet of paper).
- Measure 3.64 inches (about 3 5/8″) up that line and make a mark.
- Join the mark to the vertex. The angle at the vertex is 20°, because tan 20° ≈ 0.364.
Where you see 160° angles
- Each interior corner of a regular 18-sided polygon measures 160°.
- The Earth turns 160° on its axis in about 10 h 40 min.
- Obtuse angles like 160° appear in reclining chair backs, open laptop screens, fan blades, and the corners of many-sided polygons.
Related angles
160° angle FAQ
What type of angle is 160°?
A 160° angle is an obtuse angle, because it is between 90° and 180°.
What is the supplement of 160°?
The supplement of 160° is 20°, because 160° + 20° = 180°. A 160° angle has no complement, because it is already larger than 90°.
How many radians is 160 degrees?
160° = 8π/9 radians ≈ 2.7925 rad. To convert degrees to radians, multiply by π/180: 160 × π/180 = 8π/9.
How do I measure a 160° angle on my screen?
Open the online protractor with 160° preset, or type 160 into its "Type an angle" box. You can then drag the arms onto your own lines to compare.
