A 17° angle is classed as acute because it measures less than 90°. It is less than half of a right angle, and its complement (the angle that makes 90° with it) is 73°.
17° is 17/360 of a full circle, or 17π/180 radians. If you face north and turn 17° clockwise, you end up facing between N and NNE (closest to north-northeast (NNE)).
17° angle facts
| Angle type | Acute angle (between 0° and 90°) |
|---|---|
| Complement (adds to 90°) | 73° |
| Supplement (adds to 180°) | 163° |
| Explement (adds to 360°) | 343° |
| Radians | 17π/180 ≈ 0.296706 |
| Gradians | 18.8889 grad |
| Fraction of a turn | 17/360 (4.72%) |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds | 17° 0′ 0″ |
| Slope (grade) | 30.57% |
| Roof pitch | 3.67/12 |
| Compass bearing | between N and NNE (closest to north-northeast (NNE)) |
Trigonometric values of 17°
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| sin 17° | 0.292372 |
| cos 17° | 0.956305 |
| tan 17° | 0.305731 |
17° on a protractor
How to draw a 17° 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 17° 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 17°.
Drawing it a 17° angle without a protractor (rise and run method)
- 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 3.06 inches (about 3 1/16″) up that line and make a mark.
- Join the mark to the vertex. The angle at the vertex is 17°, because tan 17° ≈ 0.3057.
Where you see 17° angles
- A board sloped at 17° rises about 36.7 inches over a 10-foot (120-inch) run.
- 17° of latitude on Earth spans roughly 1,174 miles north to south.
- The Earth turns 17° on its axis in about 1 h 8 min.
- Narrow acute angles like 17° show up in ramps, roof slopes, scissors blades, the tip of a pencil and the V of a flying flock of birds.
Related angles
17° angle FAQ
What type of angle is 17°?
A 17° angle is an acute angle, because it is between 0° and 90°.
What are the complement and supplement of 17°?
The complement of 17° is 73° (together they make 90°), and the supplement is 163° (together they make 180°).
How many radians is 17 degrees?
17° = 17π/180 radians ≈ 0.2967 rad. To convert degrees to radians, multiply by π/180: 17 × π/180 = 17π/180.
What is 17° as a slope or roof pitch?
17° is a 30.6% slope, which is a roof pitch of 3.67/12 (a rise of about 3 5/8 inches for every 12 inches of run).
