At 253°, this is a reflex angle, which goes more than halfway around a circle. It is the "outside" of a 107° angle: together they make a full 360° circle.
253° is 253/360 of a full circle, or 253π/180 radians. If you face north and turn 253° clockwise, you end up facing between WSW and W (closest to west-southwest (WSW)).
253° angle facts
| Angle type | Reflex angle (between 180° and 360°) |
|---|---|
| Explement (adds to 360°) | 107° |
| Radians | 253π/180 ≈ 4.415683 |
| Gradians | 281.1111 grad |
| Fraction of a turn | 253/360 (70.28%) |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds | 253° 0′ 0″ |
| Compass bearing | between WSW and W (closest to west-southwest (WSW)) |
Trigonometric values of 253°
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| sin 253° | −0.956305 |
| cos 253° | −0.292372 |
| tan 253° | 3.270853 |
253° on a protractor
How to draw a 253° angle with a protractor
- Subtract from 360°: 360° − 253° = 107°. A standard protractor only goes to 180°, so you draw the smaller angle first.
- Draw a straight line with a ruler and mark the vertex at one end.
- Place the protractor's center mark on the vertex, line up the 0° baseline with your line, and make a dot at 107°.
- Join the vertex to the dot. The inside angle is 107°; the outside angle, going the long way around, is 253°. Draw the angle arc on the outside and label it 253°.
- With a 360° protractor you can skip the subtraction: put 0° on your first line and mark 253° directly.
Drawing it a 253° angle without a protractor (rise and run method)
- 253° = 180° − 73°. Draw a straight line, pick a vertex on it, and build a 73° angle on one side as follows; the angle on the other side of the new line is 107°.
- Draw a straight baseline and measure 3.06 inches (about 3 1/16″) along it from the vertex.
- At that mark, draw a line straight up at 90° and measure exactly 10 inches up it.
- Join the top mark to the vertex. The angle at the vertex is 73°, because tan 73° ≈ 3.2709.
- That gives you 107°. The outside (reflex) angle is 253°.
Where you see 253° angles
- The Earth turns 253° on its axis in about 16 h 52 min.
- A 253° reflex angle is what you measure when you go the "long way" around, like the outside corner of a building or a turn of more than half a circle.
Related angles
253° angle FAQ
What type of angle is 253°?
A 253° angle is a reflex angle, because it is between 180° and 360°.
Does a 253° angle have a complement or supplement?
No. Complements add up to 90° and supplements to 180°, and 253° is already larger than both. What it does have is an explement (conjugate) of 107°, the angle that completes a full 360° circle.
How many radians is 253 degrees?
253° = 253π/180 radians ≈ 4.4157 rad. To convert degrees to radians, multiply by π/180: 253 × π/180 = 253π/180.
How do I measure a 253° angle on my screen?
Open the online protractor with 253° preset, or type 253 into its "Type an angle" box. You can then drag the arms onto your own lines to compare.
