At 256°, this is a reflex angle, which goes more than halfway around a circle. It is the "outside" of a 104° angle: together they make a full 360° circle.
256° is 32/45 of a full circle, or 64π/45 radians. If you face north and turn 256° clockwise, you end up facing between WSW and W (closest to west-southwest (WSW)).
256° angle facts
| Angle type | Reflex angle (between 180° and 360°) |
|---|---|
| Explement (adds to 360°) | 104° |
| Radians | 64π/45 ≈ 4.468043 |
| Gradians | 284.4444 grad |
| Fraction of a turn | 32/45 (71.11%) |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds | 256° 0′ 0″ |
| Compass bearing | between WSW and W (closest to west-southwest (WSW)) |
Trigonometric values of 256°
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| sin 256° | −0.970296 |
| cos 256° | −0.241922 |
| tan 256° | 4.010781 |
256° on a protractor
How to draw a 256° angle with a protractor
- Subtract from 360°: 360° − 256° = 104°. 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 104°.
- Join the vertex to the dot. The inside angle is 104°; the outside angle, going the long way around, is 256°. Draw the angle arc on the outside and label it 256°.
- With a 360° protractor you can skip the subtraction: put 0° on your first line and mark 256° directly.
Drawing it a 256° angle without a protractor (rise and run method)
- 256° = 180° − 76°. Draw a straight line, pick a vertex on it, and build a 76° angle on one side as follows; the angle on the other side of the new line is 104°.
- Draw a straight baseline and measure 2.49 inches (about 2 1/2″) 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 76°, because tan 76° ≈ 4.0108.
- That gives you 104°. The outside (reflex) angle is 256°.
Where you see 256° angles
- The Earth turns 256° on its axis in about 17 h 4 min.
- A 256° 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
256° angle FAQ
What type of angle is 256°?
A 256° angle is a reflex angle, because it is between 180° and 360°.
Does a 256° angle have a complement or supplement?
No. Complements add up to 90° and supplements to 180°, and 256° is already larger than both. What it does have is an explement (conjugate) of 104°, the angle that completes a full 360° circle.
How many radians is 256 degrees?
256° = 64π/45 radians ≈ 4.468 rad. To convert degrees to radians, multiply by π/180: 256 × π/180 = 64π/45.
How do I measure a 256° angle on my screen?
Open the online protractor with 256° preset, or type 256 into its "Type an angle" box. You can then drag the arms onto your own lines to compare.
