A 38° 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 52°.
38° is 19/180 of a full circle, or 19π/90 radians. If you face north and turn 38° clockwise, you end up facing between NNE and NE (closest to northeast (NE)).
38° angle facts
| Angle type | Acute angle (between 0° and 90°) |
|---|---|
| Complement (adds to 90°) | 52° |
| Supplement (adds to 180°) | 142° |
| Explement (adds to 360°) | 322° |
| Radians | 19π/90 ≈ 0.663225 |
| Gradians | 42.2222 grad |
| Fraction of a turn | 19/180 (10.56%) |
| Degrees, minutes, seconds | 38° 0′ 0″ |
| Slope (grade) | 78.13% |
| Roof pitch | 9.38/12 |
| Compass bearing | between NNE and NE (closest to northeast (NE)) |
Trigonometric values of 38°
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| sin 38° | 0.615661 |
| cos 38° | 0.788011 |
| tan 38° | 0.781286 |
38° on a protractor
How to draw a 38° 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 38° 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 38°.
Drawing it a 38° 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 7.81 inches (about 7 13/16″) up that line and make a mark.
- Join the mark to the vertex. The angle at the vertex is 38°, because tan 38° ≈ 0.7813.
Where you see 38° angles
- "52/38" crown molding sits at 38° to the wall and 52° to the ceiling.
- A board sloped at 38° rises about 93.8 inches over a 10-foot (120-inch) run.
- 38° of latitude on Earth spans roughly 2,624 miles north to south.
- The Earth turns 38° on its axis in about 2 h 32 min.
Related angles
38° angle FAQ
What type of angle is 38°?
A 38° angle is an acute angle, because it is between 0° and 90°.
What are the complement and supplement of 38°?
The complement of 38° is 52° (together they make 90°), and the supplement is 142° (together they make 180°).
How many radians is 38 degrees?
38° = 19π/90 radians ≈ 0.6632 rad. To convert degrees to radians, multiply by π/180: 38 × π/180 = 19π/90.
What is 38° as a slope or roof pitch?
38° is a 78.1% slope, which is a roof pitch of 9.38/12 (a rise of about 9 3/8 inches for every 12 inches of run).
