Tableau Function: DEGREES

Tableau Function: DEGREE

Category: Number Functions

The DEGREES() function in Tableau converts an angle measured in radians into degrees.

It’s a mathematical function primarily used to make angular data more interpretable by converting the radian measure — commonly used in trigonometric functions — into the more familiar degree format (0° to 360°).

Purpose

The DEGREES() function helps users translate or present trigonometric outputs in degrees, which are easier to understand in most real-world applications such as navigation, geometry, physics, and spatial analytics.

It’s particularly useful when working with Tableau trigonometric functions that return results in radians, allowing conversion for visualization or analysis in degrees.

Type of Calculation

DEGREES() performs a unit conversion calculation from radians to degrees using the mathematical formula:

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Practical Use Cases

• Displaying angles in a readable format (e.g., for dashboards showing rotation, bearings, or direction).

• Converting radian results from trigonometric functions like ATAN(), ACOS(), or ASIN() into degrees.

• Analyzing circular or periodic data, such as sensor or orbital data.

• Geospatial modeling, converting radians (used internally by systems) to degrees for coordinate work.

• Creating educational visualizations to help compare radians vs. degrees.

How It Works?

The DEGREES() function uses a simple mathematical transformation to convert radians to degrees:

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For example:

This conversion makes trigonometric outputs (which Tableau always returns in radians) more interpretable.

What Does It Return?

• Type: Numeric (floating-point)

• Meaning: Returns the angle in degrees equivalent to the given radians.

• The output range depends on the input but typically falls between 0° and 360° for one full rotation.

When Should We Use It?

Use the DEGREES() function when:

• You need to convert trigonometric outputs (like from ACOS(), ATAN(), or ASIN()) into degrees.

• You are working with angles, bearings, or rotations that must be expressed in degrees.

• You are preparing reports or visualizations for users unfamiliar with radians.

• You’re modeling circular or cyclical data and need degree-based intervals (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, etc.).

Basic Usage

Result: 90
Explanation: Converts π/2 radians into 90 degrees.

Column Usage

This converts every radian value in the [Angle (radians)] column to degrees for display or further analysis.

Example:
If [Angle (radians)] = 3.1416, Tableau returns 180.

Advanced Usage

Convert a calculated trigonometric value into degrees:

This returns the angle of a line or vector in degrees instead of radians — useful in geometric or directional analysis.

Example – Polar to Cartesian Conversion (reverse):

Tips and Tricks

• Use DEGREES() to make trigonometric results more readable to non-technical audiences.
• Combine with RADIANS() when you need two-way conversion.
• Works well with Tableau functions like ATAN2() for angle-based visualization.
• Remember: Trigonometric inputs and outputs in Tableau are always in radians.
• Avoid using on non-numeric fields — this will result in null or error outputs.

Related Functions You Might Need

• RADIANS(number) – Converts degrees to radians (inverse of DEGREES()).

• ATAN(number) – Returns the arctangent in radians.

• ACOS(number) – Returns the arccosine in radians.

• ASIN(number) – Returns the arcsine in radians.

• COS(number) – Cosine function (input must be in radians).

• SIN(number) – Sine function (input must be in radians).

We’ve got plenty of resources to help you master Tableau functions. For more details, check out the official Tableau documentation. Or, if you’re ready for more practice, let’s dive into related functions and build your Tableau skills further!

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