Arcminute to Turn Converter

An arcminute (′) is a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/60 of a degree. It provides finer precision than degrees for measuring small angles, particularly useful in astronomy and navigation.

Arcminutes developed from the Babylonian base-60 system, where each degree was subdivided into 60 minutes. The term 'minute' comes from the Latin 'pars minuta prima' meaning 'first small part'. This subdivision system has been used in astronomy and navigation for over 2,000 years.

Arcminutes are extensively used in astronomy for measuring celestial object positions and separations, in surveying for precise land measurements, and in navigation for GPS coordinates. They're also used in optics for measuring angular resolution and in artillery for targeting calculations.

A turn is a unit of angular measurement representing one complete rotation or revolution, equal to 360 degrees or 2π radians. It represents the most fundamental concept of rotational measurement.

The concept of a complete turn or revolution has been understood since ancient times, but its formal use as a unit of measurement became more common in modern mathematics and engineering. It provides an intuitive way to express rotational quantities without conversion factors.

Turns are used in mechanical engineering for describing rotational speed (revolutions per minute), in computer graphics for rotation transformations, and in some mathematical contexts where full rotations are more natural than degrees or radians. They're also used in describing gear ratios and motor specifications.