Quadrant to Gradian Converter

A quadrant is a unit of angular measurement equal to 1/4 of a full rotation, or 90 degrees. It represents one of the four equal sections created when a circle is divided by perpendicular diameters.

The quadrant concept dates back to ancient geometry and astronomy, where circles were naturally divided into four equal parts. The term comes from the Latin 'quadrans' meaning 'fourth part'. Quadrants were fundamental in early navigation instruments and astronomical observations.

Quadrants are used in coordinate geometry for describing the four sections of the Cartesian plane, in navigation for general directional references, and in some engineering applications. They're also used in describing rotational positions in mechanical systems and in some educational contexts for teaching angle concepts.

A gradian (grad), also called a gon, is a unit of angular measurement where a full rotation is divided into 400 gradians. One gradian equals 1/400 of a complete circle, making a right angle equal to 100 gradians.

The gradian was introduced during the French Revolution as part of the metric system around 1795. It was designed to decimalize angle measurement, making calculations easier by using base-10 arithmetic. The system was promoted alongside other metric reforms but never achieved widespread adoption outside of surveying.

Gradians are primarily used in surveying and some European engineering applications. They're particularly common in land surveying in France, Germany, and other parts of Europe. Some surveying instruments and software support gradian measurements, though degrees remain more common globally.