course
i don't understand the DMS notation thing. how do you get the decimal degree notation without the use of the calculator?
A degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds. So there are 60 minutes, or 3600 seconds, in a degree.
If you are given the degrees, minutes and seconds, then divide the minutes by 60 to get the number of degrees in the minutes, and divide the seconds by 3600 to get the number of degrees in the seconds. Then add up the two results.
This will give you the decimal number of degrees contained in the minutes and seconds.
Then just add this decimal to the number of degrees.
For example for 50 deg, 40 min and 30 sec you would get
40 / 60 deg + 30 / 3600 deg = .6667 deg + .0083 deg = .6850 deg, so the total angle would be
50.6850 deg.