About Centiradians
Centiradians, also known as centrad, are a unit of angular measurement commonly used in mathematics and engineering. As the name suggests, a centiradian is equal to one-hundredth of a radian, which is the standard unit for measuring angles in the International System of Units (SI).
The centiradian is a convenient unit for expressing small angles, especially when dealing with precise measurements or calculations. A full circle is divided into 2π radians, which means that there are approximately 6283 centiradians in a complete revolution.
Centiradians of degrees are often used in fields such as optics, where small angles are frequently encountered. For example, when discussing the angular resolution of a telescope or the field of view of a camera lens, centiradians provide a more precise measurement than degrees. Additionally, they are commonly used in trigonometry and calculus, where angles are often expressed in radians but need to be converted to degrees for practical applications.
About US WW2 Milliradians
During World War II, milliradians (mils) and radians played a crucial role in various military operations. Milliradians are a unit of angular measurement commonly used in artillery and long-range shooting. They are derived from the concept of a radian, which is the angle subtended at the center of a circle by an arc equal in length to the radius of the circle. A milliradian is equal to one-thousandth of a radian, making it a more precise unit for measuring small angles.
In the context of World War II, milliradians were used extensively by artillery units to calculate the elevation and azimuth angles required to accurately hit targets at long distances. Artillery gunners would use specialized instruments, such as the M2A2 aiming circle, to measure the angle between the target and the gun. By converting this angle into milliradians, gunners could then adjust the elevation and direction of the gun to ensure accurate fire. This was particularly important in situations where targets were located far away or obscured by terrain, as milliradians allowed for precise adjustments to be made, increasing the chances of hitting the target successfully.
There are 4,000 US WW2 milliradians in a full circle.