Convert Turns to Gradians
Turns to gradians is the conversion you need when you count full rotations but your work uses gradians — surveying, or a calculator set to grad mode. A turn is one whole revolution, and one turn is exactly 400 gradians, so the gradian number always comes out much larger.
Turns to Gradians conversion table
| Turns (turn) | Gradians (grad) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 400 |
| 2 | 800 |
| 3 | 1,200 |
| 5 | 2,000 |
| 10 | 4,000 |
| 20 | 8,000 |
| 50 | 20,000 |
| 100 | 40,000 |
| 500 | 200,000 |
| 1,000 | 400,000 |
The formula
To convert turns to gradians, multiply the number of turns by 400:
gradians = turns × 400
A worked example
Say you have two full turns and want that in gradians:
2 × 400 = 800 gradians
So 2 turns is exactly 800 gradians.
Why the number is exact
A turn is the name for one full revolution around a circle, and the gradian was defined so that a full circle is exactly 400 gradians — which makes a right angle a round 100. Because the turn is the whole circle and the gradian is a fixed slice of that same circle, they line up cleanly: one turn is exactly 400 gradians, with nothing rounded away.
When you'll use it
Surveying and civil engineering, where gradians are common, or reading a scientific calculator switched into grad mode, when you're thinking in full turns.
Frequently asked questions
How many gradians are in a turn?
Exactly 400 gradians. The gradian was designed so that a full circle is 400 of them, and a turn is one full circle — a fixed, exact number.
What is a quarter turn in gradians?
A quarter turn is 100 gradians — a right angle. That neat round number is exactly why the gradian was created, since one full turn is exactly 400 gradians.
Is the turns to gradians conversion exact?
Yes. One turn is exactly 400 gradians by definition, so nothing is rounded — two turns is exactly 800 gradians, and so on.