Degrees, Minutes, Seconds, and Decimals. There are two different ways we can use degrees. One is a. decimal measure, such as 24.5 degrees. The other is in degrees, minutes, and seconds, such as 24 degrees 30 minutes. As imagined, decimal degrees are useful when we are using a calculator. Degrees, minutes, and seconds are used for things like latitude and longitude. on topographic maps. Minutes and seconds in degrees work similarly to minutes and.