Enter the lead and mean diameter of a helix or screw into the calculator. The calculator will display the lead angle of the helix.
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Lead Angle Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the lead angle of a helix or screw.
LA = arctan (L/PI*D)
- Where LA is the lead angle
- L is the lead
- D is the mean diameter of the helix
To calculate a lead angle, take the lead divided by pi, then multiply by the diameter. Finally, take the arc tangent of this result.
Lead Angle Definition
A lead angle is defined as the angle between a thread and the plane of rotation the thread sits on. This can also be applied to helixes.
How to calculate lead angle?
How to calculate a lead angle
- First, measure the lead of the helix
The lead of the helix is the axial distance traveled during one complete turn along a helix or screw thread. Measure this is whichever is your preferred unit, just make sure the units are consistent.
- Next, measure the mean diameter
This is the average diameter of the helix, usually taken through measure the total diameter and dividing by two.
- Finally, calculate the lead angle
Enter the information from steps 1 and 2 into the equation above to calculate the lead angle.
FAQ
A lead angle is defined as the angle between the helix or thread and the plane of rotation. The plane of rotation is most often considered the axial plane.
A thread is a type of physical structure used to hold screws in place when assembled. It’s a helical type structure that revolves around a cylinder and moves down along the axial length.

