6.2.1: The Uses of a Clinometer

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6.2.1 The Uses of a Clinometer

• Many professions use clinometers. Some use the
  clinometer to measure heights while others use
  clinometers to measure the slope or gradient of
  an incline.
• The following are examples of some uses of
  clinometers.
•  

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Why Would Geologists and Surveyors Use
Clinometers?

• In their fieldwork, Geologists use clinometers to
  determine the height of an object (eg a tree or
  a mountain) by using the formula
• Height H D tanA
• where
• H height of the clinometer to the ground
• D distance of the clinometer to the object
• A angle taken from clinometer reading

Picture from http//www.ukge.co.uk/UK/product.asp
?numRecordPosition1P_ID256strPageHistorystrK
eywordsSearchForPT_ID133
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Why Would a Skier or Winter Hiker Want to Have a
Clinometer With Them?

• Skiers and winter hikers use a clinometer as a
  safety device.
• Snow covered slopes angled between 25? and 45?
  have a higher risk of avalanches and would
  therefore be avoided.

Picture from http//pistehors.com/backcountry/wik
i/Gear/Clinometer
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Why Would Sailors Want a Clinometer on Their Ship?

• Sight clinometers are used to determine the
  height of clouds. Sailors can use them to
  predict possible dangers from storms.
• These were more commonly used before, the more
  accurate, satellite weather monitors were
  invented.

Picture from http//www.novalynx.com/400-2090.htm
l
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Why Would Cave Surveyors Use a Clinometer?

• Inclinometers (another name for a clinometer) are
  used in cave surveying. The clinometer helps to
  measure the depth of the cave and horizontal
  distances throughout the cave. This helps
  surveyors to create a map of the cave.
•  

Picture from http//www.nps.gov/wica/naturescienc
e/cave-surveying.htm
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Why Would City Planners Need Clinometers?

• Digital clinometers can be used to assess the
  conditions of sidewalks and roads.
• Appropriate slopes of roads and sidewalks are
  necessary for
• - road safety.
• - appropriate runoff of rain.
• - accessibility for pedestrians with special
  needs.

Picture from http//www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/
sidewalk2/sidewalks211
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Other Uses of Clinometers

• Indicating pitch and roll of vehicles, sail
  boats, and aircraft.
• Monitoring boom angle of cranes and material
  handlers.
• Measuring the "look angle" of a satellite antenna
  towards a satellite.
• Measuring movements in walls and/or the ground in
  civil engineering projects
• Measuring the angle of drilling in well-logging
  applications.
• Rollover warning, to alert equipment operator of
  possible tip over condition
• Determining the angle of the earth's magnetic
  field in respect to the horizontal plane.
• Measuring steepness of a ski slope. (lt10o for
  beginners, 10o-20o "green", 15o-25o "blue",
  25o-35o "black", 35o-45o "double black")
• Information from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl
  inometer

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6.2.2 Activity Measuring the Gradient of a Road

• City planners must be careful when building roads
  and sidewalks to ensure that they are not too
  steep. Otherwise, they will be dangerous for
  vehicles and pedestrians.
• Vehicles traveling uphill require more energy in
  order to produce more power. Therefore steeper
  hills can contribute to more air and sound
  pollution.
• A hills steepness is indicated by its gradient.
• To measure the gradient of a hill one must find
  the altitude change (rise) and the horizontal
  distance (run). The gradient of a hill is the
  slope (rise/run) as a percentage.

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Activity Part 1

• You will be part of a group of city planners
  determining whether or not to build a new road by
  the school.
• You must study each hill in the area to ensure
  that they are of a safe incline. Otherwise, they
  will have to be leveled.
• It is recommended that hills not exceed a
  gradient of 10. Some roads do in fact exceed
  this gradient. However, with our harsh winters
  we should avoid this.
• In groups of 3 you will be assigned a hill to
  analyze.

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Materials

• Home made clinometer
• 2 metre sticks
• Measuring tape
• Paper and pen to write down calculations

Picture from http//www.state.nj.us/dep/seeds/syh
art/clinom.htm
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• Person 1 stands on the top of the hill with the
  metre stick in front of them, perpendicular to
  the ground.
• Person 2 and 3 stand at the bottom of the hill.
• Person 2 holds the metre stick perpendicular to
  the ground while person 3 uses the clinometer to
  sight from the tip of their metre stick to the
  tip of the other. Ensure your line of sight
  is parallel to the ground.
• Record the angle of inclination from the
  clinometer
• Measure the distance along the ground from the
  bottom of the hill to the top of the hill.

INSTRUCTIONS
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Activity Part 2

• As city planners, you will need to create a scale
  model of the area.
• You know the angle of inclination of the hill (?)
  as well as the length of the hill (c). Using
  this, you will have to calculate the vertical
  height (a) and horizontal length (b) of the hill.
  Use trigonometry to do this. Give your results
  in feet.
• You can now use the rise (a) and the run (b) to
  measure the gradient of the hill.
• Your scale model will be 5 of the original size.
  
• Determine the vertical height (a1) and the
  horizontal length (b1) of the scale model of the
  hill. Give your results in inches.

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Written Report

• You will submit a report containing
• A description of where your hill is with
  reference to the school.
• A labeled diagram of your hill.
• Calculations of the vertical height and
  horizontal length of the hill (in feet).
• Below your diagram give a brief discussion of
  whether the hill is safe or not (make reference
  to the grade).
• Calculation of the vertical height and horizontal
  length of the smaller scale version of the hill
  (in inches).
• Note
• You will not actually have to construct the
  scale model, just give calculations for it.