Tuesday, July 26, 2016

The Electronic Protractor: Who Uses It & Why

By Carey Bourdier


A protractor is a basic geometric tool to help take angle measurements. They exist in various forms from the simple plastic protractor for school pupils, to sophisticated digital protractors. An electronic or digital protractor is a kind of a protractor that uses a digital read out instead of reading from a scale. The angle is shown on the digital screen. Some of these look like the traditional bevel protractor but the more modern ones resemble small boxes that can just be placed on a surface to read an angle. Electronic protractors are also known as digital inclinometers or digital angle gauges.

If you are wondering how to use an electronic protractor there actually are two methods of taking measurement using the protractor. The horizontal measurement mode uses a horizontal surface as the base or zero angle. You set the protractor to "horizontal measurement mode" then place the protractor on the angled surface.

Of course, sometimes you will need to calculate the measurements of more than one surface. You can accomplish this feat using the digital protractor's relative measurement mode. To do this, simple make sure you are in the correct mode and then measure the first angle, clear the reading and then measure the second surface. From there, the electronic protractor will determine the differences between these two angle measurements.

There are literally dozens of professions that require the use of an electronic protractor. You see these used in fields such as carpentry and construction as well as with surveying and even geophysics. Using principles of trigonometry and armed with a digital protractor, one can measure the height of a building or tall trees in a vast forest. Often, the digital protractor will be a tool used to measure the slope or incline of land for a variety of land surveying jobs as well as civil engineering projects.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though, as these also can be used by doctors to measure the movement of body parts. Astronomers can use an electronic protractor to measure star angles. People drilling a well might use a protractor to take a look at drilling angles. Even an Army sniper or a soldier learning to shoot from long distances from a target will need to calculate and measure angles, so a digital protractor might be the device of choice for these situations as well.

These applications are just some instances where an electronic protractor can be used. The uses are limitless providing there are angle measurements to be taken. This is a useful tool for anyone who works with angles, which is a wide range of field of study and professionalism. These include structural engineers, land surveyors, geophysicists, soldiers, carpenters and so on. An electronic protractor can be useful for recreational, home and commercial purposes.




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