Friday, August 29, 2014

The World Of Theodolites

By Carey Bourdier


For many students, the study of geometry is simply one of the classes you take to graduate high school. However, geometry has a huge variety of practical applications and many professions use geometry each day. For instance, engineers and surveyors make use of geometry regularly on their field.

The theodolite is one of the most commonly used tools by these workers and you probably have seen it before already. These are often found in the middle of a road or perhaps at a construction site where surveyors look through these to devices to make calculations. In order to measure horizontal and vertical angles, this optical instrument contains a movable or rotating telescope. Leveling tasks and measuring horizontal distances are some of its multiple of use.

Meteorologists make use of a theodolite aside from surveyors, and this device is also used for navigation. The early theodolites were used mainly for surveying tasks. A telescope, compass and tripod were included in its early iterations during the 16th century.

The Great Theodolite or the Ramsen theodolite is one of the most notable theodolites. It comes at a very heavy capacity measuring for more than 300 pounds, and its base circle was three feet in diameter which was built in the late 18th century. Creating comprehensive maps of Great Britain was its primary use. The Science Museum in London displays this fine piece of equipment.

Another noteworthy theodolite is called Jeremiah's theodolite that was used in Colonial America to settle the notorious border dispute. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, both surveyors, help establish the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, which is known today as the Mason-Dixon Line. The border for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia is comprised in this border. With that said, historians question the characteristic of the Jeremiah's theodolite calling it a circumferentor, a special type of compass.

Today's surveyors often use a total station which is an optical instrument that includes a theodolite and an electronic distance meter. There are even robotic versions of these total stations that can be controlled using remote control. These are used to survey mines, as well as for road construction and the construction of buildings.




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