Clinometer
The clinometer also called an inclinometer is part of a group of instruments that can be used to measure angles. In contrast, the clinometer is used mainly to measure angles on land. This information can then be used to determine such things as the incline of slopes and the height of mountains, trees, and even clouds. Clinometers have been around for a long time. They initially began as a simple plummet tool (a string with a weight at the end of it), but by the end of the 18th century, it was a sophisticated tool that included such things as bubble levels, sights, and telescopes. A well-known clinometer is the Abney level. Invented by William Abney before 1880, it consisted of a small telescope, a semicircle divided into a degree, and a bubble tube.
[Link to my Mini factory page]
Measuring height:
1. Pick a nearby object that you wish to measure the height and stand a certain distance from that object. 2. Look through the clinometer so that the top of the object that you wish to measure the height of is in the center of the view piece.
3. Record the angle that the arm of the clinometer indicates. If you’re having a problem reading the angle, hold the arm against the label once it stops moving. 4. Measure the distance between yourself and the object. 5. Determine the height of the object above the level of the clinometer, use the following equation:
Height = Distance between person and object (d) x tan(angle A)
