Sunday 24 August 2014

A Brief Introduction To Theodolites

By Carey Bourdier


If you sat through high school geometry class wondering about the practical application of measuring angles and other geometric tasks, then you might be surprised to find that many professions use geometry every day. Surveyors and engineers and a few other occupations make use of geometry on constant basis.

You probably have already seen a theodolite since it is one of the most often used tools of surveyors. This device is used by looking through it and is often seen at construction sites, as well as in the middle of a road making calculations. A movable or rotating telescope is attached to the theodolite and this optical instrument can be used to measure horizontal and also vertical angles. One of its many uses is to aid in leveling tasks and measuring horizontal distances.

It's not just surveyors who will use a theodolite; they also are used sometimes for navigation as well as meteorologists. The first uses of the theodolite were primarily for surveying tasks. The first theodolites were developed during the 16th century and these included a telescope, compass and tripod.

One of the most notable theodolites is the Ramsden theodolite, which also is sometimes simply called the Great Theodolite. Built in the late 18th Century, this theodolite weighed more than 300 pounds and its base circle was three feet in diameter. This device was used to create comprehensive maps of Great Britain. The Great Theodolite is on display at the Science Museum in London.

The settlement of the notorious border dispute in Colonial America was one of the most notable uses of the instrument known as Jeremiah's theodolite. The Mason-Dixon Line which is known today was the result of the establishment between the boundaries of Maryland and Pennsylvania, made possible by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, both surveyors. A part of the border for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia is formed. Historians however, speculate the validity of the Jeremiah's theodolite linking it to a circumferentor, which is a special type of compass.

A total station is often used by surveyors today which include a theodolite and an electronic distance diameter. A remote control version of these total stations exists today. For road construction and building construction, as well as surveying mines is what they are mostly used.




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