All About The Mighty Theodolite

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.

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.

Jeremiah's theodolite is another notable optical instrument that was used to resolve the notorious border dispute in Colonial America. Two surveyors, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, were called upon to establish the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, which became known as the Mason-Dixon Line. The line actually forms part of the border for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. However, historians speculate that Jeremiah's theodolite was most likely 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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