LESSON 24 – MEASUREMENTS OF ANGLES AND DIRECTIONS

MERIDIANS
 It is usually defined by the horizontal angle it makes with a FIXED REFERENCE LINE
OR DIRECTION.
 In surveying, the reference to a meridian which lies in a vertical plane passing through a
FIXED POINT OR REFERENCE AND THROUGH THE OBSERVERS POSITION.
FOUR TYPES OF MERIDIANS
 TRUE MERIDIAN
- Astronomic or geographic meridian.
- Reference line used for surveying practices.
- Line passes through the geographic north and south poles of the earth and the
observer`s position.
- Regardless of times, the direction remains permanent and unchanged.
- Used for marking the boundaries of the land.
 MAGNETIC MERIDIAN
- Parallel with the magnetic lines of force of the earth.
- Not parallel to the true meridian since they converge in a magnetic pole that is
located away from the distance of the true geographic poles.
- Directions are not fixed.
- As a LINE REFERENCE, can only used on rough survey where the magnetic
compass is used in determining directions.
 GRID MERIDIAN
- Parallel to the central meridian system of plane rectangular coordinates.
- Calculating the convergence of meridian when determining the position of
points is eliminated or not needed.
- Applicable only to plane surveys or limited extent.
- Assumed that all measurements in horizontal plane and all meridians are
parallel straight lines.
 ASSUMED MERIDIANS
- An arbitrarily chosen fixed line of reference taken for convenience.
- Only used in a plane survey of limited extent.
- Difficult to re-establish if the original points are lost or obliterated.

EXPEDIENT METHODS OF ESTABLISHING MERIDIANS

 ESTABLISHING MAGNETIC MERIDIANS BY COMPASS
- Setting up the compass in any convenient point and then sighting a distant
object that marks another point of the meridian.
- For an accurate determination of the desired meridians; Several sights should
be taken during the setup, must be rotated in vertical axis, and positioned until
the needle reads zero.
- Magnetic declination is approximately at its mean value.
 DETERMINING TRUE NORTH BY AID OF SUN AND A PLUMB
- In a level piece of ground,
- Step 1: lean a pole approximately towards the north and rest it in crotch made
by two sticks.
- Step 2: Suspend a weight from the end of the pole that it nearly touch the
ground.
- Step 3: Observe and wait until it is about an hour before noon.
- Step 4: Attach a string driven under the weight and with a sharpened stick
attached to the other end of the string.
- Step 5: Describe an arc with a radius equal to the distance from the peg on the
arc where the shadow of the tip of the pole. Then, drive a peg on the arc where
the shadow of the tip of the pole rests.
- Step 6: Wait at about an hour after noon, watch the shadow of the tip as it
approached the eastern side of the arc and drive another peg where it crosses.
- Step 7: find the middle point of the straight line joining the two pegs. A
straight line joining the mid-point and the peg under the weight will all
practically purposes be pointing towards the direction of true north.
 DETERMINING TRUE NORTH BY THE RISING AND SETTING OF THE SUN.
- From a convenient position or station, observe the rising and setting of the sun
on the same day or at setting on one day and rising the next. Along each
direction establish a peg or marker. Measure the horizontal angle between the
two markers, then establish another marker to define half of the measured
angle. The line joining the observation station and the last marker established
should point towards the direction of true north.
 DETERMINING TRUE NORTH BY POLARIS
- The big dipper is the useful reference constellation of the northern
hemisphere. It is the most familiar and easiest to recognize.
- The two stars, Merak and Dubhe, forming the side of the dipper which is
farthest from the handle which is also known as the north star.
- Polaris lies almost directly above the earth`s north pole. When a person faces
Polaris, he is facing towards the direction of true north. It is visible all year
but only in northern hemisphere.
- The observed vertical angle from the horizon to Polaris is approximately the
same degree of latitude that the observer is from the equator. At the equator
the vertical angle to Polaris is zero since the star is on the horizon
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At the north pole, the angle is about 90 degrees since Polaris is found directly
overhead.
 DETERMINING TRUE SOUTH BY THE SOUTHERN CROSS
- It is a constellatio0n of the southern hemisphere.
- A reference group of stars for determining the location of the earth`s south
pole.
- Composed of four stars formed in the figure cross.
- Reference point is located along the extension of this imaginary line.
- ( if kasama yung figure sa ppt ) In a showed figure thee distance from the
lower star of the cross is about 4.5 times the distance between the two stars
along the same line.
 DETERMINING DIRECTION OF TRUE NORTH (OR SOUTH) BY A WRIST WATCH
- An ordinary wrist watch can be used to determine the approximate direction
of the true north or south.
- North temperate zone only the hour hand is pointed toward the sun.
- South line can be found midway between the hour hand and 12 o` clock.
- South temperature zone 12 o` clock is pointed toward the sun, and half-way
between 12 o` clock and the hour hand will be the direction towards true
north.

UNITS OF ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS

 The magnitudes of an angle can be expressed in different units which basically derived
from the division of the circumference of a circle. A purely arbitrary unit is used to define the
value of an angle.
 THE DEGREE
- The basic unit
- A sexagesimal system is used in which the circumference of a circle is divided
into 360 parts or degrees.
- The °, ‘ , “ are used to denote degrees, minutes, and seconds, respectively.
- This system is used extensively in surveying practices.
 THE GRAD
- Unit of measure in the centesimal system.
- The circumference of the system of a circle is divided into 400 parts called
grads.
- The symbols, g, c, and cc are used to denote grads, centesimal minutes, and
centesimal seconds, respectively.
- It has an advantage to a decimal when mathematical calculations are required.
- Standard unit in Europe.
 THE MIL
- Circumference is divided into 6400 parts called mils, or 1600 mils equal to 90
degrees.
- Commonly used in military operation as in fire direction of artillery units.
 THE RADIAN
- Measure of angles used frequently for a host of calculations.
- One radian equals 180/π or approximately 57.2958 degrees.
- One degree equals π/180 or approximately 0.0174533 radians.
- Natural unit of angle because there is no arbitrary number in its definitions.
- Used in computations such as determining the length of circular arcs and
where high speed electronic digital computers are used.

DESIGNATION OF NORTH POINTS

There is always a starting or reference point o define directions. Map users are primarily
concerned with the north point for the determination of directions and the following are the
commonly used reference point.
 TRUE NORTH
- North point of the true meridian
- In maps and sketches, it is portrayed in the direction of the actual location of
the earths north geographic pole and is always shown along a vertical line.
- Symbolized by a star, an asterisk, or the letter TN.
 MAGNETIC NORTH
- Established by means of a magnetized compass needle when there are no local
attractions affecting it.
- Its directions indicated by the direction of the magnetic lines of force passing
through the point at a particular time.
- Magnetic north located either east or west.
- Symbolized by a half arrowhead or the letter MN.
 GRID NORTH
- Established by lines on a map which are parallel to a selected central
meridian.
- Symbolized by a full arrowhead or letters GN or Y.
 ASSUMED NORTH
- Used to portray the location of any arbitrarily chosen north point.
- Symbolized by a small blackened circle or the letters AN.