The Electronic Protractor: Who Uses It & Why

By Carey Bourdier


We've all probably used a basic protractor in a geometry class, and these are handy tools to use if you want to measure an angle. There are quite a few other types of protractors out there and many are far more sophisticated than those we used in grammar school or high school. Electronic protractors, also called digital protractors or perhaps a digital angle gauge make measuring angles a snap. Some of these digital devices resemble the typical bevel protractor but some just look like a box with a digital readout.

If you are wondering how to use an electronic protractor there actually are two methods of taking measurement using the protractor. The horizontal measurement mode uses a horizontal surface as the base or zero angle. You set the protractor to "horizontal measurement mode" then place the protractor on the angled surface.

With the relative measurement mode one can take measurements of two surfaces. You place the protractor on the first angled surface and take the readings, place zero to clear the reading and place the protractor on the second angled surface. The reading will show the difference between the first angle and the second.

There are literally dozens of professions that require the use of an electronic protractor. You see these used in fields such as carpentry and construction as well as with surveying and even geophysics. Using principles of trigonometry and armed with a digital protractor, one can measure the height of a building or tall trees in a vast forest. Often, the digital protractor will be a tool used to measure the slope or incline of land for a variety of land surveying jobs as well as civil engineering projects.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though, as these also can be used by doctors to measure the movement of body parts. Astronomers can use an electronic protractor to measure star angles. People drilling a well might use a protractor to take a look at drilling angles. Even an Army sniper or a soldier learning to shoot from long distances from a target will need to calculate and measure angles, so a digital protractor might be the device of choice for these situations as well.

These applications are just some instances where an electronic protractor can be used. The uses are limitless providing there are angle measurements to be taken. This is a useful tool for anyone who works with angles, which is a wide range of field of study and professionalism. These include structural engineers, land surveyors, geophysicists, soldiers, carpenters and so on. An electronic protractor can be useful for recreational, home and commercial purposes.




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