C.

Clinometer

Welcome
A clinometer is an instrument used for measuring angles. In GLOBE, you use it to find the angle for
calculating tree heights. It is also used to determine obstacles at an Atmosphere Study Site. The
calculations work by applying the principles based on the properties of right triangles. You construct
and use the clinometer by following the directions and using the formula below. The clinometer also
lends itself for additional hands-on teaching
exercises of trigonometric principles.
Figure LAND-SS-8: Homemade Clinometer
Required Material
• Clinometer Sheet and Table of Tangents

Introduction
(located in the Appendix)
• Piece of stiff cardboard at least the size of
the sheets above
• Drinking straw
• Metal nut or washer
• 15 cm of thread or dental floss
• Glue
• Scissors
• Something to punch one small hole
• Tape Modified from Bennett, A. and Nelson, L. (1961) Mathematics an

Protocols
Activity Approach, Allyn & Bacon, Boston
Construction
1. Gather the materials for each clinometer.
2. Glue a copy of the Clinometer Sheet onto a same-size piece of stiff cardboard (cut cardboard if
necessary).
3. Glue a copy of the Table of Tangents to the other side of the cardboard.
4. Punch a hole through the marked circle on the Clinometer Sheet.

Learning Activities
5. Thread one end of a 15 cm piece of thread through the hole and tie or tape it on the Table of
Tangents side of the cardboard.
6. Tie a metal nut or washer to the other end of the thread so that it hangs in front of the
Clinometer Sheet.
7. Tape a drinking straw along the designated line on the Clinometer Sheet, to use as a sighting
device.
Note: A clinometer measures angles to determine the heights of objects without directly
measuring them. It is a simplified version of the quadrant (a medieval measuring instrument),
and the sextant (an instrument used to locate the positions of ships). Like these instruments,
the clinometer has an arc with graduated degree markings that go from 0 to 90 degrees.
Appendix

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Directions for Use
1. Stand up straight and measure the height of your eyes from the ground. Record this number
for future reference.
2. Stand at the same elevation (level ground) as the base of the object that you are measuring.
3. Sight the top of the object through the clinometer’s drinking straw. Have your partner read the
number of degrees of angle BVW (see Figure LAND-SS-8) by noting where the thread touches
the arc on the Clinometer Sheet. (Angle BVW is equal to angle BAC, which is the angle of
elevation of the clinometer.)
4. Measure the horizontal distance from you to the object that is being measured.
5. If you know the angle of elevation, your eye height, and your distance away from an object, as
in Figure LAND-SS-9, you can calculate the height of that object using a simple equation. Add
your eye height to the number you determine using the equation below.

BC = AC x Tan  A
Height of the Tree above your eye height (BC) = Distance to the Base of the Tree (AC)
x Tan of the Angle of the Clinometer (Tan  A)
(see example next page)

Note: If you would like to practice measuring heights before going to your site, find a tall outdoor
object for which you know or can directly measure the height (such as a flagpole or the school building).
After completing the above process, compare your results with the known height of the object.

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Figure LAND-SS-9: Determining the Height of a Tree Using a Homemade Clinometer

Welcome
B

34˚
A C

Introduction
1.5 meters

60.0 meters
Baseline

Example: Figure LAND-SS-10: Trigometric Equation

Protocols
In the example (Figure LAND-SS-9 and LAND- B
SS-10), a student stands 60 m away from the base
of a tree and sites the top of the tree through his
clinometer. His eye is 1.5 meters above the ground.
He reads an angle of 34 degrees on his clinometer
(figures are not drawn to scale). Use your Table of
Tangents and the following equation to solve for
the height of the tree:

Learning Activities
TAN 34 = BC/60.0 Therefore,
34 degrees
BC = 60.0 m (TAN 34). Therefore, 60.0 meters
A C
BC = 60.0 m (.67) = 40.2 m
Tan A = BC/AC Tan 34 = BC/60.0 m BC = 60.0 m x Tan 34
Add the height of BC to the height of the
clinometer from the ground (your eye level) to get
the total height of the tree. In the above example,
the height of the tree is 40.2 m + 1.5 m = 41.7 m.
Note: Adjust your distance from the tree so that
you are at least as far away from the tree as the
tree is tall. For the most accurate measurement,
adjust your distance so that the angle of the
Appendix

clinometer is as close to 30 degrees as possible.

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Figure LAND-SS-11: Trigonometric Equation Simplified

A= 34˚
1.5 meters

h = Tree Height Above

Eye Level Eye Level

H = Total Tree Height

Base = 60.0 meters

For students who are not familiar with geometry Frequently Asked Questions
yet, here is another way to simplify this example. 1. What if my students are too
See Figure LAND-SS-11. young to understand the math used
to determine tree height?
For younger students, if the angle BVW is
h = Base x Tan  A 45 degrees, the distance from the tree will equal
h= 60.0m x Tan 34 the height of the tree above the student’s eye level.
This can be illustrated for students by drawing an
h = 60.0m x 0.67 = 40.2m
isosceles right triangle without any additional
H = h + Eye Level explanation of the mathematics involved. Run a
tape measure from the student’s eye to his or her
H = 40.2 + 1.5m = 41.7m
feet and then to the base of the tree. This distance
will equal the height of the tree. See the Alternate
Technique to Measure Tree Height on Level Ground:
Simplified Clinometer Technique Field Guide in the
Biometry Protocol.
2. What if the tree is leaning?
If the tree is leaning, just measure to the top of
the tree as usual.
3. If I cannot be on the same level as the base
of the tree I am measuring, how do I estimate
the height of the tree? Or what if there is no
level ground to measure the tree heights?
There are three methods to handle this problem.
They are presented in the Biometry Protocol’s
Alternate Techniques to Measure Tree Height Field
Guides. Use the one that seems the most
appropriate.

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 Clinometer Sheet

Clinometer

GLOBE® 2003
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R fer
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Appendix - 2
45
˚

Land Cover/Biology
GLOBE® 2003
Angle Tan. Angle Tan. Angle Tan. Angle Tan. Angle Tan.
1° .02 17 .31 33 .65 49 1.15 65 2.14
2 .03 18 .32 34 .67 50 1.19 66 2.25
3 .05 19 .34 35 .70 51 1.23 67 2.36
4 .07 20 .36 36 .73 52 1.28 68 2.48
5 .09 21 .38 37 .75 53 1.33 69 2.61
Table LAND-A-1: Table of Tangents

6 .11 22 .40 38 .78 54 1.38 70 2.75

7 .12 23 .42 39 .81 55 1.43 71 2.90
8 .14 24 .45 40 .84 56 1.48 72 3.08
9 .16 25 .47 41 .87 57 1.54 73 3.27

Appendix - 3
10 .18 26 .49 42 .90 58 1.60 74 3.49
11 .19 27 .51 43 .93 59 1.66 75 3.73
12 .21 28 .53 44 .97 60 1.73 76 4.01
13 .23 29 .55 45 1.00 61 1.80 77 4.33
14 .25 30 .58 46 1.04 62 1.88 78 4.70
15 .27 31 .60 47 1.07 63 1.96 79 5.14
16 .29 32 .62 48 1.11 64 2.05 80 5.67
Example: Assume you have established a baseline distance of 60.0 meters. Assume that you have measured the tree top to an angle of 34°.
From the Table, you will see that the tangent of 34° is 0.67. Therefore, the tree height above your eye height is 60.0 m x .67 = 40.2 meters.
By adding your eye height above the ground (1.5 m), the total tree height is 41.7 meters.

Land Cover/Biology