Surveying & Geomatics

Basic

Horizontal Distance

Level distance from a slope distance and its inclination angle.

Formula

H = L \cos\theta

Variables

HHorizontal distance

LSlope distance

\thetaSlope angle

Example

L=50 m, θ=10°: H = 50×0.985 = 49.2 m

Did You Know?

Maps always show horizontal distance, which is why a hiked trail feels longer than the map says.

surveying distance slope

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East-west component of a traverse line.

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