The Quadrant - An Exercise in Error Analysis

Lesson Overview
Students will construct a quadrant to measure the altitudes (angular distances) of objects above
the horizon, calculate random errors of measurement, and look for systematic error of
measurement .

Equipment
Scissors, glue or paste, manila folders, copies of quadrant pattern from this writeup, string,
transparent tape, plastic drinking straws, small weights (such as paperclips), meter sticks,
calculator (suggested), copies of student handouts.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science grade 8 and

Astronomy
Grade 8:
1. Strands: Scientific Investigations and Reasoning (8: 4-A-ii on statistics)
2. Knowledge and Skills: Investigations and Reasoning (8: 2- A, B, C, D, E; 4-A)
Astronomy:
1. Knowledge and Skills: 2 F, G, H
2. Scientific Processes: 3 A and 4 A

Background Information
In this unit you will construct and use the quadrant, a simple devices for measuring angles. This
instrument probably originated in ancient Greece. The Arabs nurtured the science of astronomy
and developed the astrolabe during the Middle Ages. A renaissance of science in Europe began
after the invention of the printing press. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, new series of
observations were begun, most having an error of less than one degree. The use of new and
accurate instruments greatly speeded the navigational efforts of the new world explorers. The
quadrant reached its pinnacle of development with the last great pretelescopic observer, Tycho
Brahe (1546-1601). Several fixed quadrants were built by Brahe with radii of about seven feet
and an accuracy of one minute of arc. Later astronomers used quadrants with telescopic sights
that helped them map the sky and lay the foundations of basic navigation. These sophisticated
instruments led up to the invention of the modern sextant in 1731.

I. Introduce Units of Angular Measurement

The most common unit of angular measurement is the degree (written 1˚). The circle is
divided into 360˚, and a right angle equals 90˚. A few angles are sketched below for
examination:

90 o 45 o 20 o

2o

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In astronomy, small angles are quite common and telescopic magnification is necessary to
measure them. Thus it becomes necessary to subdivide the degree into smaller units, called
“minutes” of arc. There are 60 minutes of arc in one degree, and one minute of arc (written 1')
is itself further subdivided into 60 seconds of arc (seconds of arc are designated by the
superscript ", so that 30 seconds of arc is written 30").
In summary, 1˚= 60' and 1' = 60". These relations also enable you to convert angles into
tenths and hundredths of a degree if you wish. As an astronomical example, the apparent size of
the full moon is 1/2 of one degree, that is, 0.5˚ or 30'. By apparent size, we mean here that, if
we measured the angle between the two edges of the moon the resultant angle would be the
angular size, or apparent size, of the moon.
While one second of arc may seem to be a tiny angle, astronomers using telescopic
magnification frequently deal with angles as small as 0.01". The smallest angle that the naked
eye can resolve is about 1'.
Practice: Convert 10° into minutes of arc. Convert 10° into seconds of arc: 10° x 60’/1° = 600'.
10° x 60'/1° x 60"/1' = 36000"
Convert 12˚30' into minutes of arc: [12˚ x 60'/1˚] + 30' = 720' + 30' = 750'

Anticipatory Set
Have you ever noticed a bright light in the sky—maybe a planet or an airplane at night? How
could you describe to someone else the position of that object? Is just “Look up!” sufficient?
Can you tell them to look up “several feet”? Why won’t usual methods of describing distance
work? In order to measure angular distance we’ll need a method of measuring angular distance.

II. Assemble the Quadrant

Take the pattern for the quadrant (which you will recognize to be part of a simple
protractor) and glue it to lightweight cardboard or a manila folder. Cut it out and attach it to a
drinking straw, being careful that the straight side of the quadrant template is aligned
perpendicular to the length of the straw. Attach the thread or string through the “+” on the
quadrant and tie the weight on the other end; you are now ready to begin.
The quadrant is a device for measuring the altitude of an object; that is, its angular
distance above the horizon. To use the quadrant, sight along or through the straw at the object
whose altitude you wish to measure.

Let the weight hang down freely under the influence of gravity until it stops swinging. Then
rotate the straw (keeping it pointed at the object) until the thread is lying against the quadrant.
Then with your finger you can hold the thread against the quadrant while you move it away from
your eye and read the altitude off the scale. To check that the quadrant template is properly

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mounted on the stick, you should find someplace with a clear horizon and sight the stick toward
the distant horizon; it should then read zero, since 0˚ is indeed the altitude of the horizon. If it
does not, reset the quadrant template. The altitude of the point overhead, the zenith, is 90˚.
Note: If you try to use a plastic protractor and fasten the flat side to the straw, the scale will be 90˚ off—to get the
altitudes, you will need to subtract each value from 90˚.

III. Variation of Apparent Size with Distance (Class Discussion)

Have members of the class stand at different distances in the room from the blackboard.
With quadrant, measure the altitude (or angular height) of the top of the blackboard. Is it always
the same altitude for everyone in the room? What is the relation between altitude and distance
from the object?
Before trying to understand if there is a physical significance to your measurements, it
will first be necessary to consider the subject of measurement errors and answer the following
question: Do the measurements show a true relationship between altitude and distance, or could
it be explained by observational errors? For example, if the people in the front of the room were
all short, would they be likely to all measure angles too large or too small? Can you think of an
explanation of why people closer to the blackboard will measure it differently than those far
away? If you were outside in the schoolyard and asked to measure the altitude of the moon
would your position in the schoolyard affect your measurements? The quadrant will have some
errors associated with its use, and we would like now to make some estimate of how large these
are.
Teacher’s Notes: Members of the class will measure different angular heights depending upon their distance from
the blackboard. This is due to perspective. The relation is that the angle is larger when you are closer to the
object.
Size of person should not be very significant in measuring angles, although it will have some effect.
(See the section on measuring the height of a building.) Short people will systematically measure larger angles.
You can make everyone more equal in height by having them do the measurements sitting down—assuming that
all the chairs are the same height.
If you were outside in the schoolyard and asked to measure the altitude of the moon would your position
would not affect your measurements. The moon is so far away that perspective doesn’t play a role. If you
changed your location on Earth, you would measure a different altitude.

IV. Random Errors of Measurement

One obvious way to detect the errors of the quadrant would be to make measurements
with it and then make the same measurements with a more accurate instrument. An alternative
procedure that can often be used, however, is to employ the device of taking repeated
observations and averaging them. If you measure something a number of times, there will
inevitably be some variation in your answers. If you average your measurements, the average
will be closer to the true answer, since any random errors of measurement will tend to cancel
each other out in the averaging process. For example, those answers that were accidentally too
large will be compensated for by those that came out a little too small.
To examine how this works, stand at one distance from an object and measure its
angular height using the quadrant ten different times. Make sure that each measurement is an
independent one; that is, after each measurement put the quadrant down so that you must resight
and reread the setting anew each time. SEE STUDENT STUDY SHEET.
Now compute your average value, which is the sum of all the measurements divided by
ten. Examine the largest and smallest values. These show the RANGE of values through which
a single measurement could vary.

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 Scientists generally characterize the variation about an average by a precisely defined
quantity called the standard deviation, but for our purposes here it will be sufficient to adopt an
approximate rule called Snedecor’s Rough Check. This rule states that, if you have ten
independent measurements of a quantity, the standard deviation of one measure is approximately
equal to the RANGE of the measurements (the largest minus the smallest value) divided by
three. If you have five independent measurements, divide the range by two. If you have three
independent measurements, the standard deviation is approximately equal to the range itself.
That is:
The standard deviation = RANGE/3 for 10 measurements.
The percentage error = (standard deviation/average)  100
EXAMPLE: If you made 10 measurements of the size of your desk and found the following values, calculate the
average, the standard deviation, and the range.
Values are in centimeters: 45.4, 45.3, 45.5, 45.6, 45.4, 45.3, 45.4, 45.5, 45.3, 45.3.
The average is 45.4 cm. The range is 0.3, so the standard deviation is 0.1 cm. The percentage error is
(0.1/45.4)x100 = 0.2%.

Find an object that is just a little taller than yourself, for example, the top of a door, and,
standing well back from it, measure its altitude ten times, making each measurement
independently of the others. The quadrant is being used to measure a fairly small angle here:
compute your average value, find the range, and compute the percentage error (100 times the
standard deviation divided by the average). Now measure a large altitude with the quadrant; that
is, choose some object to measure such that its altitude is 60˚ or more. Measure its altitude ten
times independently, and find the average, the standard deviation, and the percentage error.
Using the percentage error as a measure of accuracy, is the quadrant more accurate in measuring
large or small angles? Why do you think this is so?

Notes: Using the percentage error as a measure of accuracy the quadrant is more accurate in measuring large
angles. Your measurements should show that the random error with the quadrant is about 1˚ for any angle.
Because percentage error is calculated by dividing by the average, it will always be smaller for large angles.
EXAMPLE: For measurements of a spot on the ceiling the following values are obtained: 60˚, 61˚, 64˚, 62˚, 63˚,
62˚, 60˚, 61˚, 64˚, 63˚. The average is 62˚. The range is 4˚. The standard deviation is 1.3˚, and the percentage
error is 2%. For measurements of a door, the values are: 11˚, 10˚, 9˚, 12˚, 10˚, 13˚, 9˚, 11˚,12˚, 13˚.The average is
11˚. The range is 4˚. The standard deviation is 1.3˚, and the percentage error is 12%.

V. Absolute Errors
Examining the range of your measurements gives you some indication of your
consistency. It tells you how much confidence you could place in a single measurement, if that
was all you were able to make. It does not necessarily tell you about your absolute error,
however. For example, suppose that you fastened your quadrant template on the incorrect side,
or used a plastic protractor and forgot to subtract 90˚, so that the horizon measurement read 90˚
instead of 0˚. All your measurements could show great consistency but still be incorrect. This
type of error is called a systematic error. Try to think of another possible sources of systematic
errors.
Another possible sources of systematic error with the quadrant is fastening the protractor section to the
straw at an angle or not hanging the string from the proper spot.
While repeating measurements can give some indication of random errors, there is no
such simple remedy to check for the possibility of systematic errors in measurements. If you can
redo the measurements with another, more accurate instrument, this will serve as a check of the
less accurate one, but scientists typically try to use the most accurate devices available, so this

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stratagem is usually not available. If you have a formula to predict what you are measuring, you
can check against the formula, but again, on the frontiers of research, such a known relationship
is usually not available. The subject of discovering systematic errors in measurements is a
difficult one, one with which all scientists must continually grapple by examining every aspect
of their measurement sequence and checking it carefully for flaws, no matter how sophisticated
and expensive their equipment is.
Similarly, every measurement you make will always have an error associated with it,
and you should always attempt to attach an error estimate to every quantity you measure. You
should get into the habit of thinking of a measurement without an attached error as practically
useless, since there is no clue as to how much confidence one can attach to such a measurement.
From the previous example we write the result as 45.4 cm ± 0.1 cm or 45.4 cm± 0.2%. The ±
sign refers to “plus” or “minus”, meaning the answer can be 0.1 cm larger or 0.1 cm smaller than
45.4 cm.
Therefore, every measurement you make should be expressed either in the form:
x = 60.2 ± 8.5, if 8.5 is the estimated error (standard deviation) or
x = 60.2 ± 14%.
Units should be attached if the answer is not a pure number.
It may not always be obvious how to produce the error estimate, but you must always
try. Clearly, you should do repeated measurements when you can and also examine each facet
of your measurement process for possible systematic and random errors. Sometimes your error
estimate may be just that — an estimate.

VI. Using the Quadrant to Measure a Tall Building’s Height

Go outside and walk away from a tall building,
pausing occasionally to sight the top of the building with the quadrant
(i.e., to measure the altitude of the top of the building). Continue moving
away from the building until you get an angle of 45˚ on the quadrant.
Geometry tells us that when there are two 45˚
angles in a triangle, the perpendicular sides are equal—here, AB equals
BC; that is, the height of the building will equal your distance from it.
Begin this exercise by using the meter stick to calculate the average length of your pace by
measuring the length of ten paces. Walk away from a tall building until you read 45˚ on the
quadrant. Count the number of paces from that spot to the building, and multiply by the length
of your average pace to get the distance to the building. Is this the final height of the building?
How does your own height affect this measurement and what should you do about it? What
other errors probably enter into the accuracy of your final answer?

Your own height affects the measurements by making the value too small. If you were
prone on the ground when you did the measurement, your height would not matter and the
distance will be the same as the height. If you prefer to stand upright, add your height (from
your feet to your eye level) to the value you get for the building’s height. Note that this mea-
surement has a systematic error if you stand on a hill or in a gully.

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Extensions:
1. Use the quadrant to measure the altitude of a bright star or
planet several times in one night. Choose a star or planet in the
East (so it will be rising). Bright stars within 20˚ of the celestial
equator include: Regulus or Denebola in Leo, Sirius in Canis
Major, Betelgeuse or Rigel in Orion, Altair in Aquila, Arcturus in
Bootes or Spica in Virgo. Answer: there should be 15˚ of motion
per hour due to the earth’s rotation. Don’t choose a star near the
north celestial pole since little motion is seen. Polaris doesn’t
move at all.
2. Use the quadrant to measure the altitude of the moon each day
or night for a week. Go outside at the same time each day. Note
that the moon also changes shape each day. Answer: The moon
moves about 13˚ across the sky each day due to its motion around
the earth. Not all of this motion is vertical, but enough is so that
the measurements will be noticeably different each day.
3. Obtain a plastic sextant from a scientific supply house.
Compare the shape and observing procedure of the sextant to the
quadrant to show why sextants are more accurate. One source of a
marine sextant is Davis Mark 3 sextant:
http://www.starpath.com/catalog/accessories/1840d3.htm
4. These activities were adapted from Modern Astronomy: An
Activities Approach by M.K. Hemenway and R.R. Robbins,
Univ of Texas Press, 1991. This book includes other activities
using the quadrant and measurement error.

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STUDENT STUDY SHEET NAME _____________
I. Measure the angular height of an object 10 times. Choose an object whose angle is less than 30˚ Find
the average, the range, the standard deviation, and the percentage error of your measurements.
measurement 1 ____________ RANGE = ______________________
measurement 2 ____________
measurement 3 ____________ STANDARD DEVIATION =
measurement 4 ____________ =___________________________
measurement 5 ____________
measurement 6 ____________ AVERAGE = = ___________
measurement 7 ____________
measurement 8 ____________ PERCENTAGE ERROR =  100
measurement 9 ____________ =__________________________
measurement 10 ____________
SUM ____________
We write the answer as AVERAGE ± STANDARD DEVIATION. or ± PERCENTAGE ERROR.
________________±______________ or ______________±____________%
II. Now repeat this procedure for another object whose angle is at least 60˚.
measurement 1 ____________ RANGE = ______________________
measurement 2 ____________
measurement 3 ____________ STANDARD DEVIATION =
measurement 4 ____________ =___________________________
measurement 5 ____________
measurement 6 ____________ AVERAGE = = ___________
measurement 7 ____________
measurement 8 ____________ PERCENTAGE ERROR =  100
measurement 9 ____________ =__________________________
measurement 10 ____________
SUM ____________
We write the answer as AVERAGE ± STANDARD DEVIATION. or ± PERCENTAGE ERROR.
________________±______________ or ______________±____________%
Compare the standard deviations of each set of measurements. Is standard deviation of the small angle
larger or smaller than that of the large angle? _______________
Compare the percentage error of each set. Is error for the small angle larger or smaller than for the large
angle? ____________________ Discuss.

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III. Write one source of systematic error possible with the quadrant_____________________ Write one
source of random error possible with the quadrant ___________________________
IV. MEASURE THE HEIGHT OF A BUILDING.

Name of building ___________________________

In order to get the best estimate of how long one of your paces is, measure the length of ten paces, then
divide by 10 to get the average pace.
length of 10 paces __________________________ average length of pace ____________

Walk away from the building until the angle you read on your quadrant is 45˚.
To get the distance to the building, multiply the number of paces by the average length of your pace.
Number of paces from building ________________
To get the distance to the building, multiply the number of paces by the average length of your pace.
Distance of building ______________
How would you allow for the effect of your height in finding the height of the building?
Apply this correction:
Answer: height of building ________________________________
List possible sources of error here:
Random ______________________________________________________________

Systematic _____________________________________________________________

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