what does a clinometer measure?
A clinometer or inclinometer is an instrument for measuring angles of slope (or tilt), elevation or depression of an object with respect to gravity. It is also known as a tilt meter, tilt indicator, slope alert, slope gauge, gradient meter, gradiometer, level gauge, level meter, declinometer, and pitch & roll indicator.
The use of a clinometer to measure tree height. A clinometer is a fairly simple instrument which is used to measure the angle of a slope. By using the principles of trigonometry, the height of tall objects can be calculated from the angles measured. A clinometer can easily be made from a large protractor. A narrow piece of wood should be glued to the base of the protractor to act as a sighting line. A weighted plumb line is then fastened to the mid point of the base line of the protractor.