 Sextant is based on the principle that a reflected

ray is turned through double the angle through

which the mirror is rotated. It is used to find
the height of buildings, mountains and altitude
the sun .
 A sextant , 50 m measuring tape, plumb line,
spirit level, sextant stand with rigid clamp, a
piece of chalk or marked arrow heads on
board.
 B

02

 A x C y D
 When the foot of the object cannot be reached
directly and distance batween the foot and the
sextant cannot be measured is said to be
inaccessible. To find the height AB=h of such
an object the angles 01 and 02 which it
subtends at two diff. positions C and D
distance x apart are found out by clamping the
sextant at these points.
 Now d=x+y = hcot02
 And y= hcot01
 So, hcot02-y = hcot02- hcot01
 =h(cot02-cot01)
 Hence h= x\cot02-cot01

 Now x can be measured with the help of

measuring tape, therefore h can be calculated.
 1. Mark an arrow head as reference point at the
distant object for which the height is to be
determined. Adjust the height of the axis of the
telescope of sextant is clamped in a vertical
position the direct point of this reference mark is
seen through the telescope. The height of the top
of the object is to be determined w.r.t . This mark.
Make the scale vertical with plump line.

 2. Move the index arm till the direct and reflected

images of the reference arrow overlapeach other
and are equally bright. For the correctly adjusted
sextant this will happen when the zero f vernier
coincides with nearly the zeroes of the main scale.
 3. Now move the index arm so that half of the
field of views moves past the stationary images
of the fixed reference mark.Go on moving till
the reflected image of upper point i.e. top of the
object coincides with the direct image of the
arrow.

 4. Move the sextant either forward or backward

through a known distance ‘x’ i.e. the centre of
these two points are in the same straight line .
 5. Repeat the experiment for a third point E .
NO. Position of Sextant Diff. cot0 h
sextant scale reading b-a=0

Initial Final
reading=a reading=b

1. C=1450 2.5.,5’, 36” 10.,23’,24” 01= 7.3 1.25

7.5.,18’,48”

2. D=1570 2.5., 16’,12” 11.,30’36” 02= 6.5 1.57

8.5.,14’,24”

3. E=1660 3.5.,47’, 48” 11.5.,37’,24 03= 6.43 1.37

” 8.5.,10’,24”
 1. From 1. and 2.
 CD= x1= 1.00m
 h1=x1/cot02-cot01= 1.00/0.80= 1.25m

 2. from 2. and 3.
 DE= x2= 0.60m
 h2= 0.60/0.07=1.57m

 3. from 3. and 1.
 CE=1.20m
 h3=1.20/0.87=1.37m


 Mean Height = h1+h2+h3/3

 = 1.25+1.57+1.37/3=3.77m


 Height of inaccessible object=3.77m

 Actual height of object=3.60m

 percentage error=4.7%