calculating distance between coordinates

[TTBoy]

i use a Trimble Total Station Survey equipment, This is used for suveying and measuring distances between points on jobs. These points can be exported onto the pc as a text file and imported onto excel, the file has a northing and easting to locate the point these are comma separated.

I would like to know if excell is capable of working out a distance betwen two of these such points by using the two pairs of northing and easting coordinates. The maximum distance between two points is no more than 50 meters. If for example when imported onto excel point 1's coordinates are locted in cells A1 and B1 and points 2's coordinates are locted in cells A2 and B2.

Any help or advice would be appreciated Thanks. I am very new to excel

 

[hatepoppy]

yeah, excel can do it. it's just algebra. think back, there's a point-distance formula. it's just pythagorean's theorem, really.

(x2-x1)^2 + (y2-y1)^2 = distance^2

SO!
if your coordinates are in column A and B,
=sqrt((a2-a1)^2+(b2-b1)^2)
would yield the distance.

 

[TTBoy]

Thanks I didn't think of it like that, I don't have a northing/easting coordinate text file a home but I am going to try that at work tommorrow and report back. Just a quick question what unit of distance will the answer be in (metres or millimeters)??

 

[BAlGaInTl]

It should be in whatever units your x/y coordinates are in...

 

[TTBoy]

coordinates are in degrees minutes and seconds so this could be a problem yes?? I will have to have a look tommorrow if the trimble can export the text file with distances instead. Thanks

 

[hatepoppy]

the formula i provided will calculate distance in the same units the inputs are in.

as northing and easting are generally recorded in meters, your data will probably yield distances in meters.

as a quick check, observe the scale of the results of the calculation.
- as you specified, no distance should be greater than 50.
- if you start seeing results in the thousands or tens of thousands, your inputs are likely in millimeters.
- if the calculated distances are all <=50 (or thereabout), you're in meters.

 

[hatepoppy]

coordinates are in degrees minutes and seconds so this could be a problem yes??

so wait, let's get this straight:

are your data Northing-Easting or deg-min-sec?

 

[BAlGaInTl]

Can you provide some sample input data?

I'm sure that degrees and minutes can be converted to the proper units...

 

[TTBoy]

To be honest I am not 100% sure. I will have a look at work tommorrow to be 100% sure I don't want to waste your time. The information you have given me gives me something to go on and try a few things. I can post a definate answer tommorrow, hopefully you may be on the forum to help with any problems I have. I will be able to post a sample tommorrow. Thanks again for the quick replies and the help...

 

[hatepoppy]

if your coordinates are in deg-min-sec, it could be a pain. look into the Haversine Formula. and have fun.