How do I graph a profile using angles and lengths?

[hoover018]

Hello,

I am having difficulties trying to graph a profile of a mountain slope. My data consists of angles (in degrees and minutes), which are measured at random points, and the distance (in meters) between each point of measurement. I am not particularly well versed in Excel, so if any of you out there don't mind providing idiot instructions on how to do this, I would be very appreciative. Thanks!

 

[bydesign]

Hoover

This is a pretty BIG question to answer in a few words...

I have a book from John Walkenback "Excel Charts" that is GREAT! and it comes with samples for all kinds of unique applications. VERY COOL!

He has some examples that use charts to draw the outlines of a state with charting... I suspect you could modiy this for your needs...

http://j-walk.com/ss/books/bookxl22.htm

Also there are some pretty cool samples here...
http://www.andypope.info/charts.htm

Hope that helps point you in the right direction...

 

[tusharm]

This should be pretty straightforward. Depending on the measurement conventions you used, you will have to adapt the explanation below. My convention was that zero degrees is the horizontal, a positive value (0-90) was up, a negative value (-90 to 0) was down, and the distance was straight-line between two successive observations.

<pre> B C D E F G
2 Deg Min Dist Radians x y
3 10 30 20 0.183259571 0 0
4 12 0 30 0.20943951 19.66509815 3.64471051
5 8 15 4 0.143989663 49.00952617 9.882061234
6 -9 0 6 -0.157079633 52.96813172 10.45603172
7 -12 30 40 -0.200712864 58.89426176 9.517424932
8 -90 1.542708 -1.570796327 98.09124995 1.542707555
98.09124995 -4.44589E-07</pre>

Columns B and C represent the degrees and minutes in the angle. Column D is the distance.

Column E is the angle in radians. E3 has the formula =RADIANS(B3+C3/60) and copied down as far down column E as there is data in column D.

F3 and G3 contain the number 0.

F4 contains the formula =F3+D3*COS(E3) and G3 contains =G3+D3*SIN(E3) F3:G3 are copied as far down their respective columns as there is data in col. D.

Plot the rows with data in F:G in a XY Scatter chart. Ensure that you select a sub-type that contains connecting lines.

Hello,

I am having difficulties trying to graph a profile of a mountain slope. My data consists of angles (in degrees and minutes), which are measured at random points, and the distance (in meters) between each point of measurement. I am not particularly well versed in Excel, so if any of you out there don't mind providing idiot instructions on how to do this, I would be very appreciative. Thanks!

 

[hoover018]

Thanks so much for the help Tushar and Scott! I think I've got it worked out now!

-Wyley

 

[Zemn]

oh, hey.
Sorry for ressurecting an old post, but I have drawn one of these graphs using the techniques tusharm suggested, but what would the scale of the finished graph be? I can't claim to have understood much of the geometry stuff, but I think i've been pretty sucessful;
Angle Min Distance RADIANS
West Bay 10 0 6.9 0.174532925 0 0
13 0 2.0 0.226892803 6.795173496 1.198172426
2 0 5.6 0.034906585 8.743913625 1.648074535
14 0 10.4 0.244346095 14.34050226 1.843511716
1 0 3.6 0.017453293 24.43157781 4.35949943
As you can see, I used degrees only, so I put the minutes to 0. Keep in mind i'm only at my GCSE levels in the UK.
Hope you get back soon.

 

[Zemn]

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