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How
to Use A Tachymeter -
Learning by example, here are
examples using a tachymeter:
Example 1) Measure the
average speed a racecar is driving:
Start the chronograph function
when the car passes the starting line, and stop the function
after the car travels exactly one mile, noting position of
the chronograph hand. In this example, the hand points to
the 4 hour position (20 seconds elapsed)). Now looking
beyond the 4 hour position to the Tachymeter dial face,
reveals the number 180. This tachymeter indicates a computed
speed of 180 MPH.
Example 2) Observing a
slow moving object:
Since recorded time lapse must
be between 7.2 and 60 seconds, the distance to travel for
the recorded time must be short. i.e. It took 36 seconds for
a sailboat to travel 1/10 a nautical mile. Reading the
tachymeter dial, 100 knots is indicated. However, since 1/10
of a nautical mile was traveled, the actual answer is 1/10
of 100, equals 10 knots.
Example 3) Observing a
very fast moving object:
A plane travels 10 kilometers
in 10 seconds. The tachymeter dial points to 360. Therefore,
the answer is computed to 10 x 360; equals 3600 km/hour.
Example 4) Measure gas
consumption:
It took 50 seconds to burn up
1 gallon of gasoline. Reading the tachymeter scale at the
moment 1 gallon was consumed, reveals the number 72. This
computes to 72 gallons of fuel per hour is being consumed. |
