NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS

by: Ximena Fong 

  Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.(3)

What is a navigation tool?

  A navigation tool is a special invention that helps sailors or pilots to know were they are or were to go, this tools they can do a lot of  things like to tell you directions, routes, speed, etc.

  Why navigation tools are important?

  Navigation tools are important because if people don't use them it would be easier to get lost and it would be more difficult to know were to go or were they are. For example long time ago for sailors it was very difficult locate a place and they have to use a lot of ways for knowing were they are.

    Types of navigation tools:

Charts: are maps or areas to be navigated.

Computational aids: gives a mathematical calculation.

                                                    

Dividers: used for measuring lengths of lines and approximate lengths off non-linear paths on a chart.(1)

                                                    

Marine chronometer: it is use to determine time. The creator of the chronometer was John Harrison.

                                                    

Sextant: instrument that could measure an angle without being strongly affected by movement.(1) The creator of the sextant was John Campbell.

                                                     

Back staff: it works for measure altitude of the sun. The creator if the backstaff was John Davis.

                                                       

Pelorus: used to determine bearings relative to the ship's heading of landmarks, other ships, etc.(1) 

Compass: compass is an instrument that works with magnets that it tells you if you are going North, South, East and West. The compass was created by Chinese Han Dynasty.

GPS: It tells you a location of a place by using satellites to give you the location. The Gps creators are Ivan A. Getting, Bradford Parkinson and Roger L. Easton.

                                                   

Maps: is a picture that represents and shows the continents and the oceans. The first map was created by Anaximander.

                                                 

Functions of a navigational tool

   The functions of a navigational tool are:

• Tell you were to go 

• Locate and specific spot

• Tell you the position of the sun

• Measure time

• Locate north, south, eats and west

• To know the position of the sun and the constellations

• And to measure the speed 

The  Phoenicians wre the first people to navigate they use charts and observations of the sun and stars to determine directions. They start to navigate around 4,000 years ago (c.2000 B.C.E). (2)

References:
1.En.wikipedia.org. (2016). Navigational instrument. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigational_instrument [Accessed 16 Oct. 2016].

3.En.wikipedia.org. (2016). Navigation. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation [Accessed 17 Oct. 2016].

2. Waterencyclopedia.com. (2016). Navigation at Sea, History of - important, system, marine, human. [online] Available at: http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Mi-Oc/Navigation-at-Sea-History-of.html [Accessed 16 Oct. 2016].