## Road Scholar B

bernard
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### Road Scholar B

"One of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there."

freed2003
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Does anyone know any trig tricks for gradients or azimuths.
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soyuppy
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Does anyone know any trig tricks for gradients or azimuths.
There are 2 types of gradients
- Road gradient = Change in elevation / Distance * 100 ft
- Stream gradient = Change in elevation / Distance * 1000ft

Azimuth is a heading direction between 2 points in 360 degree starting from True north. Normally a protractor can be used to measure the heading. But if you want to get fancy, you can buy the military azimuth protractor where you can use to measure the heading angle., something like this on e-bay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RM-PRODUCTS-RM- ... SwP~tW3Dk3

freed2003
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### Re: Road Scholar B

By trig I meant trigonometry, I assume the tan function could be useful
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Fanglin
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### Re: Road Scholar B

By trig I meant trigonometry, I assume the tan function could be useful
Yes for Gradients, (Depending on what values are given e.g: straight line distance, land distance, hight difference)

Trig is not so helpful for azimuth
Problems are better pursued with General Electric GE90-115 engines.

2016 Nats:
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Meteorology: 11th
Gliders: 21st

(other events: Green Gen, Crime Busters, Helicopters, Hovercraft, Air trajectory)

freed2003
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### Re: Road Scholar B

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EastStroudsburg13
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### Re: Road Scholar B

It's been a while since I've competed in Road Scholar, but I'm not sure how much extra time you'd be saving by using trig to calculate azimuths or gradients. With gradients, you will still have to measure the distance between the two points, unless the question gives you the angle, and due to the small angle approximation, the angle becomes the gradient regardless.

Azimuths are probably more suited for trig, if you measure the coordinates using UTM, and then take $\arctan \frac{\Delta easting}{\Delta northing}$. However, since the arctan function is limited in range, you'll have to add 180 degrees if the azimuth direction is to the southeast/southwest, or 360 degrees if it's to the northwest. Personally, I feel like using one of these bad boys is easier: (image from amazon)

Trig is a really useful thing to use. However, test-makers will be making the tests knowing that most competitors will probably not know trig. Also (for azimuths especially), using the conventional method likely leads to a fuller understanding of what you're actually calculating, so for anyone else who's reading this, I would recommend not trying to use a trig shortcut unless you're already very comfortable and familiar with the concepts behind it. Of course, it's possible there's an easier method to use trig than either of those I've put here, and as long as the method gets you the answer, there's no harm done. I just don't recommend this to other people who may not be as experienced in the event.
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soyuppy
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Trig is a really useful thing to use. However, test-makers will be making the tests knowing that most competitors will probably not know trig. Also (for azimuths especially), using the conventional method likely leads to a fuller understanding of what you're actually calculating, so for anyone else who's reading this, I would recommend not trying to use a trig shortcut unless you're already very comfortable and familiar with the concepts behind it. Of course, it's possible there's an easier method to use trig than either of those I've put here, and as long as the method gets you the answer, there's no harm done. I just don't recommend this to other people who may not be as experienced in the event.
I total agree. This is div B events where most 6-9 graders HAVE NOT been exposed to trig yet. Keep in simple, just measure the distant and change in elevation, then multiply by either 100 or 1000 depending on whether it's road gradient or stream gradient

freed2003
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### Re: Road Scholar B

How do other people do practice tests? I can't seem to find the maps.
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SPP SciO
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### Re: Road Scholar B

How do other people do practice tests? I can't seem to find the maps.
You can download topo maps here: http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/index.html Printing them at a high enough resolution to be useful may or may not be possible at your school, but I imagine Kinko's or Staples etc could do it. If your team participates in any invitationals, it's possible that you'll be allowed to take the map home. I was lucky enough to grab a handful of different maps at a coaches' conference last year which my students use to generate their own questions for their partners to quiz on.
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Fanglin
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### Re: Road Scholar B

How do other people do practice tests? I can't seem to find the maps.
You can download topo maps here: http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/index.html Printing them at a high enough resolution to be useful may or may not be possible at your school, but I imagine Kinko's or Staples etc could do it. If your team participates in any invitationals, it's possible that you'll be allowed to take the map home. I was lucky enough to grab a handful of different maps at a coaches' conference last year which my students use to generate their own questions for their partners to quiz on.
You can also print these maps out on multiple pieces of paper, and if you tape them carefully enough, it works fine. If you want Legit topo maps, you either have to order them online, or at a USGS store. For highway maps, you probably have to just buy them to get the right ones. Often times people try to print them, but it usually never works.
Problems are better pursued with General Electric GE90-115 engines.

2016 Nats:
Bottle Rockets: 9th
Meteorology: 11th
Gliders: 21st

(other events: Green Gen, Crime Busters, Helicopters, Hovercraft, Air trajectory)

Teresa1109
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Do you guys have any good links on what to study for highway maps I think I got the topographic part down. I just need to know some good links for some good and valuable information on highway maps. I'm kinda struggling on that part.

Pond2016
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### Re: Road Scholar B

How do other people do practice tests? I can't seem to find the maps.
You can download topo maps here: http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/index.html Printing them at a high enough resolution to be useful may or may not be possible at your school, but I imagine Kinko's or Staples etc could do it. If your team participates in any invitationals, it's possible that you'll be allowed to take the map home. I was lucky enough to grab a handful of different maps at a coaches' conference last year which my students use to generate their own questions for their partners to quiz on.
You can also print these maps out on multiple pieces of paper, and if you tape them carefully enough, it works fine. If you want Legit topo maps, you either have to order them online, or at a USGS store. For highway maps, you probably have to just buy them to get the right ones. Often times people try to print them, but it usually never works.

Hi,
This is the first year we are participating in Science Olympiad; so wee are at a learning stage. The link you provided has USGS maps but still could not find the map needed in "Wicklund Invitational
Feb 6, 2016"( Clayton Quadrangle.) . Could you please tell me if you are able to find this map on this site?
Also this test needs "AAA San Francisco Bay " map. we are able to find it on AAA but that map does not have the notations on the side to find the GIRD notation. Some one also said we can buy the whole test package online , would any one know where to buy?

Thanks,
Pond2016

EastStroudsburg13
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Once you click on the site, you have to go to the left and click on "Download Maps". This will take you to a map lookup page. From here, in the "Search location" bar, you can type in the location of your map. Once you are taken to your location, you can click "Find Products", which should bring up the correct 7.5-minute map on the left, which you can then download.

As for AAA maps, they should all have some form of grid notation along the edges. I don't think I've ever seen one that doesn't have one. It's possible GIRD notation is something else that I don't know about, though.
East Stroudsburg South Class of 2012, Alumnus of JT Lambert, Drexel University Class of 2017

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Pond2016
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### Re: Road Scholar B

Once you click on the site, you have to go to the left and click on "Download Maps". This will take you to a map lookup page. From here, in the "Search location" bar, you can type in the location of your map. Once you are taken to your location, you can click "Find Products", which should bring up the correct 7.5-minute map on the left, which you can then download.

As for AAA maps, they should all have some form of grid notation along the edges. I don't think I've ever seen one that doesn't have one. It's possible GIRD notation is something else that I don't know about, though.

Thank you very much for the reply(did not expect this fast reply).
did you happen to look at "Wicklund Invitational Feb 6, 2016" practice test? if you did where did you get the map? do you know where i can buy the whole package?