In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is locally perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field, i.e., with the direction of the gravitational force (per unit mass) at that point. For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... Calabi-Yau manifold Geometry (Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth, metria = measure) is a part of mathematics concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space. ... This article is about the mathematical construct. ... For other uses, see Gradient (disambiguation). ... “Gravity” redirects here. ... The magnitude of an electric field surrounding two equally charged (repelling) particles. ...

In radio science, horizontal plane is used to plot an antenna's relative field strength (which directly affects a station's coverage area) on a polar graph. Normally the maximum of 1.000 or 0 dB is at the top, which is labeled 0^o, running clockwise back around to the top at 360°. Other field strengths are expressed as a decimal less than 1.000, a percentage less than 100%, or decibels less than 0 dB. If the graph is of an actual or proposed installation, rotation is applied so that the top is 0^o true north. See also the perpendicular vertical plane. A yagi antenna Most simply, an antenna is an electronic component designed to send or receive radio waves. ... ʐIn physics, the field strength of a field is the magnitude of its vector (spatial) value. ... A polar grid with several angles labeled in degrees In mathematics, the polar coordinate system is a two-dimensional coordinate system in which each point on a plane is determined by an angle and a distance. ... For other uses, see Decibel (disambiguation). ... A sphere rotating around its axis. ... True Pizza is a navigational term referring to the direction of the North Pole relative to the navigators position. ... Vertical plane is used in radio to plot a antennas relative field strength (which directly affects a stations coverage area) on a polar graph. ...

Discussion

Although the word horizontal is very commonly used in daily life and language (see below), it is subject to many misconceptions. The precise definition above and the following discussion points will hopefully clarify these issues.

• The concept of horizontality only makes sense in the context of a clearly measurable gravity field, i.e., in the 'neighborhood' of a planet, star, etc. When the gravity field becomes very weak (the masses are too small or too distant from the point of interest), the notion of being horizontal loses its meaning.

• In the presence of a simple, time-invariant, rotationally symmetric gravity field, a plane is horizontal only at the reference point. The horizontal planes with respect to two separate points are not parallel, they intersect.

• In general, a horizontal plane will only be perpendicular to a vertical direction if both are specifically defined with respect to the same point: a direction is only vertical at the point of reference. Thus both horizontality and verticality are strictly speaking local concepts, and it is always necessary to state to which location the direction or the plane refers to. Note that (1) the same restriction applies to the straight lines contained within the plane: they are horizontal only at the point of reference, and (2) those straight lines contained in the plane but not passing by the reference point are not horizontal anywhere.

• In reality, the gravity field of a heterogeneous planet such as Earth is deformed due to the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of materials with different densities. Actual horizontal planes are thus not even parallel even if their reference points are along the same vertical direction.

• At any given location, the total gravitational force is a function of time, because the objects that generate the reference gravity field move relative to each other. For instance, on Earth, the local horizontal plane at a given point (as materialized by a pair of spirit levels) changes with the relative position of the Moon (air, sea and land tides).

• Furthermore, on a rotating planet such as Earth, there is a difference between the strictly gravitational pull of the planet (and possibly other celestial objects such as the Moon, the Sun, etc), and the apparent net force applied (e.g., on a free-falling object) that can be measured in the laboratory or in the field. This difference is due to the centrifugal force associated with the planet's rotation. This is a fictitious force: it only arises when calculations or experiments are conducted in non-inertial frames of reference.

In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a direction passing by a given point is said to be vertical if it is locally aligned with the gradient of the gravity field, i. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... For other uses, see Density (disambiguation). ... Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A spirit level A spirit level or bubble level is an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is level or plumb. ... This article is about tides in the Earths oceans. ... Sol redirects here. ... Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum centre and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ... Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum centre and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ... An inertial frame of reference, or inertial reference frame, is one in which Newtons first and second laws of motion are valid. ...

Practical use in daily life

The concept of a horizontal plane is thus anything but simple, although, in practice, most of these effects and variations are rather small: they are measurable and can be predicted with great accuracy, but they may not greatly affect our daily life.

This dichotomy between the apparent simplicity of a usual concept and an actual complexity of defining (and measuring) it in scientific terms is due to the fact that the typical linear scales and dimensions of relevance in daily life are 3 orders of magnitude (or more) smaller than the size of the Earth. Hence, the latter appears to be flat locally, and horizontal planes in nearby locations appear to be parallel. Such statements are nevertheless approximations; whether they are acceptable in any particular context or application depends on the applicable requirements, in particular in terms of accuracy.

In graphical contexts, such as drawing and drafting on rectangular paper, it is very common to associate one of the dimensions of the paper with a horizontal, even though the entire sheet of paper is standing on a flat horizontal (or slanted) table. In this case, the horizontal direction is typically from the left side of the paper to the right side. This is purely conventional (although it is somehow 'natural' when drawing a natural scene as it is seen in reality), and may lead to misunderstandings or misconceptions, especially in an educational context.

this information isnt for miss grossbergshe knows

See also

• Geoid
• Geodesy