Proportional dividers are portable tools used to transfer the proportions of a design from one scale to another. They are used by architects, engineers, and artists to scale a drawing up or down. Proportional dividers can convert drawings in ratios ranging from 1 to 1 to as much as 1 to 10 to 10 times larger or smaller than the original. The device can create an exact scale replica of the original drawing. Proportional dividers are useful in many fields including art, architecture, and engineering, among others.
A proportional divider is a tool used to transfer the proportions of a design from one scale to another. It is a portable object similar in shape to a drawing compass, consisting of two steel legs with spikes at each end. The legs rotate in the center around a small nut that can be moved up and down to change the scale of each side. Proportional dividers are used extensively by architects, engineers and artists to scale a drawing up or down.
Sometimes it is necessary to replicate a design on a larger or smaller scale than the original. Proportional dividers provide a way to do this precisely. These devices can convert drawings in ratios ranging from 1 to 1 to as much as 1 to 10 to 10 times larger or smaller than the original.
Drawings are converted line by line in this process. First, the two points of the divider are placed at either end of the line, so that the divider extends over the desired line or line segment. The pivot point is then adjusted according to a series of marks along the leg of the divider. Depending on the adjustment, the dots on the side of the tool facing up will represent a fraction or multiple of the paper-based side. For example, if the divider is placed on a line and the pivot is set to 3, the space between the points at the opposite end of the divider will be exactly one-third the length of the line on the original drawing.
This method allows the draftsman or artist to create an exact scale replica of the original drawing. The ability to transfer scale is useful in many fields including art, architecture, and engineering, among others. Proportional dividers are accurate, pocket-sized, and require no special electronics, making them popular tools in these fields.
Artists find proportional dividers particularly useful in transferring very small proportions that might otherwise be difficult to replicate. The instrument can also be used for artistic study. Some artists use proportional dividers during the painting process to create a larger copy of a small preliminary sketch for further work.
In building and construction design, proportional dividers can be used to transfer measurements from a small scheme to a larger project. They can also be useful in cartography, where the contents of a small map need to be enlarged. In navigation, special types of dividers can be used to read distances or convert distances into travel time.
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