# >> College & Higher Education >> Other Higher Education

How to Use a Combined Grid Factor for Coordinates

The combined grid factor is useful for determining the ellipsoid distance between two coordinates on a grid, either above or below the ellipsoid. The combined grid factor is composed of the Orthometric Height Scale, which is more commonly known as the elevation factor, and the grid's scale. When combined, the two factors can give an almost exact distance between two coordinates. Unless you're measure over an extremely mountainous area, you won't see a large change in your final distance, but it can be useful when the measurement needs to be precise.

Instructions

- 1
  Mark two coordinates you wish to measure with the combined grid factor. The factor can only be used to measure two coordinates at a time, so, if you have more than two coordinates to factor, you'll need to do each two points individually before adding them all up for one final distance.
- 2
  Measure the distance between both points. Since the combined grid factor takes into account scale, make sure to use the same measurement that the grid is scaled into.
- 3
  Multiply the distance of the two measured points with the combined factor. The results will tell the ellipsoid distance between the two measured points.

African American Theological Colleges

How Have Critical Thinking Skills in Humans Actually Evolved Over Time?