A planimeter is an instrument used to measure the area of irregular shapes. The original version consisted of tracing the boundaries with the arm of the planimeter and then converting the obtained reading to the area of the figure using a specific formula. Here, the possibility of error is very high and the procedure is not that simple.Now, digital planimeters which work on rechargeable batteries and directly display the area required are available. These give a more accurate and quick measure of the area and in addition they allow calculations of line lengths, circumference, coordinates, angles, arc and circle radii and many other functions. LCD display, attached printers and computer compatibility are added advantages.
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