science

Ilhéu das Rolas

Ilhéu das Rolas is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ilhéu das Rolas rather than just read about it. In short: Ilhéu das Rolas (also: Ilheu Gago Coutinho) is an islet in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. It lies on the Equator, off the southern tip of São Tomé Island, separated by Canal das Rolas.

Key takeaways

Ilhéu das Rolas belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ilhéu das Rolas to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ilhéu das Rolas from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ilhéu das Rolas (also: Ilheu Gago Coutinho) is an islet in the African island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe. It lies on the Equator, off the southern tip of São Tomé Island, separated by Canal das Rolas. Its maximum elevation is 96 m (315 ft). Its population was 76 at the 2012 census. It is part of the Caué District. Access to the island is only by ferry from Ponta Baleia on São Tomé Island. There is a lighthouse on the islet, built in 1929, whose focal height is 106 metres (348 ft) and range is 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi). The island is home to a small resort, the Pestana Equador.

History The island was mentioned as "Illie de Rolle" in a 1665 map by Johannes Vingboons. and as "I. de Rolle" in a 1780 map by A. Dalrymple. Gago Coutinho (1869–1959), officer of the Portuguese Navy, navigator and historian, headed a geodesic mission to São Tomé between 1915 and 1918, when marks were placed as a basis for a geodetic network in the archipelago. After that, observations for triangulation, precise base measurement and astronomical observations were made. In the process, Gago Coutinho proved that Ilhéu das Rolas is crossed by the equatorial line. The resulting map was published in 1919, together with the Report of the Geodetic Mission on São Tomé Island 1915–1918, that was officially considered the first complete work of practical geodesy in the Portuguese colonies.

Nature The islet is abundant in flora and fauna. Some endemic species are Greeff's giant gecko, birds such as the São Tomé prinia and the São Tomé weaver and frogs such as Phrynobatrachus leveleve and Schistometopum thomense.

Gallery

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ilhéu das Rolas

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ilhéu das Rolas claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ilhéu das Rolas before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ilhéu das Rolas ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ilhéu das Rolas

In research: Ilhéu das Rolas appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ilhéu das Rolas in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ilhéu das Rolas is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Equator monuments, Ilhéu das Rolas, Islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ilhéu das Rolas outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ilhéu das Rolas in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ilhéu das Rolas means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ilhéu das Rolas out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ilhéu das Rolas in simple terms?

Why does Ilhéu das Rolas matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ilhéu das Rolas?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ilhéu das Rolas.