Why Does the Incline Angle Start Differently in Fluid Dynamics Problems?

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petersun825
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While working on fluid dynamics problems I noticed that the incline angle sometimes starts at middle while other times starts at one end. Is there an explanation for this?

I know the slope =(linear a)/(gravitational g)
 
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  • Textbook page showing Fig. 5-1, a rectangular tank of water with a sloped free surface, labelled 20 ft long and 3 ft and 7 ft depths; and Solution (a) with tan θ = linear acceleration / gravitational acceleration = 8.05/32.2 = 0.250, θ = 14°02'.
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It probably has to do with convenience of coordinate system definition for a given problem.