Height Measurement

Method or Concept Information needed Procedure
Direct Measurement

Standard ruler with known measurement

Direct contact with the known and unknown object

Place an object with a known measurement beside the object with the unknown
Proportion

Object of known height at the same position as object of unknown height

A scaled height of both the known and unknown object

Place an object thats height is known beside an object thats height is not known.

From an equal distance of both use a ruler or grid and measure the scaled height of both the known and unknown object

Draw both to scale and use the known height to figure the unknown

Proportion

Object of known height and known length of its shadow at its height

Object of unknown height and known length of its shadow at its height

Place an object thats heighth is known beside an object thats height is not known.

Measure the know height and the unknown height.

Draw both to scale and use the knowln height to figure the unknown

Two Angular measurements and distance

Distance from the object

Angular measure at the distance from the bottom of the object to the top of the object.

Stand at a known distance (50 meters) level with the bottom of the unknown height of the object.

Measure the angle from the bottom to the top of the object

Draw a line to represent the height of the object

Draw a line from the bottom, of the line that represents the height of the object, so that it is perpendicular and as long as the distance from the object where the angle was measured

Draw a line at the measured angle until it corsses the line that represents the unknown height

Measure the height using the scale of the drawing

Two Angular measurements and distance

Distance from the object

Angular measure at the distance from the bottom of the object to the top of the object.

Stand at the bottom of the unknown height of the object.

Measure the angle from the bottom to the top of the object

Move away from the object, of unknown height, until the angle is 45 degrees.

Measure the distance from the point of 45 degrees to the bottome of the object.

Use trigonometry table    
     

 

Dr. Robert Sweetland's Notes ©